#151 Automating a coffee shop chain using self-taught coding skills with Eamonn Cottrell

On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews Eamonn Cottrell. He's a software engineer who also runs a local chain of coffee shops in Knoxville. Eamonn taught himself to code using freeCodeCamp. And he's since published 37 freeCodeCamp tutorials on productivity and automation using spreadsheets.

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Support also comes from the 11,113 kind folks who support freeCodeCamp through a monthly donation. Join these kind folks and get involved in our mission by going to https://donate.freecodecamp.org

We talk about:
- Eamonn's love of coffee and how he bought VHS tapes to learn latte art
- How he finds time to expand his skills in between running coffee shops and ultra-marathoning
- How he used spreadsheets to automate the logistics of running coffee shops
- How he balances being a musician and writer with the practical realities of providing for a family of 6

Can you guess what song I'm playing in the intro?

Also, I want to thank the 10,993 kind people who support our charity each month, and who make this podcast possible. You can join them and support our mission at: https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate

CORRECTION: Vincent van Gogh was supported by his younger brother – not his brother in-law. van Gogh never married so he never had a brother in law. I'm not sure why I thought that. Also, he seems to have sold more than one painting in his life (as many of us were taught in school), but nowhere near enough paintings to support himself as an artist.

Links we talk about during our conversation:

Eamonn's freeCodeCamp articles: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/author/sieis/

Eamonn's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@eamonncottrell

Excel-based esports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2QC6VQXo8U

Ultra Marathons: https://www.youtube.com/@runtired

Got Sheet: https://www.gotsheet.xyz/

Progress and Perfection: https://www.progressandperfection.com/

Eamonn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eamonncottrell/

Eamonn on Twitter: https://x.com/EamonnCottrell