Why I quit my 9-5 To Start My Own Cafe With No Plan B…. Ft Mert - Cafe Carlton
Welcome back to another episode FairDinkum Fam!
From a 9-5 to running one of Melbourne’s most loved cafés, this week we sit down with Mert, the founder of Cafe Carlton. ☕️
In this episode, Mert shares how his love for food and coffee began, the moment he realised he couldn’t stay in a regular job forever, and what it really took to take the leap into starting his own business. He opens up about the early challenges of running a café, the doubts he faced, and how he pushed through moments of uncertainty.
We also talk about what owning a café has taught him about himself, the biggest myths people believe about “following your passion,” and the advice he’d give to anyone in their 20s thinking about starting something of their own.
This is a story about risk, purpose, and creating something that leaves a mark beyond just food and coffee.
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0:00 Intro
0:17 Preview
0:48 100 Humans vs 1 Gorilla
1:30 Mert’s coffee order
7:00 What motivates you to get up in the morning?
10:40 Early days young Mert
14:06 The things you cherish working at a young age (early experiences that shape you)
17:25 “Banking tears the soul of a human being” – Untold stories in the life of a banker
24:30 “COVIC Pandemic was the best thing that happened to me”
28:16 Does everyone have that innate nature to be inspired?
33:27 What were you inspired by?
40:55 Taking the risk of starting a business
50:10 Learning the ropes of owning a cafe
53:20 Why You MUST have your business on social media
59:12 What’s your manual to life?
1:01:56 Mert’s Cafe inspiration
1:05:26 What have these life experiences taught about yourself?
1:08:09 Most Underrated Country To Travel
1:11:27 If you had unlimited resources tomorrow-what would you do?
1:16:55 Behind all the cameras and lights, who really is Mert?
1:19:20 Mert’s favourite ChatGPT prompt
