ST. MARTIN PARISH — Jaylen James, a barista and general manager at The Studio Coffee in St. Martinville, is not your average coffee shop worker. While many would expect his day to be consumed with brewing espresso and greeting customers, there’s more to James than meets the eye
“barista by morning and then insurance salesmen every other time..this gives me a way to just talk to a lot more people…I would’ve never met you if I wasn’t here just having fun,” he said.
For James, the role of a barista is about more than serving beverages—it's about forging relationships and understanding people’s needs. But his passion for helping others extends far beyond the coffee counter. His other job, selling insurance, stems from a desire to make a tangible difference in people's lives.
“There’s so many people around here, especially around here, that need insurance, but they either can’t afford it or they just don’t know that they need it,”. James explains that his perspective on life has evolved significantly in recent years, largely due to a personal milestone. Two years ago, Jaylen became a father
“All I wanted was money and time, and I still want the same things, but now I have a reason behind that. Everything goes back to my son really. If I don’t have this then he won’t be comfortable, if I don’t give him this time, then we won’t have a good relationship,” he said. For Jaylen, balancing work, family, and personal fulfillment is a constant juggling act, but it’s one that keeps him focused on providing the best possible life for his family.
“You can get the chance to look at life so many different ways just interacting, even if it’s a ‘hey how are you doing.’ It’s really less about the people and more about the experiences,” James says.
He emphasizes that everyone has a story, and despite our differences, we all share common human experiences. “Everybody has a story, no matter where you go, we all human, we all very similar,” he said.
In his pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment, James encourages others to continually reflect on their desires and goals. “Once you start asking yourself, where do you wanna be? You don’t even have to set a goal because life is so crazy that goal will get flipped on its head, but just ask yourself constantly where do you wanna be, what do you want out of life,” he shared.
