Dillanos Coffee Roasters - Coffee Apologies #1

I don’t normally like to use any first person words in my writings. After all, nothing I put on the page is about me. When someone puts themselves in their writings too much, the subjects they’re covering end up being overshadowed. That's something I never want to happen. But I digress.

There was a time when I briefly experimented with an overly aggressive writing style. I took every slight, whether perceived or actual, companies I was covering sent my way and immediately went on the defensive. I don’t want to do that anymore.

I have spent a great deal of time writing about Dillanos Coffee Roasters. If you haven’t checked them out before, please do so soon. They make perhaps the most well-rounded coffee varieties I have ever had the privilege of trying.

Throughout our dealings with each other, they were nothing but nice to me. Once Jeff Woods, one of my favorite people in the coffee business, left Dillanos to go to another company, he was replaced by a young woman whose name suddenly escapes me. What used to be a smooth back and forth dialog turned into a chunky struggle for any sort of progress.

The change in dynamic between Dillanos and I was upsetting. Rather than working to build up a similar relationship with the new representative, I lashed out and thought that she was being mean or rude when really she was just doing her job. The problem was me.

I applaud the head of Dillanos, David Morris, for not telling me to hit the bricks. He indulged my absurd notions of persecution. I foolishly decided to take it a step further and write a detailed critique of what I thought about the Dillanos website.

One of my goals is to become the writer for a coffee company. I love writing about coffee and I couldn't think of a better outlet than doing it for an organization I respect. Dillanos was at the top of my list of places where I wanted to try out my new writing program. Instead of asking nicely and waiting for a reply, I put my foot in my mouth.

In the working world, it’s recommended that you don’t insult someone for whom you want to work. You need to be professional at all times. You don’t look at what they’re doing and tell them they’re doing it wrong. You present yourself as a person who can assist them in what they’re currently trying to accomplish.

I would like to apologize to Dillanos for being belligerent to your representative and the critique I posted on LinkedIn that has since been retracted and deleted. I hope we can somehow return to a point similar to what we were doing in the past.

My desire to write for your organization has not waned one bit. If anything, it mixed with regret and the urge to make things up to you and became much stronger in the process. As a writer, finding one’s voice is a process that has considerable bumps along the way.

I will resume writing about your brand like I did when we first connected with one another.