When I was 17, I moved from Pennsylvania back to my birthplace, Huntsville, Alabama, to attend college. I wasn’t on a scholarship, had no financial aid, and needed a part-time job. After working several entry-level jobs I hated, I landed a temporary position as a receptionist at an engineering firm. My main responsibilities? Answering the phone and, perhaps even more crucially, making coffee for the company’s owner every morning at 7:30.
Up until then, I had never thought much about making coffee—I didn’t even drink it! But on my first day, I received an in-depth training session. I was shown the exact measurement of beans, the precise grind time, and how to ensure every last coffee ground made it into the machine. Even the water temperature had to be just right. I remember thinking, Wow, he takes this seriously!
Each morning, I showed up to make the coffee and answer the phone. (Okay, sometimes I was late, and he had to make it himself.) As the school year wound down, I planned to return to Pennsylvania for the summer. My boss asked when I’d be back, and I vaguely replied, “Sometime in August, before school starts.”
That summer, I took another temp job in a law office. Then, mid-July, I got an unexpected phone call. It was the Alabama placement service. My former boss wanted to know exactly when I’d be back—because no one else could make coffee the way I did! I was flattered (and a little amused) by my apparent coffee-making excellence.
When I returned, I resumed my role as receptionist and Chief Coffee Maker. But something interesting happened: when I wasn’t answering phones, I had free time. A computer sat at the front desk, so I began teaching myself how to use a program called MacDraw II. Soon, I was helping engineers create technical slide presentations.
I approached each slide with the same attention to detail as I did with the coffee. Perfect alignment, precise text placement—everything had to be just right. My work caught the engineers’ attention, and soon, I was tasked with learning a new, cutting-edge software: Macromedia Director. This program allowed users to create animated, movie-like simulations, complete with its own scripting language. I dove in.
Before long, I was working with raw scientific data to create nuclear effects simulations. I pulled more than a few all-nighters to ensure my projects were ready for major presentations. My role evolved from receptionist to full-time employee, complete with an office, benefits, and even tuition reimbursement.
One day, a physicist was reviewing a simulation with me. Something seemed off, so I zoomed in and noticed a single pixel was the wrong shade of orange. I corrected it, and he stared at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe you see at that level!”
I stayed in this position for nearly five years. The skills I developed there put me at the forefront of multimedia development, opening doors to incredible opportunities. I went on to create mission-critical computer-based training for the U.S. Army and countless multimedia presentations for various government organizations.
Even today, as a martial arts academy owner, I credit attention to detail as a key ingredient in our success. And to think—it all started with making coffee.
My Challenge to You:
What small, seemingly mundane task can you do today with excellence? Because you never know where it might lead.
