Time To Go–Burt Lear Concludes Business at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

In honor of the 45th anniversary of the Brentwood-founded Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we have invited Burt Lear to blog from his office which he sets up daily inside the [LOCATION REDACTED] CBTL. This will be his final such dispatch. –Ed.

September 23

Using oDesk now. Signed up with American Express card, solicited teams to flesh out idea for website to sell high quality tee shirts of quotes overheard at CBTL. 12hrs later, enjoying coffee at said Bean, open email client. No money down. Team from India sent comps for site including e-commerce back end with x-cart fully designed. Beautiful work. North of a grand. Fifteen day roll out to finish at $10 per hour. (Feel guilty about this…)

September 24

Solved problem of Health Insurance for Self-employed or Unemployed (American Community Mutual; AETNA)

Tim Ferriss again with the assist.

September 25

Pakistani programmer down to $5.00 per hour. Also discovered sites on oDesk in portfolio of prospective contractors. drumsforyou.com send them a demo of anything, they make a song worthy of radio. But who listens to radio. Hmmm. $675 is close to what I have left. Yet… that song I wrote in college on the old Casio keyboard, possible masterpiece. My ticket to financial freedom. I sign on. They will contact me in 48 hours. At last, the way ahead is lit.

September 27

No word from drumsforyou. Sigh. New plan forming. America in crisis. Liars in wait prey on the unemployed. Time for a change. Take operation, business incentive and initiative to Pakistan. Elimininate twelve hour delay in answering important emails. Made arrangements to go public with new company early October.

September 28

Karaoke at Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood. Saying goodbye to old friends via Amy Winehouse, bar in uproar. Thank you, Bean. All because of you. Caffeine makes me think so many things. (NOTE: save this quotation for exclusive line of tee shirt.) Operation Coffee Bean kaput. To Pakistan and beyond…