Patience Is a Venture

I wanted to open a café in a trendy neighborhood. But when I found a location in a not-so-trendy area full of skeptical customers, I learned the merits of playing the long game. 

- VANESA KIM

Entrepreneurs can be impatient. When we have a great idea, we want to make it happen now. But I've learned that patience-taking time to convince resistant customers, or to prove your concept to dubious investors can create an outcome much truer to your vision.

Seven years ago, I began trying to open a coffee shop in New York City. I had long worked as a barista, and imagined a café that treated coffee like a performance-the bar acting as a stage, where baristas would pull the espresso shot, weigh it, and heat it to a precise temperature, all while telling the origin story of the beans. I wanted the shop's sounds and smells and visuals to envelop each customer. I'd call it White Noise Coffee Company.

The trouble was, no one would rent me a space. At least, no one in neighborhoods where you'd expect a "fancy" coffee shop to do well. I was only looking for a 200- or 300-square-foot shop-a closet, really-but I'd never started a business before. I'm a petite Korean girl, and I got a lot of shocked faces when I said I would be the owner.