Sheri Lee and her "Accidental Career"

In my long time in the PNW coffee community I’ve seen a lot of changes; the one that excites me the most is that women are being allowed in “the boys club."

Hi, I’m Sheri Lee! I’ve been a barista now for 16 years; I call it my “accidental career.” I was born in Seattle and raised in Portland, so I guess you could say that I’ve been around the PNW coffee culture my entire life. Growing up in the Northwest used to be a little tougher than it seems these days and I acquired a pretty thick skin early on, which has helped me survive being in the service industry this long (Man, I’ve seen some shit). My first barista gig was in 2002 downtown Portland. I had always admired barista work, even in the first wave days of open 24 hour cafes and giant cappuccinos (excuse me, I ordered the large).

What I consider my first “real” barista job was at one of Stumptown Coffee’s first wholesale accounts. It was a brand new shop, and I was one of the first employees. At the time I was a single mom with a 5 year old son, when I left my son was 14. It was a great run! The relationships that were created over that counter have become life long friendships, and the tips weren’t bad either (the salad days).

The connections and money I have made as a barista have allowed me to raise my son and have a lot of fun. I have worked at a few shops since then always making new friends and learning new tricks of the trade. I’ve never pretended to know everything about coffee, especially since the culture and standards are always changing. I feel that asking for help in continuing to learn is very important; setting aside ones ego. In my long time in the PNW coffee community I’ve seen a lot of changes; the one that excites me the most is that women are being allowed in “the boys club.” Seeing women in roasting positions, as service techs, and delivering is super rad. If I had advice for new comers to the industry it would be to not take yourself too seriously; it’s just coffee!