Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hannum.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Honestly it all started with a dissatisfaction…a feeling i had more in my tank, and a tragic accident that propelled me forward from who I was to who I am now.
I have struggled with the aspect of not being good enough since I can remember. Struggling in school, in sports, in social situations, I had to work extremely hard to get the good grades I earned for sure, to work hard to get better in sports as I was not naturally athletic, and I had usually a friend or two but mostly floated in between groups of people-usually with those deemed the “misfits”I had the most true friends. I, like many others, was just searching for purpose and a place to belong, and turned into a people-pleaser, not really knowing me. If there was one thing I was good at, though, it was being an empath and wanting to help others. I had the knack of deeply understanding and feeling the true feelings of people around me.
When I paused and got out of that people pleaser mode and reached towards Spirit, I realized i felt authentic enjoying art and being creative, music, being in nature, and drinking a good coffee. Things that I realized in silence with God, and lead me into where I am now.
Moving through college and into adulthood I felt a slightly mundane existence setting in. I worked multiple jobs to learn multiple seemingly unrelated skills but moved along anyway, settling into the grooves of life.
In the midst of the grooves in my 20’s, my heart obtained a blow, a little crack in it that inevitably moved me into changing my life. My cousin, Eric, only a few years younger than I, was instantaneously no longer on this earth. He was in a tragic car accident that took him from us so unexpectedly. To me, he was the epitome of living life. He rode bmx bikes with no fear, enjoyed nature with me, loved cars, and was always doing something much more exciting than what I found myself doing. He loved the band 311 and as if it was more than a coincidence, he died on 3-11 in 2008.
I was smacked into the reality that we are given this life to live-not to waste. I heard the quote: “A bird in a nest is secure, but that is not why God gave it wings”. I can stay comfortable or fly. If I could take one thing from this death it was that I owed it to myself to live.
A series of events transpired, started by this tragedy and my life turned upside down… I gave up pretty much everything I knew as my norm. I relied A LOT on divine guidance to change in clumps and in in phases. Getting silent and listening to truth from above gave me little hints here and there to move me forward with the right people at the right time stepping into my path to move me along.
My true transformation came when I begged God to find my purpose as I felt I was always the facilitator and never stepping forward as a leader. He answered. Step by step over many years, on prayer and meditation I was guided into plant-based nutrition, became a vegan, helped others with their nutrition, and then knew I needed to do the great leap as The Fool and step off, leaving everything-house, job, friends, most of my family, to move to Hawaii knowing not why, where or how I was going to make it but knew I had to do it. My husband, two young children and I did just that. Leaving it all with two suitcases each and giving all we had others than that away to go.
Our journey was serendipitous, brave, and uncharted. Here I learned that I needed to trust God and be courageous. We returned as we all became stronger and I garnered the courage to step off and start a plant-based food truck with the whole food nutrition I studied and taught being my go to menu basis and brought back the coffee, cacao nibs, and syrups I loved from Oahu to share with my mainland friends. I wanted to offer healthier options to those I returned to serve and proudly but unaggressively offer only plant milk and plant products on our truck- a risky endeavor but one I believe in to honor the life force in all of God’s creatures-animal and human. My love of being creative, being in nature, listening to good vibe music and gooooood coffee are culminating in my food truck, The Fool Café. My little truck is where each of these loves is highlighted through my creativity with menu and the art I hang in my truck, traveling and being in nature with new locations and adventures every week, feel good music on the truck as we serve and live music often plays at events, and my favorite coffee I have the pleasure of serving up to my fellow travelers.
I took The Fool’s journey and continue to take new steps into the unknown everyday as I continue. And Eric is the face you will see peeking out at you from my serving window as he inspired me to live.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Self-doubt, comfort in the known, and financial uncertainty with that little voice saying “what are you thinking, you are going to fail”haunted me. It still tries to rear its ugly head to this day. I know God won’t steer me wrong and every struggle, success, failure, meeting, and moment has a purpose that we can’t see in the now but may understand later. The path is uncertain but I won’t turn back now.
One of my favorite songs has a series of lyrics which states my new motto:
“ If it calls you, embrace it,
If it stalls you, erase it,
If it haunts you, face it”-Kevin Parker, Tame Impala “Lost in Yesterday”
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We based our truck on The Fool Tarot card, my journey, and the journey all of us as Heroes on this earth must face. Stated in The World Peace diet by Will Tuttle PhD , “ In consciously contemplating and questioning the world view and practices of our parents, family, and culture, we make leaving home a vital foundation of prerequisite for our spiritual growth, and for undertaking what Joseph Campbell termed the Hero’s Journey. . The heroes journey is the cross- culturally, recognized spiritual quest in which we leave the confines of home and culture, undertaking an inner (and usually outer) journey and attain higher understanding, and then return to our culture with new powers to reform vitalize and uplift our community through the inner growth attained on our journey.. “ My message is this-if I, a Fool can do it, anyone can. Don’t shortchange yourself. Tune into God, take His guidance, and take a divinely guided step, even if it makes you appear a fool to others. Believe me, opening a plant-based food truck in a sea of more desirable options-fried Oreos, steak sandwiches, fries, and cotton candy is not necessarily the safest bet but here we are, sticking to our guns.
To most people it’s like what are you talking about? It’s a food truck? But it’s not that for me, it is a true culmination of my journey, my beliefs, and the hope to make the people I serve healthier through our menu options, the earth a little more loved with compostable, biodegradable take away supplies, the animals on this plane honored as beings-not my next meal, and purposeful kindness to all those who are struggling through this earth journey with us. It honors the aspects of trusting God/Spirit that I believe lead me here. A happy little truck that I give my everything to in order to keep it running. Simply, we want to make eating the rainbow a possibility through our colorful and health affirming açaí and smoothie bowls that we blend in-house in small batches with homemade granolas, fresh fruit, superfood toppings, and honestly a lot of love put into them. They aren’t a pre-bought sorbet or sugar laden blend. We offer Pono Potions syrups sourced from the Hawaiian islands and made in Honolulu to pair with our cofffee from a wonderful roaster-Tradition coffee in Kailua. We offer avocado toast options with locally made non-GMO sourdough from a wonderful local baker and make many of our own seasonal and specialty syrups. Manoa chocolates is our go-to for cacao nibs and we aim to get as much organic produce as possible.
We truly have a wonderful time on our truck and you might see some “Tomfoolery” going on as we dance often, albeit not well. We also hang up art and locally made items I purchase at events to decorate the indoor and outdoor space.
One day maybe a brick and mortar but now a traveling café-a shrine to living life.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Safe and predictable was my norm. Follow the rules, please everyone but ignore myself was the old me.
I have taken more than my share of risks in this last 10 years and the truck is proof. I am so proud I could do this knowing NOTHING about business, food trucks, finance, etc. God places the right people and books, songs and signs in your life if it is where you need to be moving-you just have to be aware and awake and tuned in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thefoolcafé
- Facebook: The Fool Café
- Other: Email us @ whoisthefool@yahoo.com
Image Credits
FXV Digital Design for logo
