Hi. My name is Jason Duncan.
This is A Thought Over Coffee.
A Thought Over Coffee.
In January 2005, during my final semester at Belmont University, I launched a blog I called, A Thought Over Coffee. What began as a simple online journal quickly grew into something much more meaningful. The blog was born out of my desire to document my journey from the initial stages of dreaming and planning to the tangible realities of opening my own business, Cafe EVOKE (later known as EVOKE). This wasn’t just any business venture; EVOKE represented my passion for community, creativity, and what I saw as the art of coffee. Through this blog, I aimed to offer an honest and transparent account of what it really takes to build a business from the ground up through the lens of a 20 year old college student.
In the early days, A Thought Over Coffee provided my friends and readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges I faced, from securing funding and navigating construction to making critical decisions that would shape the future of EVOKE. I shared everything - the highs and lows, the victories, and the setbacks, all with the intention of providing a real and unfiltered look at entrepreneurship in real time and as I was learning what it was all about. My goal was simple: to create a space where I could openly discuss the realities of starting a business, offering both insights and encouragement to others who might be on a similar path. The best part was that I gained so much in return.
As the years passed, A Thought Over Coffee evolved beyond its original purpose. What began as a blog chronicling the journey of one entrepreneur gradually grew into a platform for broader discussions about business, leadership, and the nuanced moments that often go unnoticed. I realized that the lessons I was learning through the experiences at EVOKE had broader applications, not just in the realm of business, but in life itself. The blog became a place where readers could find thoughtful reflections on the intersection of work and life, leadership and creativity, success and failure.
Today, the stories, posts, and conversations I imagine for A Thought Over Coffee are much more than a record of one kid’s journey. It is a vibrant community of readers who are interested in exploring the deeper aspects of entrepreneurship, leadership, and, maybe most importantly, the complexities of life’s in-between moments. My writing continues to be driven by the same values that inspired me to start the blog nearly two decades ago: authenticity, transparency, and a commitment to meaningful conversations.
You, friends, are invited to join me here at A Thought Over Coffee and to join in these ongoing conversations, whether you are entrepreneurs, leaders, or simply individuals seeking to hear stories of business, life and where they intersect. I hope these reflections offer a source of inspiration and insight, encouraging readers to think more deeply about their own journeys. As the conversations on this stack continue to unfold, A Thought Over Coffee remains a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of sharing our experiences, no matter where we are on our paths.
Thanks for reading. I hope you will subscribe, grab a coffee and join me as I revamp these thoughts into weekly posts here on Substack; A week by week monologue, or if you would be so kind. a dialogue....
So much more to come. This is week one. See you next Tuesday and each one following… hopefully sooner (you know, at EVOKE or around town??).