With a love of community and a desire to destigmatize the alcoholic’s journey, she came up with the idea to serve up great coffee with a sense of belonging
”
— Karen Rubinstein
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA, December 14, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Initially, Karen Rubinstein and her husband imagined opening a halfway house for newly sober residents. But the more she thought about what was driving her, the more she came back to her love of community and a desire to reach the wider world. H.O.W. Now Coffee & Community House is her way of bringing all people together. “I’m very community-minded. I’ve always been like this,” she says. “I also get a lot of questions, like, ‘How did you become an alcoholic? I don’t understand.’ So it’s education for the public. It’s destigmatizing, because, you know, if there are 6 million alcoholics in this country and each of them has 30 close friends and relatives, well, that’s a lot more than 6 million people who are affected by this.”
The “Community House” part of the shop’s name is meant to show that it is inclusive and is not just for people in recovery. “That is the focus, but when I got out of rehab two years ago, I realized there are not too many places for people to go to get support and to have a nice time, to gather outside of AA meetings.” Meanwhile the “H.O.W. Now” part is a little nod to those who have been in recovery. “H.O.W. stands for Honest, Open, and Willing, which is the foundation for sobriety,” Karen explains. “I had to be honest with myself in many ways, not just about being an alcoholic, but about really taking a good look at myself. I had to be open to suggestions, and I had to be willing to do the work.”
Karen finally acknowledged her alcoholism during Covid and sought help, and that difficult path led her to now feeling alive and grateful every day. “I can’t save the world, but I can do a little cultivating of my own garden. I can help people in my backyard. So, every single day, I do something that moves us toward opening the café.” You can read much more of her story in the new book Inspiring Women Who Boss Up, a collection of interviews with female entrepreneurs that is packed with compelling stories, practical advice, and role models for any woman looking to boss up in her career or life.
Check out the coffee shop and blogs at www.hownowcoffee.com, and for anyone who needs to hear this, Karen says, “Don’t give up till the miracle happens. Hang in there, go to the meetings. If you have to, double up on meetings. Reach out, reach out, reach out. We’re there for you.”
About the Women Who Boss Up Book Series
Whether you’ve been bossing up for a while or you’re looking for support on your boss-up journey, the Women Who Boss Up book series is your chance to take inspiration and advice from women just like you. These women come from all backgrounds, all walks of life, and all disciplines—STEM, healthcare, finance, coaching, nonprofits, and much more. You’ll read about women who left Corporate America to pursue their dreams of business ownership, women who faced seemingly insurmountable challenges but learned how to move forward, women who followed their intuition to create lives of fulfillment and financial success, and much more. Learn more at bossupbestseller.com.
Tamira Luc
Delucslife
+1 310-710-8954
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Karen Rubinstein
