The Table Is Yours | Unscripted Conversations with Everyday People

Bryan has been grinding beans near my table most of the afternoon. I didn't know yet that he built the place. He and his wife Judy have been together a long time. At some point, they decided they wanted to make something — a community space, the kind a neighborhood actually needs. Willow House is what came from that decision. We talked about all of it: how they got here, what it takes to keep it going, and what it means to hold a space like this for other people. He was both overwhelmed and genuinely, quietly grateful. That feeling — the weight of a thing and the love of it at the same time — is something I think about a lot. This is the last conversation from my day at Willow House. It felt like the right one to end on. Willow House — Raleigh, NC: https://willowhousecoffee.com The Table Is Yours is a Story House production. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. --- From the Studio This episode is part of The Table Is Yours, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Subscribe to our newsletter: https://storyhousestudios.substack.com/ Have a seat on The Porch: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Support my work buying me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/storyhousestudio

I was at my table at Willow House when I noticed a woman nearby. She was there representing a cause close to her heart — raising awareness around child abuse. She was already talking to me from where she was standing. So I invited her over. Her name is Mariah. And it didn’t take long to realize she and I were doing the same thing from different sides of the room. She was inviting people into a conversation they might not have started on their own. So was I. She pulled up a chair. Willow House — Raleigh, NC: https://willowhousecoffee.com/ The Table Is Yours is a Story House production. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. --- From the Studio This episode is part of The Table Is Yours, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Subscribe to our newsletter: https://storyhousestudios.substack.com/ Have a seat on The Porch: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Support my work buying me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/storyhousestudio

I set up at a two-top at Willow House in Raleigh. Before I’d fully settled in, someone sat down across from me. I didn’t invite her. She just, sat. Her name is Lakita. She works in marketing and believes that at its best, marketing is about human connection. Not reach. Not metrics. The real thing. She sat down at a table built for exactly that before I had a chance to explain what the show was. This is the first episode from Willow House. More to come. Willow House — Raleigh, NC: https://willowhousecoffee.com/ The Table Is Yours is a Story House production. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. --- From the Studio This episode is part of The Table Is Yours, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Subscribe to our newsletter: https://storyhousestudios.substack.com/ Have a seat on The Porch: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Support my work buying me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/storyhousestudio

I set up at a table. I ordered my drink. I waited. Nobody sat down. The room was full of conversations I wasn’t part of. I had my phone recording the whole time. After a few hours something shifted — not dramatically, just quietly. I was packing up when Jennifer started talking. Jennifer owns the shop. She knew I was recording. She said yes. Visit Sosta Cafe in Raleigh, NC The Table Is Yours is a Story House production. New episodes every Wednesday. --- From the Studio This episode is part of The Table Is Yours, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Long-form writing and studio notes: https://storyhousestudio.org Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org

Blaize is twenty-three years old. At some point in our conversation he was telling me about growing up — him and his brother going out to play, the way kids do. His brother got hurt. And Blaise said, almost without thinking about it — that’s just what you did. You went out. Sometimes you got hurt. He’s twenty-three. And he already understands that you can’t control everything. That’s not something most people learn that young. That’s something life usually has to take from you before you’re willing to accept it. This is the final episode from Coffee on Raiford in Selma. You’ll also hear what I said when I left. Coffee on Raiford — Selma, NC: https://coffeeonraiford.com/ The Table Is Yours is a Story House production. New episodes every Wednesday. Grab a FREE Story Brew Kit HERE --- From the Studio This episode is part of The Table Is Yours, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Let your story find a home: https://storyhousestudio.org Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community