Interview with Matt Hoffman - A Story about Coffee

The next interview is with my friend Matt Hoffman. As usual, our interview happened through online text and has been edited for clarity and conciseness with his permission.

Matt is the Brand Strategist at Deeper Roots Coffee, and he gets to work in social media, creating narratives for people to connect with regularly. He has told stories through video, photo, and song. We first met through the band The Waking Point where Matt played drums and I got to play guitar. His wife Lanna is also a talented photographer, and they are raising three cute kids together.

Some of his recent work can be found at “A Story about Coffee” on Instagram and the website.  

He's also trying to meet someone different over coffee each week this year- so if you are in the Cincinnati area, consider reaching out to him. 

Christopher: What do you love about coffee?

Matt: I love that it’s a daily connector. What I mean is that a lot of people seek it out in their own way, on their own time, in different places, but it’s still something shared amongst strangers, and I think that is good.

C: What brings you joy?

M: I find a lot of joy in seeing order come to chaos. There’s something innately special about misplaced pieces being brought back to their place. People, words, tools, opportunities, etc. Order is life giving.

C: How do you decide what to share on social media?

M: I don’t really plan anything. I’ve found as I get older, spontaneity has become scarce, but being creative and sharing what I observe in specific moments gives me freedom to sort of wing it. I still have a system for capturing and communicating, but the content writes itself as I go along.

C: You’ve written and shared about intentionality before, what’s the core of that message for yourself as you share content?

M: I hate small talk. There’s nothing binding or meaningful about it.

I take the same approach to what I create. I want there to be an emotional connection for people, I want them to feel heard, valued, and to feel like they belong somewhere.

I think the best relationships happen when both parties are intentional about stretching past the surface stuff and dig into the depths of what’s drawing them together. I guess simple intentionality equals love.

C: If you could participate in any creative project, what would it be?

M: Some sort of worship collective that pulls in artists, musicians, teachers, prophets, families to move more fully into what Heaven on Earth could look like.

C: What steals your time?

M: Easy answer is that social media steals my time, but I think the root of that is the desire to be acknowledged and affirmed. Social media is just the current vehicle for that desire. I’m not very diligent when it comes to creating habits and managing my time.

C: Do you have habits which give you time?

M: Earlier, I spoke of intentionality and order. Time management is one area of life that is thirsty for those things.

C: What is “A Story about Coffee?” How would you describe it to someone who didn’t know you?

M: A Story about Coffee is a passion project aimed at sharing my perspective one cup of coffee at a time. I believe good stories happen over coffee, but only if we’re intentional about seeking out those stories.

The thing is, it’s not even about the coffee, it’s about people and how coffee injects itself into our daily lives.

Thanks Matt for sharing part of your story!