Coffee. Authenticity? Passion!

Today I was interwieved for a Bachelor´s thesis on Brand authenticity. The questionaire focused on my understanding of authenticity and it´s value in relation to my choice of coffeeshop and broader to my view on restaurants and companies in general worldwide.
It was interesting. And challenging.
Challenging because of my difficulties with the focus word AUTHENTIC. Maybe it´s due to my lack of knowledge when it comes to business school jargon. What I know very well, is my aversion for all the hype about living "authentic lifes" and finding the "authentic self", as if there´s a core-concept, we can reach and the rest is unauthentic.
I am fed up with this chasing after "real" versions, being oh so authentic.

Authentic for me is here and now, if I am here and now with what happens to be here.
And this afternoon I was there, sipping coffee brewed by one of my favourite baristas, as I tryed to figure out what to answer some interesting questions in a good dialogue. What stood out was how honesty and transparency in branding are important factors for me when rating a company. But the most random word during the interview was passion.
Passion means everything - also when it comes to coffee and my choise of coffeeshop. Craftmanship and passion.
That´s the reason for a blind spot in my budget - my coffees and good times at The Coffee Collective are excepted from any global and local economical crisis thinking. The collectivists are a bunch of nerds, passionated craftmen/women - and last but not least - with a touch of humour, kindness and laid back-attitude intertwined with the seriousness of the coffee love.
That´s right up my street. (Jægersborggade)