Nashville: Coffee, Conversations, and the Power of Showing Up

Rich Washburn
22 hours ago
3 min read

Coffee & Conversations

4:00

Some trips are planned down to the minute. Others unfold the way the best stories do — one conversation at a time. This Nashville trip was definitely the second kind. A few meetings on the calendar, camera in the bag, and the rest left up to the simple act of showing up. And as it turns out, that’s usually enough.

Nashville Is Real People

One thing that stands out about Tennessee pretty quickly: The people feel real. Not overly polished. Not putting on a show. Just people building things, making music, pouring coffee, creating art, and having conversations that actually matter. Nashville has a way of bringing those people together. You can feel it in restaurants, coffee shops, and on random street corners where something interesting always seems to be happening.

The Unexpected Artist

One of those moments happened outside Middle Grounds Coffee.

I was standing there taking a photo of a Yazoo poster in the window.

(IFKYK.) While I’m lining up the shot, a guy inside starts drawing on the glass with a marker.

His name was Wayne.

At first I assumed he worked there — maybe a tattoo artist, maybe an illustrator, maybe both. Either way it didn’t take long to realize the guy had serious talent. The kind of artist who can just pick up a pen and start creating without hesitation. Just another unexpected Nashville moment. You show up, slow down long enough to notice what’s around you, and suddenly you’re watching an artist turn a window into a canvas.

Middle Grounds: Hallowed Coffee Territory

Now we need to talk about Middle Grounds.

Because I have what you might call a deep and committed relationship with coffee. And this place? This place is hallowed ground.

The shop is owned and operated by the daughter of someone I was meeting with during the trip, which made the stop even better. But even if you wandered in without knowing anyone, you'd know immediately you're in a place where people care about what they’re doing. Good beans... Good people... Good atmosphere. The proper way to experience Middle Grounds is very simple: Go there. Drink coffee. Then do it again.

Conversations Around the Table

The rest of the trip unfolded the same way. Good meals. Great ∂conversations. Ideas bouncing around the table between people who come from very different worlds. Some work in technology.Some in media.Some in business. But what they all had in common was curiosity and a willingness to sit down and talk things through. That’s where the good stuff happens. Not in conference rooms. Around tables.

Nashville’s Secret Formula

When you zoom out, Nashville has a pretty simple formula:

Music. Coffee. Creative people. And conversations that go longer than expected. It’s the kind of place where the person at the next table might be writing a song, launching a company, sketching artwork, or just thinking through their next big idea. And somehow it all works.

Why Showing Up Still Matters

Trips like this remind me of something simple but important.

A lot of life happens just because you decided to show up.

Show up for the meeting.

Show up for the coffee.

Show up for the conversation.

You never know when a random moment — an artist drawing on a window, a great cup of coffee, a table full of interesting people — turns into something memorable. That’s Nashville.

Real people. Music in the air. Coffee worth traveling for. And a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do is simply show up.

As always… I’ll let the images tell the rest of the story. 📸