We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Snider and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, how does your business help the community?
We make people happy by giving them in-person human connection! Especially with all we’ve endured during the pandemic, we all (myself included) benefit from being with others in a good space.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I suppose what sets me a part is that I’ve learned how to pursue long term goals from a young age, and recognize that when you know what you want to do there are many people who facilitate the way for you to accomplish your pursuits. I also learned that it is the pursuit of what you are doing and not always the pot of gold at the end that gives you the thrill and enjoyment of life.

For example, I was pre-vet from when I was a very small kid, which gave me an very early academic goal. I was also a passionate athlete with a desire to play soccer collegiately. This combo led me to Cornell University which was the perfect set up for my ultimate goal of becoming a vet. Then came the letter that I was an alternate for Colorado State University Vet School. I was certain that the next letter would be my acceptance, so certain that we moved to Fort Collins. But the spot on the waitlist never reached me! I was left with the challenge of what to do when you don’t reach your goal/dream you’ve been pursuing since you were seven. Well, I had to pivot. We all know that word now, but I did not when I was 24 and devastated. Fortunately, my other love, soccer, presented itself in the form of a new women’s semi professional league being formed and all we needed was $5,000 for a franchise fee. I had a new goal and a new dream. I ended up finding a financial donor and this led to running a women’s sports franchise for the next twenty years. You can well imagine the challenges of running a sports team on a bootleg budget for two decades.

It is the desire to pursue worthwhile endeavors which serve others that drive me. I love helping others and providing opportunities. It is very fulfilling!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, Fort Collins is such a gem. I was just dropping my daughter off in Old Town and went down this little sequence of ally ways after the drop of, they were laid with brick and there was art, planters and other adornments along the BACK SIDES of all the shops. I thought how cool is this town!

But the part of Fort Collins that is the best is not how quaint and pretty the town is, rather the people. There are a lot of happy people here. Thus, they make the place extra special.

Let’s see, we’d ride bikes down through City Park over to Stodgy’s which is right near our house one day and also make sure we took time later in the week to get over to Horse & Dragon because they have the ultimate hospitality/tasting room, plus they have a “Kestrel Cam”, (it is just as it sounds…you can watch the bird couple out back lay eggs, raise their young, and send them off.) Really, you can’t go wrong with any of the local breweries. For food, we’d have to go to Lucille’s and have Hank’s Eggs and beignets. Dinner could be at Old Elk, Jax’s, Austin’s, perhaps some fried pickle appetizers at Penrose. For things to do, we’d get out on Horsetooth Reservoir for some paddling or fishing. We’d skip rocks on the Poudre River or hike into fish at Gateway Park. You’d have to see a show at Mishawaka if it is summer time. And, I love to mountain bike, so we’d ride the trails around Lory State Park or get up to Hewlett’s for a more technical ride.

As for people, there are a lot of good ones up here. You can look no further than our neighbor and former state representative, now mayor, Jeni Arndt. We met through her son’s soccer, and she is one of many great folks here in our town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband Matt. When we met at the end of college, he said, ok “Where are WE going?” He has always put our relationship first and then once that was set and solid, he made sure to put our lives in front our careers. He’s always made sure we are pursing endeavors that we love and enjoy over how we plan to fund them! He knows that if you are passionate about what you are doing, it will in fact become successful and sustainable. Twenty five years later, it’s still holding true. It is incredibly special to have such a tireless supporter along side all you do.

My other champion is my dad. He is a lifelong entrepreneur and teacher. The combination has served me well as you need to have a lot of heartfelt supporters when you take “the road less traveled” in your career/business path.

Website: cupstafthill.com

Instagram: @cupstafthill

Linkedin: Amy Finkelstein Snider (I have a couple accounts, not sure how to merge them)

Facebook: @cupscommunitycoffee

Yelp: Cups Community Coffee

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