The Heart Behind the Cup | Traci Dowd Page, Karma Koffee Omaha

Traci Dowd Page has been known to jump over the counter at Karma Koffee to hug a customer who needs it. She'll tell you her Omaha coffee shop is in the business of people, and just happens to serve coffee. Traci has been a partner in Karma Koffee since the beginning, starting behind the scenes with social media and events while running her own personal training business. Around 2018 she took on more of the ownership responsibility, and when the pandemic closed the gyms, she retired from personal training after twenty-five years and found her purpose behind the register. Today she owns the shop and leads a team built around one idea: every customer should walk out feeling genuinely cared about. In this conversation you will hear: How Karma Koffee began with two folding chairs in an empty storefront and a vision for a community-based local coffee shop How Omaha's Keep Local Alive movement helped local businesses like hers stay open through COVID What she looks for when hiring, and why her team slows down to care for every customer How being the new kid in a military family made her the welcome committee for everyone else Her advice to love out loud, and to get curious when loving people feels hard The story behind her cross necklace, and the faith she has followed since childhood The four questions around the restored tree slice at the heart of Karma Koffee Connect with Traci Dowd Page: Instagram:   / tracidowdpage   TikTok:   / tracidowdpage   Visit Karma Koffee near 156th and Dodge in Omaha: Website: https://www.karmakoffee.com/ Facebook:   / karmakoffeeomaha   Instagram:   / karma_koffee   TikTok:   / karmakoffee   About Known Through Connection: Known Through Connection is a podcast about real people worth knowing, hosted by Jess Collicott in Omaha. Each episode is a conversation, not a performance, with leaders, neighbors, and people whose stories of faith, resilience, and community are worth sitting with. Presence over Performance. Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to Karma Koffee 1:26 From personal trainer to coffee shop partner 3:53 Keeping a local coffee shop alive through COVID 6:50 Finding her purpose at the register 12:53 Building a team that cares 15:02 Why she's a compliment giver 17:03 The first smile of someone's day 19:41 How she stays present for everyone 24:41 The new kid who became the welcome committee 32:25 Seeing the value in every person 34:54 Advice for loving out loud 40:28 Faith and the cross necklace 45:38 How to connect with Traci and Karma Koffee 48:21 The tree slice and its four questions 50:47 A challenge for the Known Through Connection community