My husband and I moved to Chattanooga in 2023 for his surgical residency training, just as we were starting our journey together—newly married and expecting our first child. After giving birth, I experienced postpartum depression and anxiety, which drastically shifted my priorities. What I was studying in grad school at the time no longer felt meaningful, and I couldn't justify sending my child to daycare given the intense anxiety I was experiencing postpartum. As a result, I made the difficult decision to end my career and become a stay-at-home mom. I loved every moment with my son, but living in a new state while navigating marriage, motherhood, and my own identity crisis was incredibly challenging. Slowly, the pressure and isolation began to take a toll on me and 2024 ended up being both the best and worst year of my life.

In January 2025, I decided to pick up a new hobby—knitting. While it may sound trivial to some, this hobby completely changed me. It provided an outlet, and a way to reconnect with myself again. However, being introverted with social anxiety and allowing myself to knit alone wasn’t enough—I craved community and wanted to create a space where women like me, whether recently relocated, or first-time mothers experiencing an identity crisis, could come together to relax, connect, or simply work on a craft.

That’s how Purlwise Coffee was born.

So in July 2025, I bought a $500 espresso machine and started teaching myself everything I could about espresso. I used my husband as a taste tester for every latte I made, making sure that I was never compromising on the quality of the coffee while also acquiring the best preservative free ingredients to use in my future drink recipes. I used to make fun of him for being a coffee snob only to realize that now I've turned into one myself.

After having my son I learned that my true purpose in life was being a mom, but becoming a mom made me realize life is too short to not do something you love with people you care about. I can't wait for you to experience Purlwise Coffee for yourself and share in the love and passion that inspired its creation.