#151 Automating a coffee shop chain using self-taught coding skills with Eamonn Cottrell

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Nov 22, 2024

Eamonn Cottrell, a self-taught software engineer and coffee shop chain owner from Knoxville, shares his journey of blending coding with entrepreneurship. He discusses automating business logistics with spreadsheets, the joy of ultra-marathon running, and the challenge of balancing family life while nurturing creativity as a musician and writer. Eamonn's insights on using coding for productivity illustrate its transformative power, making everyday tasks more efficient and paving the way for personal growth.

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ANECDOTE

Eamonn's Addiction and Recovery

Eamonn's addiction began in high school and worsened after graduation.
He entered rehab at 19 and stayed sober for 22 years, crediting community support.

ANECDOTE

From Barista to Management

Eamonn worked as a barista while pursuing his business degree, delaying his entry into a corporate career.
He took a VP role at the coffee chain, applying his business degree.

ANECDOTE

The Coffee Shop as "Cheers"

Eamonn worked as a barista for ten years, enjoying the community aspect.
He likened the coffee shop's atmosphere to the TV show "Cheers."

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On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews Eamonn Cottrell. He's a software engineer who also runs a local chain of coffee shops in Knoxville. Eamonn taught himself to code using freeCodeCamp. And he's since published 37 freeCodeCamp tutorials on productivity and automation using spreadsheets.

Support for this podcast comes from a grant from Wix Studio. Wix Studio provides developers tools to rapidly build websites with everything out-of-the-box, then extend, replace, and break boundaries with code. Learn more at https://wixstudio.com

Support also comes from the 11,113 kind folks who support freeCodeCamp through a monthly donation. Join these kind folks and get involved in our mission by going to https://donate.freecodecamp.org

We talk about: - Eamonn's love of coffee and how he bought VHS tapes to learn latte art - How he finds time to expand his skills in between running coffee shops and ultra-marathoning - How he used spreadsheets to automate the logistics of running coffee shops - How he balances being a musician and writer with the practical realities of providing for a family of 6

Can you guess what song I'm playing in the intro?

Also, I want to thank the 10,993 kind people who support our charity each month, and who make this podcast possible. You can join them and support our mission at: https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate

CORRECTION: Vincent van Gogh was supported by his younger brother – not his brother in-law. van Gogh never married so he never had a brother in law. I'm not sure why I thought that. Also, he seems to have sold more than one painting in his life (as many of us were taught in school), but nowhere near enough paintings to support himself as an artist.

Links we talk about during our conversation:

Eamonn's freeCodeCamp articles: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/author/sieis/

Eamonn's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@eamonncottrell

Excel-based esports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2QC6VQXo8U

Ultra Marathons: https://www.youtube.com/@runtired

Got Sheet: https://www.gotsheet.xyz/

Progress and Perfection: https://www.progressandperfection.com/

Eamonn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eamonncottrell/

Eamonn on Twitter: https://x.com/EamonnCottrell