The mission of Mom’s Morning Coffee is to “inform, encourage and inspire,” and in that vein, we are embarking on a new series entitled “Women Who Make A Difference.” We have been scouring the SWGA area for women in all walks of life who contribute to their communities in politics, health, education, social services and other areas.

Inspiration comes in many forms; inspiration comes from many sources.  Certainly we all can think of people who challenge and encourage us to be our best; to be more than we think we can be.  The women you will be reading about during the course of this series contribute in both big and small ways.  Of course, it all depends on your perspective: we never truly know how far even the smallest of efforts will ripple in our lifetime…or in others’ lives.

“Entitlement is the theft of gratitude”

There were many “meme-worthy” comments that BJ Fletcher made during the day we chatted over lunch.  The range of Ms. Fletcher’s service extends to both the political and business realms…but the effects of her service ripple far beyond in the lives of many people with whom she’s been involved over the years. 

As current owner of BJ’s Country Kitchen, a restaurant she took over and renamed in 2012, she’s owned and operated other food-service establishments over the years, most recently “Café 230” and the Downtown Fresh Market in Albany. A current Commissioner serving Ward 3 in Dougherty County, GA,, she has also served on the Board of the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority, and worked tirelessly in a run for Mayor of Albany, GA in 2011.

The third of 5 children to Roy and Vesta Coston Fletcher, BJ grew up working.  She never remembers the family being in want: utilities were always on, and everyone had the necessities.  But as soon as she was old enough to work, she was employed and helping out the family finances with her own paycheck.  Her mom, still spry and helping out at the restaurant at age 80, was employed outside the home throughout BJ’s growing up years.  Interestingly enough, all 5 siblings became entrepreneurs to varying degrees, and operated some sort of independent business operation as adults.  “I have an entrepreneurial spirit…and I admire that in others,” she said.  “I’ve always been a ‘glass-half-full’ person,” she continued, and she values the importance of listening to and following God’s will in her life, encouraging others to do so as well.

BJ reflects that her unique definition of success is responsible for the path she is on in life.  While many measure success by possessions or finances, BJ’s standard involves 2 vital components: 1) What quality of service am I providing? and 2) How am I taking care of the people for whom I am responsible?  Above and beyond, however, she believes that no amount of success in any terms can ever be achieved for Christians without a consistent commitment to tithing.

The trade-off for the extent of this service has been that she is without a family and children of her own.  However, her efforts on behalf of those she has employed in her businesses are in themselves a legacy.  She has seen 6 employees saved, 4 enter Military service and 6-8 who have come off welfare rolls as a result of her involvement.  Then there is the current employee of many years who is struggling with addiction, and to whom BJ is committed to standing by and helping her through this illness.  In her experience, “Taking care of others, and as a small-business owner that means my employees, is one of the things that makes a difference between “us” and the corporate world,” she points out, “where the mindset is less on the individual and more on the company-at-large.”

With all the roles she has played over the years, all the positions she’s held and all the lessons she’s learned as both a business owner and in community service, BJ feels she has much to pass on to others.  Pointing out that most entrepreneurs attain success later in life, she attributes that to the valuable lessons learned through the “school of hard knocks.”  She encourages people who are new business owners, or those who would like to be, not to look for “free” or “now,” but instead to look for “what can help me in the long run?”  Don’t be afraid of work, because achieving success by any definition takes hard work.  And regarding her fellow boomers who may be at or reaching retirement age, she would love to see more of them “come out” of retirement and mentor younger people.  “One of the problems we have right now is that our generation often checked out of raising our kids, and those kids are now adults who have problems raising their own children.”  In this situation, she believes that mentoring can help multiple generations get back on track, and allow older people to be useful for years to come.

And from this generous woman who has done much and attempted even more, her final comments were about leadership.  While she believes there is much potential in our cities and communities, she also believes that we’re not going to get anywhere until our leaders learn to work together.  “Leadership isn’t about taking all the credit,” she says, “it’s about working together, encouraging the others on the team, and giving proper credit where credit is due.”