YOU LIKE TO GO? ONE LOCAL WOMAN GRAVITATES TO OMAHA AREA COFFEE SHOPS, AND SHE WANTS YOU TO FIND THE PLACES AND MOMENTS THAT BRING YOU PEACE AND CALM. JULIE CORNELL EXPLAINS. MAYBE IT’S THE BUSYNESS. IT’S HONESTLY GETS TO LIKE, QUIET AT HOME. CHRISTINE. OR THE CUSHY COUCHES. IT DOES FEEL LIKE BEING IN SOMEONE’S LIVING ROOM. COZY, COMFORTABLE. THE ENDLESS CONCOCTIONS OF DELICIOUSNESS, ICE CARAMEL, SALTED MOCHA. I JUST FOUND IT LIKE TO BE MY HAPPY PLACE. FOR BRIANNA PARSONS. I LOVE JUST COMING INTO A COFFEE SHOP AND FEELING THE VIBE AND JUST THE ATMOSPHERE THAT’S IN THEIR COFFEE SHOPS. DISTRICT. THAT IS REALLY GOOD. FROM THE DAILY GRIND. TWO YEARS AGO, WORKING REMOTELY FOR COMMUNITY ALLIANCE BRIANNA WASN’T FEELING HER BEST. THEN I GOT DIAGNOSED WITH EPILEPSY AND THAT WAS A LIFE ALTERING MOMENT. I ALSO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ANXIETY, OCD. AROUND THAT SAME TIME FRAME, SHE POURED OUT HER CHALLENGES TO A THERAPIST. HE WAS ASKING ME LIKE, WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? AND I SAID, COFFEE SHOPS MAKE ME HAPPY. AND HE’S LIKE, WELL, FIND MORE OF THOSE MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAKE YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY. COFFEE SHOPS DO. SO SHE DID. THE GIRL COFFEE CO. THERE IS A SWEET BEANS MAKING COFFEE HOUSES, A COFFEE SHOP, MOON HOLLOW COFFEE. HER HOME OFFICE. THERE ARE STORIES, COFFEE COMPANY, LAKE DILLER BAKERY AND COFFEE. AND SHE’S USING HER MARKETING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND JOURNALISM SKILLS TO SHARE HER CREATIVITY. FEATURING COFFEE SHOP MOMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THIS MONTH, A MILESTONE. I’M FINALLY GETTING TO THE 100. SHE’S VISITED 100 COFFEE SHOPS AND MADE FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK IN THE SHOP LIKE PASTOR CHRIS FORD, WHO OWNS THE TABLE IN THE OLD MARKET. I FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SOME OF YOUR VALUES ARE SIMILAR TO OURS ABOUT JUST LOVING PEOPLE. WELL, REACHING THEM. NOW, WE SHOULD TELL YOU THAT BRIANNA ISN’T A FAN OF ACTUAL COFFEE. IT’S VERY IRONIC. I DON’T ACTUALLY DRINK COFFEE. BUT IT’S. BUT IT’S THE PEOPLE. IT’S THE ATMOSPHERE. IT’S EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT COFFEE SHOPS THAT I LOVE. BRIANNA’S COFFEE SHOP MOMENTS ARE ABOUT MORE THAN HER DRINK OF CHOICE. IT’S BEEN SOMETHING THAT, LIKE GOD HAS BEEN WANTING ME TO DO FOR A WHILE, AND HE PUT IT ON MY HEART. BRIANNA HAD A FRAGILE START IN LIFE AS A 1 POUND, NINE OUNCE PREEMIE. SHE’S ALWAYS REACHED TO UNDERSTAND HER PURPOSE, EVEN JUST AFTER ALL THE MEDICAL THINGS THAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH IN MY LIFE. BEING ABLE TO BUILD THIS UP AND JUST EXPAND IT TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF IS REALLY WHAT I’M HERE TO DO. LAST YEAR, I, I WAS JUST KIND OF IN LIKE A FUNK. I WAS STUCK. SHE HOLDS MENTAL HEALTH FOCUSED WORKSHOPS AT NIGHT IN COFFEE SHOPS. WHAT GOT YOU INTO YOUR SPECIFIC OUTLET? CREATIVE OUTLET? HELPING OTHER PEOPLE TAP INTO THEIR CREATIVE OUTLETS? SO THIS WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I’VE BEEN WANTING TO DO SPREAD CREATIVITY AND MENTAL HEALTH IN THE COMMUNITY. SHE CALLS THEM OPEN THE MIND WORKSHOPS, AND SHE IS NOW THAT WARM FRIEND THERE FOR OTHERS. PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN A CONSTANT FOR THAT TO HELP ME THROUGH MY MENTAL HEALTH. LIKE A WELCOMING CUP AT YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP. SO WE’LL SEE YOU AGAIN RIGHT? TOMORROW, RIGHT? SOUNDS GOOD. WE’LL BE HERE. THAT IS SO CRITICAL AND SO COOL. SHE FOUND HER HAPPY SPOT. THAT’S A JULIE CORNELL REPORTING. YOU KNOW, THIS FRIDAY, BRIANNA CELEBRATES COFFEE SHOP. VISIT 100. THAT’S A LATTE COFFEE SHOPS. THAT’S GOING TO BE AT THE WANDERING PAGE FRIDA
Omaha woman finds comfort visiting 100 coffee shops
‘I was stuck in a funk’: Woman offers creativity sessions to support mental health
Updated: 10:24 PM CDT Oct 19, 2025
Brianna Parsons, an Omaha resident, has found her “happy place” in local coffee shops, visiting 100 of them over the past two years as she navigates life-altering challenges. Two years ago, while working remotely for Community Alliance, a mental health organization, Parsons was diagnosed with epilepsy, anxiety, and OCD. Her therapist encouraged her to seek out moments that bring her joy, leading her to coffee shops. “He said find more of those moments that make you feel the way coffee shops do,” Parsons said. “I love coming into a coffee shop and feeling the vibe that’s in there,” the 25-year-old said. Despite not being a fan of actual coffee, she appreciates the people and atmosphere. “It’s very ironic that I don’t actually drink coffee, but it’s the people, the atmosphere, everything else about coffee shops that I love,” Parsons said.Parsons uses her marketing, photography, and journalism skills to share “coffee shop moments” on social media, reaching a milestone of visiting 100 coffee shops this month, writing about the venues and photographing them. “I’m finally getting to 100,” she said. Along the way, she has made