#4REALFRIDAY IS WHERE I ASK 5 QUESTIONS TO SOME DAMN REAL, DAMN AWESOME PALS WHO ARE LIVING AND DOING DOPE STUFF 4REAL!

THEY'VE INSPIRED ME OR BEEN A SUPPORT IN SOME WAY AND I WANNA SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

GREG CORNES

WHAT COFFEE DO YOU DRINK?

I am a sucker for the double flat white - the quintessential kiwi coffee.

Something about that initial first sip, the right texture, temperature and taste conjointly connecting to the fore of the mouth gets me everytime.

WHAT WORK DO YOU DO?

Cafe owner/operator

COOLEST ACHIEVEMENT?

The coolest achievement has been opening the doors to my very own cafe and being able to support my family in doing so. Its something I have wanted since I was 19 when I was first introduced to hospitality and it became apparent this was an industry I wanted to be in.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

The work life balance is like the eternal search, the unobtainable dream! My business is still relatively young at one and half years old, so I maybe forgiven for the work I am putting in but with the plans I have going forward, I do not see too much relaxing of this in the near future. Maybe in ten years I'll know whether they were the right decisions.

BEST ADVICE?

Surround yourself only with people who want you to succeed.

For as long as I’ve known Greg… and it been a long time, he’s been a work horse - working and running cafes and coffee shops with a dream to one day open one of his own. Now he has and it’s amazing. Greg is the owner and brains behind the hot place to get your coffee and lunch from in Auckland - Goodness Gracious Bagelry.

Obsessed and focused on a career in hospitality from the age of 19, Greg finally has his own cafe, and it is awesome to see it busy and growing. Goodness Gracious specializes in great coffee and bangin’ bagels with imagination. Think Chilli concarne bagel?!

For years, any time I go to visit or hang out with his family (Greg is also married to a good friend of mine) we would often talk hospitality, business and relate on our experiences - both good and bad. He’s always had really strong opinions as well as a natural business and entrepreneurial head which always makes conversation interesting. Greg says it how it is and I like that.

It always astounds me to see someone so clear, focused and strategic about what he wants and how he goes about getting it. Greg invested in some property early on to leverage his finances, but had to wait years for the market to give him any substantial return usable to start a business. They say how you do anything is how you do everything and Greg is that through and through. From his personal life to his business life, he is patient, focused and steadfast, working consistently and incredibly hard all the time. He has a serious "resting face", but there in lies an honesty, humor and humility too, which makes you know that you’re in good stead.

He sticks to his own ideas, and is not afraid to try different things either. Once he started up his own street clothing label “Awkward” at the same time as working in coffee. The other day I actually wore one of those tank tops and stopped to admire the quality. Doing t-shirts of my own has made me look at that stuff now and I was impressed with his, that even years ago, the quality and standard of his print and clever graphic plays was top notch - the same can be said for his modest bagelry in Mount Eden, which is unpretentious but clever, unique and well executed in every way.

What I really love most about him though is his unwavering persistence and dedication, in all areas, especially towards his wife, two beautiful girls and boxer dog. Nothing gets between him and walking his dog! He has an incredibly strong family and work ethic that is to be admired, yet still takes time to appreciate others in his life. It just goes to show, slow and steady can sometimes win the race. What a dude.

Check him out. #4Real