May 20, 2010
globe's olivia buxton
In the latest issue of real living we have featured the gorgeous cafe Globe. I love it when cafes make an effort with their interiors. I have to say, Melbourne cafes seem to do this better than anywhere else in the country. I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about one of its owners, Olivia Buxton.
Which five words best describe you? Impatient, excitable, hopeful, happy, a-little-insane. What was your first job and what path have you taken since then? I was a dog walker when I lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I worked for an industrious woman from New Zealand, and my favorite dog was Lucy, a hugely overweight Basset Hound, whom I had to drag out of the house and around the block in the 45C heat. Since then I have worked as a shop girl, ran a nanny agency and worked as a nanny, and now as a café owner/manager.
What’s your proudest achievement? Opening the doors of Globe Café on December 17th, 2008.
What’s been your best decision? To marry my husband, Ben. Although it did not really feel like a decision, more like a cosmic alignment of the stars. It was the most definitive decision I ever made. Who inspires you? Passionate and determined people inspire me. I get inspiration from my barista, watching him obsess over the perfect flat white, from my niece discovering the flowers in her garden, from my father in law who swims in the ocean every single day, no matter the weather. They don’t necessarily inspire me to do the things they do, but more so to live my life with integrity, pay attention to the details, and throw myself into the deep end.
What are you passionate about? Work. Shoes. Husband. Dog. Not in that order.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? Things are not always as they seem.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Michelle Obama.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? I haven’t dreamt it up yet. What are you reading? Foreign Correspondence by Geraldine Brooks. I cannot get enough of her writing, I thought after reading People of The Book I would never be able to find anything worth reading again. Then I found her other books. Her fierce intelligence, perfectly researched subjects and story-telling makes me want to cry with contentment.
images courtesy of globe