How personal growth fuels team connection

When the COVID-19 outbreak temporarily closed the Lenox Square Capital One café in Atlanta, GA, the team used time away from the Café to reflect and connect with their personal passions. The experience made them stronger both as individuals and as a team. Learn how they support each other—and hold each other accountable—in both their professional and personal growth.

Keep moving, there is no checkered flag. The goal is progress. Every day, Lenox Square Cafe Coach, Johnathan, tells his team, “You have to reinvent yourself. You have to keep constantly striving for excellence. What are you doing in your office time? How are you showing up for collaboration with your other ambassadors? What are you doing in your personal life that you’re passionate about? All of those energies come together.”

For Johnathan and the Lenox Square Cafe ambassadors, being a part of a team is about progress professionally and personally—and holding each other accountable to make sure they keep growing. Johnathan shares that he’s not aware of any other Cafe team of all African Americans. “That pressure may be real or not right, but we feel it at the end of the day, you know, being African American, constantly wanting to reinvent yourself. If you have a great foundation, you of course can build up, right.”

The energy Johnathan brings to his team at the cafe is built on the foundation of his relationship with his mom. “My mom is the closest person to my best friend. Just her culture of ‘you have to be a baller in your own world’. Everything is built on that for me with this team.”

When the pandemic temporarily closed Capital One Cafes, time away from the cafe gave each of them time to reflect on their personal growth and goals. Ambassadors Ashley and Adrian each used the time to make progress on their personal goals. Ashley has always wanted to start her own business. Adrian wanted to create YouTube, vlogging and lifestyle videos. Neither felt like they had the space or time to get started before, but during COVID, they decided it was time to get started. Adrian pulled out his camera and started documenting, and Ashley launched an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion boutique.

Mick, a fellow ambassador, believes that being a part of this team is about more than just professional progress, “We’re holding each other accountable personally, as well, making sure we’re maturing and growing and whatever we want from life, we’re going to get.”