Des Moines Mom recognizes that moms wear a lot of hats. You are a mom, wife, friend, diaper changer, nose wiper, meal planner, lost toy finder, the list goes on and on!
This summer we are thrilled to feature some local moms who are thinking outside the box and making a difference in our community through the businesses they own, organizations they are involved with, and work they do. Check out the rest of the series and read profiles from previous years here.
Andrea Cummings is a dreamer and a doer. She and her husband opened Dreiberge Coffee in the East Village of Des Moines in July 2019.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
I received my business degree from Iowa State University in December 2003 and got married 2 weeks later. Ryan and I have been married for 16 years. Growing up in Ames, Iowa, we never thought we’d make Iowa our forever home, but after living in Michigan, Germany, and Washington, we decided to move back to Iowa to be closer to family in 2017. We have 3 children: Rainier (February 2012), Amara (April 2014), Everest (October 2015). We live on 1/3 of an acre in our 1902 home in the Drake Neighborhood. I love gardening, landscaping, riding my bike, going for walks, and pretty much anything outside. I hate shoes and only wear them when I have to in the summer – I loved my sophomore year of college in Florida (I think I owned 15 pairs of flip flops). I’m a dreamer and a visualizer and am constantly creating and recreating things inside my mind. I am a firm believer in restoration – whether that’s our 118-year-old home, broken relationships, or racial justice.
What do you consider the biggest challenge of motherhood to be? Biggest joy?
I think the biggest challenge for me as a mama, at first was, let’s be honest, lack of sleep. Then as the babies started sleeping, and my days wrapped around naps, laundry, diapers, playdates, the challenge was not losing myself. Now that we’re officially transitioning out of the “baby/toddler” stage and moving into the elementary stage of parenting, it’s a whole new set of challenges and learning opportunities, for us as parents AND for our children! But the rewards are so incredibly sweet – watching your child tackle a challenge and the look of pride/excitement/joy, when they accomplish it – it’s the most amazing feeling.
Hearing my kids’ excitement when I come home after a long day, their laughter, being hugged just because, and hearing my children talk about their hopes and dreams – these are the things that bring me deep joy.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Ryan and I met in a coffee shop in 2000 and we always talked about opening a cafe or restaurant. We love the community that happens around a table; how relationships grow and deepen through feeding the body with great food and drink and the soul is fed through amazing conversation, laughter, tears, and love. Moving back to Iowa we missed some of the great coffee we’d come to love in the PNW, and Ryan had started roasting coffee as a hobby, so we decided to take a leap and go for it. We opened DreiBerge Coffee, a coffee shop and roastery, in the East Village in downtown Des Moines in July, 2019.
What’s the best part about your job?
The best part of my job is meeting new people and making connections. I love seeing the community come together and grow within our space. My dream for our shop was to serve coffee that is ethically grown and sourced in a safe, clean, and beautiful space where authentic relationships can happen between old and new friends as well as complete strangers.
What’s the hardest part about your job?
Opening a business and then having a pandemic hit when you’re only 8 months old has been the hardest part of my job. Having to lay off our employees who we consider family was incredibly painful. Not knowing what the future holds is difficult when you’re still a very new business within a community.
What advice do you have for moms who want to chase a dream?
DO IT! I can promise you it won’t be easy, there will be days you feel like you’re losing your mind, and there will be moments you feel like you’re failing in one or all areas of your life. BUT. I also promise you will learn, grow, laugh, and you’ll show your children what it means to chase after your dreams. I also promise you don’t walk this road alone. I am always willing to connect and chat about dreams!
How are you involved in the community?
I am constantly seeking community members to build relationships and connections with. I also serve on the Historic East Village Neighborhood Association Board. Our family attends Cottage Grove Church next to Drake Park.
Favorite spot to go for a drink
If it’s just a drink, Juniper Moon. If it’s a drink with food, Clyde’s Fine Diner.
Best place to take kids in Des Moines
We love Witmer park with all the new paved paths for a good walk/jog/run and the pond as a nice distraction. Our favorite places that require admission are Living History Farms, the Science Center, and Blank Park Zoo.
How/where do you relax?
This has changed recently. It used to be mindless television shows, but in the past few months, I have turned the TV on less and either moved my body (walk, run, garden, bike ride), or sat on our porch in the early morning and watched and listened to the world wake up while reading, or just simply observing life.
What’s your favorite book, show, or podcast?
I don’t have a favorite book because I try to read a lot. Some of my recent favorites: A School for Unusual Girls series by Kathleen Baldwin, The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown, PhD, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, and White Awake by Daniel Hill. A few on my “to read” list before the end of the year: Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) by Brené Brown and Parenting by Paul David Tripp.
What are 3 words to describe you?
Encourager, Dreamer, Restorer
If your life had a hashtag, what would it be?
#hopewins It’s easy to get caught up in the mess of everyday life and the challenges that are facing our country and world. But when I remember to put my hope in God, and nothing else, everything falls into place as it should. That doesn’t mean things get easier, but I can still have joy and peace because I have an eternal hope in One that will not fail.
Know a Des Moines mom we should feature? Let us know! Email [email protected] with details and we will be in touch.
