We recently connected with Kat from Quokka Coffee in Perth, Western Australia. Kat, aka @QuokkaCoffee, and her team are “revolutionizing the hospitality industry one cup at a time". Kat shares makes Quokka Coffee a unique business and some great advice for budding entrepreneurs.
Kat, QuokkaCoffee
Website: quokkacoffee.org
What adjectives would you use to describe your business?
Radically empathetic, ruthlessly kind.
Tell us something about your business that others might not know.
We're incredibly queer-friendly! And we think that's a big deal given the area we operate in is especially masculine and conservative.
What makes your business unique?
We're constantly pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a bricks and mortar cafe, from hiring and retention, to how we treat our guests and look after people, how we intentionally limit ourselves so we can say yes to the things we really want to say yes to.
As a woman in business, what challenges have you faced?
It's just one facet of my identity and I try not to let it box me in too much, but definitely all the pitfalls that come with being of the fairer sex. But it is what it is: you just deal with the hours and hours of work while being on your period and exhausted beyond belief, the occasional reproductive health scare, the clientele who think you're straight and think it's a great idea to ask you (or the staff) out while you're working, the implied choice between career and raising a family... y'know. The usual.
Are there any women in business that you look up to?
I can't name anyone off the top of my head (problematic, I know) but I've always looked to other fields like art and music for inspiration. Whether it's literary giants who were never taken seriously in their lifetime and only achieved fame posthumously, or even just the brilliant young women I work with on a day to day basis, I'm just in awe of people who see there's hard work to be done, aren't threatened by it in any way, and just show up to do it.
What advice would you give to women considering starting their own business?
Do it. Life will never be the same again.
Thank you Kat! ✨
Did you know that the Seller Community has an online group specifically for women in business? Join togetHER today.