We all have secrets, right?

For some obscure reasons, they are things we don’t want our friends, family and coworkers to know about us. But one thing we do want is to know about other people’s secrets.

As the new editor of this blog —see Mike’s farewell post if you missed it—, I’m sure you have questions about me (for the short answer version, read the about page).

You probably wonder who I am, what is my background and how much coffee I drink. To be honest, I don’t really want you to know any of this.

Why? Well, for one thing, with what I’m about to share, I’m afraid you’ll never read this blog ever again.

And THAT is a pretty good reason to keep it secret, wouldn’t you say?

So why am I about to tell you my secrets? Keep reading to find out…

Why am I about to tell you my secrets?

Over the last couple of days, I’ve debated with myself whether or not I should be open about me. I considered using a fake identity. After all, a lot of bloggers do.

Not that I have anything to hide. But I just felt that this blog is not about a person.

For me, Daily Shot of Coffee is about delivering great content. It’s about connecting with readers. It’s about helping the average Joe drinker, who wants something better than the average cup of coffee, learn not only how to make a better coffee, but how to appreciate it as well.

There is only one thing that didn’t feel right, though.

How could I deliver on such a promise without being transparent?

How can this blog be credible if it’s editor is a fake?

How can the readers trust the content, reviews and recommendations of someone who doesn’t exist?

That is why I not only chose to be my real self, but I decided to go one step further and tell you 5 things about me I don’t really want you to know.

“If you have something personal to say to someone, grab a coffee with that person. It helps.” Tweet this.

But first, if we are to do this, let’s do it right.

Grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable and, please, give me a chance to explain myself before you decide to unsubscribe and never come back…

1. I’m not a coffee expert

Yeah, I know! Not very reassuring for a blog about coffee.

But, as Mike pointed out when he founded DSOC, our mission is to help the average Joe learn about coffee.

As an average Joe coffee drinker myself, I feel I am at the right place to expand my knowledge about coffee and share what I will learn with you.

There are actually tons of things I want to learn that, I am sure, readers of this blog want to know more about.

For example, when I taste coffee, I can tell the difference between a good cup and an awful one.

But I’d like to push it a step further, and learn to taste properly and develop my palette.

I want to be able to tell the difference between flavors, various roasts and beans cultivation techniques. I’d like to learn how to use the right terminology, to appreciate a “full body”, recognize the “right balance”, discover “notes of dark chocolate” and so on.

 

2. Worse, I like tea

If you think not being a coffee expert was a downer, it gets worse: I don’t drink coffee everyday. At least, not anymore. Let me explain.

I got hooked to coffee in University. As a member of the Student Federation, I had access to 25 cents coffees. Since I lived on campus, I drank between 5 and 10 coffees a day, seven days a week. It wasn’t great coffee, but it got me caffeinated alright.

The first time I tasted real coffee was on a trip. After 22 hours of flight, I arrived in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. As it was around 6 am, I ordered a coffee at the airport’s bar to help me get through the day.

The bartender came back with this small cup, and charged $4 for it.

Four dollars! I thought it was a rip off – how can you charge $4 for two sips of coffee?

Then, I understood. For the first time of my life, I experienced coffee… and loved it!

For almost 20 years since then, I drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day. Usually, a latte when I woke up, a cappuccino when I got to the office and a one shot espresso after lunch.

That is until the summer of 2010.

Influenced by all the hype around the health benefits of teas, especially green teas, I took an introductory tea-tasting lesson. There, I discovered the Champagne of teas, the Darjeelings. It’s a black tea cultivated in the mountains of northern India.

Getting off of coffee was hard, especially the first week. I experienced strong headaches and unpleasant mood swings that comforted me in my decision of kicking off my coffee drinking habit.

It had an unexpected side-benefit however.

I can now drink coffee without feeling addicted to it. In other words, I am now enjoying coffee rather than needing it.

For that reason, every time I have a cup of coffee, which ranges between once every few weeks to 3-4 times a week, I want it to be an experience, nothing less.

Whether you are a daily coffee drinker or a “social” one, you should aim to experience coffee this way. Your day will just be this much better.

 

3. My secret identity: I have other blogs you can’t read

Born and raised in Montreal, I grew up going to French school. In college, I moved to Ontario and, for 7 years, I switched to English.

