20 questions

Since 2011, Samuel’s Coffee House in Summerside has been a stopping-off place for a tasty bite.

Patrons are able to choose something light from a wide variety of hot beverages and sweet treats or something more substantial from their breakfast and lunch menu. With takeout and eat-in available, it’s located in the heart of Summerside, and its cozy interior is just a stroll from the Summerside waterfront, making it popular with locals and visitors In 2012, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce recognized owner Moyna Murphy-matheson as the innovator of the year. The following year, she was named Summerside’s new business of the year, and in 2015, she won the chamber’s People’s Choice Award. We asked this successful entrepreneur 20 questions.

1 . What is your full name?

Moyna Ruth Murphymatheson. Not too many people know this, but some called me “Momo” as a nickname.

2 . Where were you born and where do you live today?

I was born in London, Ont. I currently live in Summerside, P.E.I.

3 .What is one thing you would like people to know about you?

I run a very public business. I talk to many people every day, but honestly, I’m shy and still get nervous sometimes, and people may not know that about me. However, I’ve gotten better at pushing through that boundary, enabling me to meet so many more people and do what I do today.

4 . What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Before I opened Samuel’s Coffee House, I was a massage therapist and taught English as a second or foreign language (ESL) for several years.

5 .What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Opening the business. I knew it would be hard (and) I was ready for it, but opening and maintaining a business is challenging and joyful.

6 . Can you describe one experience that changed your life?

Having my kids, especially my firstborn, because your entire life changes … at that moment.

7 . What is your greatest indulgence?

Probably buying new shoes. I love sneakers. I have a lot of different pairs of sneakers, so it’s been an indulgence of mine when I know I don’t need to get them. I own about 11 pairs.

8 . What is your favourite book?

I probably don’t have one. Honestly, I don’t have much time to read, and on my nightstand, I probably have a stack of 14 non-fiction books that vary from local businesspeople to self-improvement books. It is on my wish list of things to do as business life begins to slow down; I would also like to get into fictionbased books.

9 . What is your favourite movie?

I like to step back in time occasionally, so I have to say, “Sixteen Candles” or “The Breakfast Club” when I need a taste of the ‘80s. I have watched “Sixteen Candles” 10 times now.

10 . What music do you like to listen to?

I listen to everything, and music is a big mood changer. If my day isn’t going quite well, it can be a shift that I need. Right now, I’m listening to David Myles. Consistently in my house, you hear the Killers and Johnny Cash.

11 . How do you like to relax?

Outside: in the Rotary Park; on the beaches. Moving my body around is how I relax.

12 . What are you reading or watching right now?

Lots of podcasts actually.

That probably takes about six or seven hours a week; I listen to Mel Robbins or “The Doctor’s Pharmacy” by Mark Hyman. For screen time, I just finished watching a show called “The Chosen.”

13 . What is your greatest fear?

As many say, “fear itself.” Fear can hold you back from many differences and experiences in life, though. I probably fear that the most – having a fear to a level (that) would hold me back from being the best version of myself.

14 . What is your greatest joy?

My family.

15 . What is your most treasured possession?

One of my mom’s rings. She lost it a couple of months before she passed away, and then I found it four years later in a box of Christmas decorations. Her ring is my greatest treasure.

16 . What’s the best advice you got from a parent or mentor?

Best advice came from my mom and aunt. They had a phrase, “Plant your garden.” It has meaning in so many different ways at different times. It could mean being creative, being unique, speaking hard for what you want or creating your destiny. Depending on the situation, that phrase meant a lot of things and I think about that often.

17 . What would you say is your best quality, and what would you say is your worst quality?

I always hated that question in interviews. They go hand-in-hand, I think. Suppose you’re an optimist; then the best and the worst go hand-in-hand. But I will say that my quality is a sense of worry. Sometimes, I’ll let worry take over, but that’s my best quality, too, because the only thing to negate worry is through action.

18 . Where is your favourite place in the world?

Locally, Dalvay Beach. And the place I’ve gone since I was super young would be Naples, Fla. Year after year, I still get nostalgia.

19 . Who do you follow on social media?

I have about four different social media accounts. So, if you go into my account, it’s all about health and wellness. If you go into my business accounts, other local businesses would always support me and have that camaraderie.

20 . Which three people would join you for your dream dinner party?

I would love to have dinner with my mom again. It’s just an opportunity to ask many questions to say, “Hey, guess what I’ve been doing.” Secondly, I would like to have my aunt at the table. She’s so exciting and like a present-day Maya Angelou. To make it a female power hour, I’d have Mel Robbins in that discussion to talk about what these generational women have to say about life.