For a small-business owner, a social media shoutout can mean a lot. But for Eric Powell Jr., a recent post from Ms. Rachel did something he never expected. It sent people straight through the doors of his New Jersey coffee shop.
Powell, a U.S. Air Force veteran, father of four, author and entrepreneur, is one of the partners behind Blended Joe Coffee Bar in Washington Township, New Jersey. He said the connection with Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, began after she saw his posts on Threads and eventually contacted him through Instagram.
At the time, Powell said, he and his partners never imagined the interaction would become such a big moment for their business.
“We never looked at it as something that was going to turn into this huge moment,” Powell tells PARADE.
So when Ms. Rachel ultimately shared Blended Joe with her audience, Powell wasn’t expecting it.
“Not at all,” he says when asked if he knew the post was coming. “That’s what made it so special.”
On Sept. 7, the beloved educator and activist known for her children’s series Songs For Littles, wrote on Threads, “If you’re ever in South Jersey, go see Eric at Blended Joe Coffee Bar ☕️ — 421 Hurfville-Cross Keys Road, Sewell, NJ” alongside a photo of the entrepreneur holding a cup of coffee.
Powell replied, “I can’t wait to wake my sons up and show them this, as a single father this made me cry!”
View this post on Instagramon Threads garnered more than 5,000 likes and 250 shares, but for Powell, the moment was about more than social media exposure. After spending years building businesses and working toward creating something meaningful for his family and community, he said the recognition felt personal.
“As a small-business owner, you spend so much time working when nobody is watching,” Powell says. “There are long days, sacrifices and moments when you wonder whether people even see what you’re building.”
Then someone with a platform as large as Ms. Rachel’s took the time to shine a light on what they were doing.
“That meant more than the exposure itself,” Powell says. “It felt like someone saw us.”
And the shoutout didn’t just generate likes and comments – people actually started showing up at Blended Joe.
“We’ve had people physically walk into Blended Joe and tell us, ‘Ms. Rachel sent us,’ or that they discovered us because of her post,” Powell says.
For a neighborhood coffee shop, it’s the kind of social media attention that can make a tangible difference.
“Social media numbers are one thing,” Powell says. “But watching an online gesture turn into actual people walking through the door, ordering coffee, meeting us and supporting a local business makes it real.”
Powell hopes the experience also reminds people of just how much impact they can have when they use their platform to support someone else. He describes Blended Joe as more than a place to grab a cup of coffee. The goal, he said, is to create a space where people can connect, collaborate, and feel like they belong.
While Ms. Rachel’s post brought new attention to the business, Powell said what mattered most was the generosity behind it.
“Ms. Rachel didn’t have to do what she did,” he says. “There was nothing transactional about it. She simply chose to shine a light on a small business, and we’ve gotten to watch that kindness ripple outward. Sometimes supporting a small business isn’t a small thing at all.”
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