At some point, I realized it had become difficult for me to write in French. So, I went to a local french newspaper and volunteered to write articles. They accepted, even though I knew nothing about journalism.

A few years later, I was editor in chief of the paper and got offered a job in the largest french-language business newspaper in North America.

Since then, writing became part of my life. Even after I quit journalism, I kept writing as a columnist and a contributor in various magazines. I also published 3 books and I write 2 other blogs, all in French. (That’s why you can’t read them).

But that is not my secret identity.

Daily Shot of Coffee is.

At work, we all have our “professional face” on. I am sure you know what I’m talking about.

As such, there is an expectation of how you should behave, what you should be interested in or simply, what you think. Then, without being conscious of it, you start acting in a way that fits your public image.

I guess this blog is a way for me to escape this obligation and do something that may be irrational.

4. I practice meditation

That’s one other thing I’ve never really shared. Meditation is something you do privately, and I’ve never been a huge fan of going to group sessions. I share it now to warn you of the dark side of meditation.

For the past 2 years, I’ve practice on a regular basis. And I can tell you that it’s helped me, a lot, but there’s been rough times.

You see, meditation is always presented as way to reduce stress, improve concentration and, in general, live a healthier life.

That’s great!

What they don’t tell you is there is a dark side to meditation. Literally.

Once you get to an intermediate level, you go through a series of stages called Sankaras, or the Dark Nights.

The DNs are a pretty difficult place, and it will influence every aspect of your life, not just your meditation. Some make life changing decisions, like becoming monks, while others go through deep depressions, fear, anger, anxiety and so on.

In short, I think meditation should come with a disclaimer. Because the question isn’t whether or not a practitioner will go through the DNs, but when.

If you’re into meditation, and haven’t been through the Dark Nights yet, consider yourself warned.

Don’t get me wrong, meditation will help you end suffering, but the road getting there is a bumpy one.

5. Why I bought this site

There are many reasons why I bought this site, so I’ll keep it short by sharing the 2 main reasons.

Because we can live like Kings. I like good coffees, of course. In fact, I love savoring the most exquisite foods life has to offer: great chocolates, prized wines, micro-brewed beers… the list goes on.

We live in a time where the average Joe has access to delicacies previously served only to princes and kings. There is no reason why you and I shouldn’t take advantage of it.

Daily Shot Of Coffee is my entry ticket to learning more about better coffees.

Because I like to learn. An old saying goes like this: “If you really want to learn about something, teach it!” That’s how I learned to snowboard, 20 years ago.

Back then, they were very few snowboard instructors and the only lessons you could take were one-hour lessons for beginners. I became an instructor so I could keep improving (and make a revenue while doing it).

My passion got noticed and I was invited to join a small team of instructors that was developing a series of 32 lessons, from beginners to advanced.

This has been a tipping point in my life. It got me passionate about something else, teaching. And this is one skill I want to bring to Daily Shot Of Coffee readers.

Best of all, it’s a means to share what I will learn with you. I’m no coffee expert, but I sure hope to become more knowledgeable along the way.

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6. Bonus secret?

Chances are I haven’t answered your most basic questions.

For the more “generic version”, please read the about page.

If you have more questions, feel free to drop me a line or, better yet, leave a comment below.

If there is one question that stands out, I’ll eventually add it here as a bonus secret.

Now, it’s your turn

Enough about me.

I’d like to know more about you. I would truly appreciate it if you could take a moment to let me know what you like about this blog and what your expectations are.

If you could improve one thing about this blog, what would it be?

What is the one thing you’d like to learn about coffee?

Thanks for taking the time to respond in the comments section. I really appreciated it.

And since you’re still reading after all I said, if you’re not on the mailing list, make sure to hop on to receive all our updates.

Simply enter your email address below, click Join Today and you’re set.

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me what your expectations are and how I can help you drink a better cup of coffee.

For this blog needs your input to be useful and grow into something even better. Gotta reach thousands of people and help them discover how great coffee can improve their lives.

I’ll read every single comment, and I’ll reply to your questions if you have any.

As a side note:

I’m still planning the coming months content right now. So, if you’ve got any specific questions about coffee, leave a comment. It may find it’s way through a full post or even a series of post.