On Coffee & Creativity

Special Edition: Of Coarse Coffee

Jun 19, 2026

TLDR: Of Coarse roasts ultra fresh coffee on demand. Orders are due on 7/5 for a 7/6 roast. Delivery immediately follows. Get $2 off your first bag with promo code: DOODLE. Make it happen: ofcoarsecoffee.com

MISSED CONNECTION

Kenny and I go way back. I just met Kenny a couple weeks ago.

I’ve known “of Kenny” for nearly 20 years. He had worked at the Chicago marketing agency I used to work at. But by the time I had gotten there, he had just left. We both did two separate stints at the same agency, but our paths never crossed. And for years, people would say to me… “Do you know Kenny?” …. “Oh, man, you just missed this guy named Kenny— you two would have gotten along so well” … “Dude, you are just like this guy named Kenny who used to work here” … “It’s too bad Kenny isn’t here any more, you guys would have made a helluva creative team.”

Then I left the agency. And Kenny boomeranged back to it.
Apparently, he heard similar things.
But we never actually met.

At some point, we “connected” on the socials as “digital friends”. But we never really, truly connected. Never saw each other in real life. Never actually spoke. Texted. Or emailed. I’d see him doing groundbreaking creative stuff on his insta @fpokenny and @creaturesoffpo. I’d hit him with a “like”. Maybe drop a “firemoji” in the comments. But didn’t think much of it.

Then last year happened.
My family got rocked with some scary health stuff.
And so did his… just as he and his wife were experimenting with a coffee side hustle. Then he got laid off.

And then, he said f-it, and went all in on Of Coarse Coffee.
Of course, I wouldn’t find out any of this until earlier this year.

I got a “Kenny post” from the algogods.
It was an Of Coarse/life update.

I bought a bag to support a friend.
It was damn good. So I bought another.

Then I was drinking his coffee and writing last month’s newsletter.
Then, I finally called Kenny.

People were right.
We are of the same energy.

NOTE: This is not a sponsored ad-like object thingy. Just two dudes who dig what the other is doing coming together to support each other.

The best way to hear Kenny & Staci’s story is to hit up the Of Coarse Coffee socials and hear it from their own mouths.

Really. You should stop reading and go there now: @coffee.ofcoarse

But, I guess, if you insist on a third-party interpretation at newsletter speed.
Here it goes…

Barista.
Marketing career.
Grind.
Grind.
Grind.
Family.
Reflect.
Favorite gigs, barista & marketer.
Side gig, Of Coarse.
Cancer 1. F!
Keep the coffee on!
Keep the coffee on!
Cancer 2. F!
Rally.
Marketing, “let go”. F!
Stage 4. F!
Make someday today.
All in, Of Coarse.

Kenny & Staci’s story is about as inspiring as it gets.
To hear them tell it gives it the weight it deserves.

Something that’s stuck with me is hearing Kenny describe his love of coffee as a “catalyst for something great”. He’s the first to admit, it sounds like marketing BS. But he believes it. And when he talks about coffee, at the center, of people coming together, before a show, to meet about a gig, as the first step in many relationships… as the thing that’s so culturally linked to creativity… when his voice scales up and his words start to race… you believe it, too. Coffee is the catalyst of great things. It’s also the effort of great people. Kenny & Staci are proof of that.

Ok, Kenny. Lightning round. Feels like we need to start with how we make and take our coffee:

Kenny: Honestly depends on the day. But usually Aeropress, black.

Tom: Brewed via French Press. 2-fingers Half & Half in a thick-walled diner mug first. Coffee on top. No stir.

Ok, but now how do you really do it, in the day-to-day routine of life:

K: Clever dripper (it’s the laziest method ever), black, in my Good Fucking Design Advice mug with a broken handle

T: Brewed via a Fellow Aiden if I’m in my office or an OXO 8-cup Drip if I’m in the kitchen. Diner mug. Half & Half. Coffee.

Favorite creative thing you’ve seen this month:

K: The McDonald’s France photocopier campaign. Really good strategy but ABSOLUTELY beautiful. The imagery was so beautiful. That kind of aesthetic is my jam.

T: I was all in for the NBA Finals this year. My insta algo is dialed in to “art” — so I was getting these really beautiful Knicks / Spurs pieces. Found 2 killer new artists.to follow: @_tylerupchurch & @scrapy.art

Favorite thing you’ve read this month:

K: An Awesome Book by Dallas Clayton. It’s a picture book we had for our kid when he was younger but I just found it again and gave a quick read. It talks about dreaming creatively and how a lot of people let it die. When I would read it to my son I would get teary-eyed, even though it’s not sad, because I wanted this super young kid to stay a dreamer (he is) and it’s sad that others lose that innate creativity.

T: After seeing that Jason Reynold’s grad speech at U of Maryland last month, I picked up his Long Way Down from the library. It’s one of those middle grade novels in verse—which is pretty new to me. It all takes place in a short 60-second elevator ride as a boy with a gun must decide whether he’ll follow through on his plan to get revenge for his brother’s murder.

Best creative advice you’ve heard or given lately:

K: I’m taking a social brand building course with Strong Brand Social and one of the biggest messages is to get things out rough and not worry about it being perfect. So many people let perfection get in the way so they never launch or show the world something they’re doing.

T: I heard this in an interview, but I can’t recall who said it. It’s kinda life advice. But also very much creative advice. The guy said, you know, the only question that really matters is: are you gonna do it? It doesn’t matter if it’s hard or easy. Or what you’ll learn or get from it. Or if you have the right supplies. Or if you’re in the right mindset. Or if anyone cares if you do it. The only question you have to really answer is: are you gonna do it? I just love the simplicity of it. It’s no BS.

How do you reset when you need to be creative, but really need a break:

K: Pinball and listening to The Cranberries or Screaming Trees

T: 10-min nap. All the way. I’m a chronically tired human.

What was your favorite toy as a kid and what is it now:

K: Crayons as a kid. Legos now

T: G.I. Joes as kiddo. Cintiq as elder.

Fave moment with your kid this year:

K: We went to see The Descendents with Frank Turner and Nobro at my friend’s venue in Tucson, he got to help with roadies stuff. The next week we saw them at the Salt Shed in Chicago. He went into the pit alone and got to crowd surf. Seeing my 16 year old kid seeing a bad I loved at his age (the Descendents) in a pit like I used to do at his age was surreal and amazing.

T: I’ve been taking my big guy to a lot of basketball training stuff this year. Two hours every Monday night. He’s been doing the program for a few years. Each night, they award a “camper of the night”. He’s been after that award ever since he started. But he’s never earned it. A couple weeks ago I wasn’t able to take him to the session, so a neighbor dad did. When he got home, I asked him if he got the award half unsure if I should even bring it up. But he grinned the biggest grin I think I’ve ever seen and reached into his pocket and pulled out the medal. It was a pretty proud moment for both of us. Pretty sure that’s the longest running goal he’s ever had. And he put in the work, and he crushed it.

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