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The Gift of Reflection: Stories That Shape Our Work
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A moment of gratitude
There are moments that quietly change us.
Recently, after eleven years at Thanksgiving Coffee, I experienced one of those moments. It reminded me that behind every bag of coffee is something much bigger than coffee itself: relationships, shared purpose, and the people who help us see the impact of our work.
As I was preparing to leave for a trip to Paris to continue my studies in Intentional Creativity, Paul Katzeff walked into my office. We began reflecting on the many years we've worked together at Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Then he said something that stopped me.
"Thank you for allowing me to see my life's work through your eyes."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"It was only through your reflection back to me that I realized what I had done."
Those words stayed with me because they captured something I've come to appreciate during my years at Thanksgiving Coffee: the importance of taking time to reflect, on both what we do and why we do it.
If you've ever wondered what makes Thanksgiving Coffee different, the answer isn't found in a single coffee or product. It's found in the people, relationships, and values that shape the work every day.
Over the past eleven years, I've had the opportunity to serve Thanksgiving Coffee in many different roles. I first joined the company in Community Outreach, helping build relationships throughout Mendocino County. Over time my work expanded into sustainability, Bee Bold, Cause Coffees, B Corporation stewardship, regenerative business development, impact reporting, brand storytelling, and now, serving as Head of Brand Narrative & Culture.
Looking back, I realize I wasn't simply moving from one role to another.
I was learning to become a steward of stories. One of the greatest gifts of working alongside founders Joan and Paul has been witnessing a lifetime of ideas unfolding in real time.
Yet they have been so busy doing that work—often focused on what still needs to be done—that they rarely stop to see the larger pattern their lives have created.
For decades, Paul has often shared a simple sentence that's guided Thanksgiving Coffee: "Coffee is our medium to do the work in the world." Over the years, I came to understand how deeply those words shape this company—and how far beyond coffee they reach.
They speak to a philosophy that values relationships over transactions, curiosity over certainty, and service over recognition. Coffee became the vehicle through which conversations about farmers, health, biodiversity, education, regenerative business, and community could all take place.
As I documented company history for our Roaster of the Year application, wrote annual Impact Reports, helped steward our B Corp certification, and worked alongside remarkable colleagues to tell the stories of our farmers and partners, something unexpected happened.
I wasn't simply documenting Thanksgiving Coffee's history. I was helping reveal it.
Not only to our customers, but sometimes to the people who had lived it.
Yesterday reminded me that stories are far more than marketing. They help us recognize meaning, preserve perspective, and sometimes even see our own work with fresh eyes.
Paul Katzeff and Lavender Grace Kent at the first Bee Bold event for Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, 2016
As I continue my own journey, I carry immense gratitude for the mentors who have shaped me, especially Paul and Joan Katzeff, whose vision created a company where business has always been about something larger than profit.
My hope is that, through the stories we continue to tell, future generations won't simply know what Thanksgiving Coffee has accomplished—they'll understand why.
Because in the end, coffee has never been the destination.
It has always been the invitation.
Every Story Finds Its Way Into the Cup
Stories have a way of becoming part of our daily rituals.
Early in my journey with Thanksgiving Coffee, I asked our Roastmaster, Jacob Long, which coffee he would recommend for brewing Turkish style. He smiled and suggested our Organic Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe.
Years later, it remains the coffee I reach for most often. I love its bright, fruit-forward character, and it reminds me that every cup carries a story.
The natural sweetness and vibrant fruit notes of Ethiopia Natural make it an ideal choice for Turkish coffee—a centuries-old brewing tradition that invites both ritual and personal expression. My own version finishes with cardamom, cinnamon, organic coconut oil, and local Mendocino wildflower honey.
Lavender's Morning Cup: Organic Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe brewed Turkish style with cardamom, cinnamon, organic coconut oil, and local Mendocino wildflower honey
A Final Reflection
Looking back, I realize that every meaningful journey offers two gifts: the work itself, and the wisdom we gain when we take time to reflect on it.
If this reflection encourages you to pause over your next cup of coffee—to appreciate the people behind it, thank someone who has shaped your own journey, or simply notice the stories that surround you—then it has served its purpose.
After all, some of life's greatest gifts are not found in what we accomplish, but in what we help one another recognize.
Lavender Grace Kent - Head of Brand Narrative & Culture
Helping to steward the stories, partnerships, regenerative initiatives, and cultural legacy of Thanksgiving Coffee Company.
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