friends, including Chris Ford, a pastor who owns “The Table” in the Old Market. The Table was Parson’s 11th coffee shop visit, documented in her coffee shop moments on Facebook. “I feel like your values are similar to ours, loving people well, reaching them,” Ford said while visiting with Parsons. Ford is an ordained minister who has a small congregation next to the coffee shop and gathers groups for prayer and worship services. The Table is richly decorated with navy blue walls and warm wood trim, surrounded by overstuffed couches and living room style chairs. “It gets too quiet working from home,” said Parsons. Parsons, born prematurely at 25 weeks gestation, weighed one-pound, nine-ounces. She said she’s always worked to understand her purpose. “Even after all the medical things in my life, to go out and expand this to something bigger than myself is what I’m here to do,” she said. She holds mental health-focused workshops at night in coffee shops, helping others tap into their creative outlets. “So this is one of the things I wanted to do, spread creativity and mental health in the community,” she said.”It’s been something that God’s wanted me to do, put it on my heart,” Parsons added. Parsons calls these workshops “Open the Mind” and she uses photography as a tool to help her through her mental health journey. She wants to help others tap into their creative outlets as a way to de-stress. “Last year, I was stuck in a funk,” she told a small crowd at a recent workshop. She invites motivational speakers, artists, and musicians to her panels to encourage creativity and growth. “Photography has been my constant to help me through my mental health,” she said. This Friday, Parsons will celebrate her 100th coffee shop visit on October 25, at The Wandering Page at 5:30 p.m., inviting others to join in the fun.You can follow Parsons on Facebook: Brianna Marie (shorty), or on Instagram: Brianna the short girl. Parsons is close to 4’10” tall.
OMAHA, Neb. —
Brianna Parsons, an Omaha resident, has found her “happy place” in local coffee shops, visiting 100 of them over the past two years as she navigates life-altering challenges.
Two years ago, while working remotely for Community Alliance, a mental health organization, Parsons was diagnosed with epilepsy, anxiety, and OCD. Her therapist encouraged her to seek out moments that bring her joy, leading her to coffee shops. “He said find more of those moments that make you feel the way coffee shops do,” Parsons said.
“I love coming into a coffee shop and feeling the vibe that’s in there,” the 25-year-old said. Despite not being a fan of actual coffee, she appreciates the people and atmosphere. “It’s very ironic that I don’t actually drink coffee, but it’s the people, the atmosphere, everything else about coffee shops that I love,” Parsons said.
Parsons uses her marketing, photography, and journalism skills to share “coffee shop moments” on social media, reaching a milestone of visiting 100 coffee shops this month, writing about the venues and photographing them.
“I’m finally getting to 100,” she said. Along the way, she has made friends, including Chris Ford, a pastor who owns “The Table” in the Old Market. The Table was Parson’s 11th coffee shop visit, documented in her coffee shop moments on Facebook.
“I feel like your values are similar to ours, loving people well, reaching them,” Ford said while visiting with Parsons. Ford is an ordained minister who has a small congregation next to the coffee shop and gathers groups for prayer and worship services.
The Table is richly decorated with navy blue walls and warm wood trim, surrounded by overstuffed couches and living room style chairs.
“It gets too quiet working from home,” said Parsons.
Parsons, born prematurely at 25 weeks gestation, weighed one-pound, nine-ounces. She said she’s always worked to understand her purpose.
“Even after all the medical things in my life, to go out and expand this to something bigger than myself is what I’m here to do,” she said.
She holds mental health-focused workshops at night in coffee shops, helping others tap into their creative outlets. “So this is one of the things I wanted to do, spread creativity and mental health in the community,” she said.
“It’s been something that God’s wanted me to do, put it on my heart,” Parsons added.
Parsons calls these workshops “Open the Mind” and she uses photography as a tool to help her through her mental health journey. She wants to help others tap into their creative outlets as a way to de-stress.
“Last year, I was stuck in a funk,” she told a small crowd at a recent workshop. She invites motivational speakers, artists, and musicians to her panels to encourage creativity and growth.
“Photography has been my constant to help me through my mental health,” she said. This Friday, Parsons will celebrate her 100th coffee shop visit on October 25, at The Wandering Page at 5:30 p.m., inviting others to join in the fun.
You can follow Parsons on Facebook: Brianna Marie (shorty), or on Instagram: Brianna the short girl. Parsons is close to 4’10” tall.