Talking Possibilities Transcript – Episode 1 – Jess and Michelle, Monte Lupo Café employees 

You are listening to a podcast interview by disability support provider, Multicap, sharing stories of people living and achieving with disability. 

Our host, Rebecca, interviews Jess and Michelle, two employees at the Multicap social enterprise Monte Lupo Café. 

Rebecca: I am just at the Monte Lupo Cafe, and I am with Job Coach, Jess. Congratulations on being appointed Job Coach, that is a wonderful achievement. What does be a Job Coach involve? 

Jess: Helping employees use the coffee machine and helping them serve customers. 

Rebecca: So, you are teaching them how to do their job, and this is a job that you used to do before you became job coach. What was your job? 

Jess: Cleaning and making coffee 

Rebecca: So, you were a Retail Assistant, and you had a Job Coach supporting you then. And so now you are on the other side, being the Job Coach. How does that feel to have gone from being the Retail Assistant and now the one that is Coaching? 

Jess: Good 

Rebecca: What made you decide to apply for the job?  

Jess: They asked me if I wanted to be a Job Coach 

Rebecca: How did you feel when you got the job? 

Jess: It's an amazing achievement. 

Rebecca: You should be really proud of yourself. Was your family proud? 

Jess: Yes 

Rebecca: You've worked at Monte Lupe Cafe for about five years now, Jess. How did you find out about being able to get a job with Multicap? 

Jess: I did work experience here. 

Rebecca: And then you were offered a job and that was your first job - what do you like about the work at the cafe? 

Jess: Meeting new people. 

Rebecca: Are you enjoying your role as a job coach - what do you like about it? 

Jess: Yes, it’s good. 

Rebecca: you got your driver's license recently and a car. What does it mean you can now do? 

Jess: I can drive to karate and have the independence and drive myself anywhere. 

Rebecca: Anyway, tell me about karate. 

Jess: Karate is good. 

Rebecca: How long have you been doing karate? 

Jess: I started 2019. 

Rebecca: And have you just achieved something with karate? 

Jess: A blue belt. Next month I'm going for my grading for a purple belt. 

Rebecca: What do you like about karate? 

Jess: It's good exercise and I like learning new moves and meeting new people. 

Rebecca: So, you were part of fashionable, which is Multicap’s fashion event, celebrating ability and diversity. You did that for a couple of years. How did it make you feel to do that and what did you learn about yourself from that experience? 

Jess: I gained more confidence. 

Rebecca: Tell me what you do on Sundays? 

Jess: I got to church. We've been at church since we were kids and eventually, I'm going to be going to work there as a volunteer doing coffee. 

Rebecca: So, you'll be able to use your skills from Multicap at church. What does life look like for Jess in the next five years. Where do you hope to be working? 

Jess: Here. 

Rebecca: And what about karate? 

Jess: Try to get up to black belt. 

Rebecca: How many levels do you have to go to get to black belt? 

Jess: Three after brown, but you must have your brown about for a year. So not far to go. 

Rebecca: That's great. Does your brother do karate with you? 

Jess: Yes. He's also a barista. 

Rebecca: Did he teach you? 

Jess: He did. 

Rebecca: So, who makes the better coffee? 

Jess: We both do 

Rebecca: What's the one major change you'd like to see for people with disability to build up their skills? 

Jess: They can go out in the community and find a real job. 

Rebecca: Has it been amazing to have a job? What has it given you? 

Jess: New skills and earning money and meeting new friends. 

Rebecca: And we've got Michelle here with us today is Michelle someone that you work with? 

Jess: Yes. And she's been in my school in high school. 

Rebecca: You went to school together. You're now Michelle's job coach. So how do you help Michelle at work, does Michelle come to you if she has questions or doesn't know how to do something? 

Jess: Yes. 

Rebecca: Thank you very much for talking to me. I'm going to have a chat with Michelle now. Thanks Jess. 

Michelle: Hello, my name is Michelle. I work at the Monte Lupo Cafe as a retail assistant slash barista. 

Rebecca: And how long have you worked there for?  

Michelle: I have worked there for four years now this year. 

Rebecca: And what do you like about your work? 

Michelle: I like meeting new people, working within a group with my team and just getting the job done. 

Rebecca: How did you find out about the job at Multicap? 

Michelle: I found out through a job website online and that's how I applied for it. 

Rebecca: And is this your first job or second job? 

Michelle: It’s my first job, I worked as a childcare assistant before I came in as a barista. 

Rebecca: And why the change, something different? 

Michelle: I always wanted to be a barista and now I found this job as a barista. 

Rebecca: And so, you've learned a lot in that time with Multicap, you've learned to be a barista. What else have you learned? 

Michelle: I've learned how to make sandwiches, rolls, sometimes I bake muffins and new things. 

Rebecca: And Jess is your coach. What do you like about having Jess as your coach? 

Michelle: She's great. She helps me a lot. 

Rebecca: What does she help you with? 

Michelle: She helps me when it gets busy at the cafe, she helps me with the coffees and helps me with the rolls and sandwiches and stuff. And she helps me sometimes when I can’t stuff down from the top shelf, that’s a great part! 

Rebecca: What's your goal with work, Michelle? 

Michelle: I would love to continue on. I also wanted to be a manager of a cafe. 

Rebecca: Michelle, I understand that you're studying at the moment. Where are you studying? And what are you studying? 

Michelle: I'm studying store management business online at the moment on my laptop, at home. Through Open Learning online. I study mostly when I'm on my days off and sometimes in the mornings before coming to work. 

Rebecca: And how is that helping you with your work? 

Michelle: It helps me to learn about how to become a manager and how to support people while being a manager. 

Rebecca: So, it's definitely helping you in your work now, that's great.And how long till you graduate from your course? 

Michelle: I just started. I'm not sure when I finish, I’m getting used to studying. Yes, it’s a bit tricky, but I get there. 

Rebecca: Good on you. That's awesome. Tell us outside of work, what do you like to do? 

Michelle: I like to babysit my two nieces. 

Rebecca: How old are they?  

Michelle: One is eight years old, and one is two years old. 

Rebecca: Oh, that must keep you busy. And do you hope at all to get your driver's license one day? 

Michelle: I do have my L plates. 

Rebecca: Who is teaching you to drive? 

Michelle: My mum and my brother-in-law. 

Rebecca: And what are you looking forward to most about getting your plates? 

Michelle: Being able to drive on my own and to go out. I like to go shopping, lunch, bowling. 

Rebecca: Is there a change that you would like to see for people with disability? 

Michelle: Mainly for them to continue on with their dreams and what they want in life. 

Rebecca: What's your biggest dream for you now? 

Michelle: Own my own café. 

Rebecca: So not only manage a cafe, but you'd like to own your own café. Have you got a name for your cafe? 

Michelle: Not yet. 

Rebecca: Thank you so much for talking with me and all the best.