✍️ By Mekhi Monche & Xzavier Burton
📍 Why We're Here
Welcome to Overly Caffeinated, the blog where we sip caffeine and spill the beans on everything you need to know about content marketing! As mildly established professionals in content marketing, we are currently undergoing a rebrand for our production business know as, Overly Competitive PR. Like most entrepreneurs in the digital age, The constant dilemma as to where, when, and even how to market our business has been a feat we’ve intended to tackle. But of course as we all know, new years come with new technologies which means it’s time to implement new strategies. With limited time during the week to dedicate to our brand due to us both working full time jobs. We’ve decided to make the most of our Saturdays which have now become an opportunity to connect and create. Initially, Saturdays were always our day as friends to get together catch up, and load up on content for the week but now we’ve decided to mesh it with our business efforts by visiting a new coffee shop each week in hopes of bringing our coffee game from the ground up and grow awareness for our brand. Each café we touch becomes a creative incubator for ideas, strategy, and storytelling.
This week’s entry: We explored Portal Coffee in Downtown San Diego. From capturing content to accidentally networking with familiar faces, stay tuned to find out our honest review on portal coffee and more importantly, this weeks takeaways on content marketing that you can implement into your business today!
Portal Coffee Review:
Mekhi’s Take 😎
Order: Apricot Escape Herbal Tea
So initially, when we first arrived, I would say that aesthetics were very pleasing and minimal and perfect to sit down and work on content creation. Although I would consider myself highly attracted to vibrant spaces, I can still appreciate a clean and concise perspective as we all know the coffee shop to be a place of peace, serenity and business. Now of course, being an artist myself I had to highlight the art pieces they have placed along the walls. Mostly images, but one piece in particular stuck out to me as it was an abstract sculpture that was full of vibrance and quickly caught my attention. Also, I would like to highlight that they do have indoor and outdoor seating which is perfect because depending on the day, especially with the random bipolar weather in San Diego, you could still get in wherever you see fit. Whether you're a local or in town for a quick visit, the location itself is also worth noting because it is downtown near the harbor so if you were to stop by the shop, you could easily enjoy a nice walk with beautiful scenery and historical landmarks like the USS Midway.
Now that I've spoken a bit about what I liked about Portal Coffee, it's time to address my pain points. Now I will admit that I am a novice when it comes to coffee, I mean I'm the same guy who had to google the difference between an expresso and a latte, so bare with me a little but a kitchen that closes at noon could never be my best friend. I’m not exactly sure if this is normal procedure for all coffee shops but I was definitely hurt when the nice lady told me that I could not order The Caprice sandwich that I was kinda excited to try. Never mind the fact that there was literally signage right below my nose that read kitchen closed at noon so yeah, I dropped the ball with that one. Now y’all might come for me after this, but if you do make sure to get Xzavier first because at least I attempted to complete the assignment. Coffee. Although I did not try any coffee at the shop, due to a cup I had earlier that morning, I decided to try an apricot escape which was an herbal tea. Just being honest, the name is what got me. I didn't even hesitate to choose because Apricot Escape just rang a bell in my ear, but all in all, it was tea. Nothing more, nothing less. Not that I was expecting the craziest thing in the world, but with a name like Apricot Escape. I was expecting a little more bang for my buck, a name like orange tea would’ve been more accurate but hey, who am I to say anything? I barely knew the difference between regular tea and herbal tea. My last con for Portal Coffee which is kind of a contradiction because it’s also a pro is location. The reason being there isn’t an ample amount of parking. Although I was able to find a spot pretty quickly up the road in front of King and Queens Cantina. I Could easily see some people having a hard time meeting there or having to walk a while to get there.
Mekhi’s Score: ⭐⭐⭐/5
What I Liked:
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Clean, minimal aesthetic — perfect for content creators
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Indoor + outdoor seating (key for unpredictable San Diego weather)
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Beautiful art installations — especially one vibrant sculpture that popped
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Great walkable location near the USS Midway and harbor views
- People! There was a decent crowd at the shop. Perfect for networking.
What Missed for Me:
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Kitchen closed at noon (RIP to my Caprese sandwich dreams)
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I got tea instead of coffee (rookie move), and honestly… it was just tea.
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Parking could be a challenge for some
Xzavier’s Take 🧠
Ah it’s finally the weekend, most individuals will take that freedom that is not given to them during the weekday to sleep in and grab a few extra hours of sleep. Although, there is a select group of individuals who are more excited to wake up early on the weekends to really take advantage of the free time. Now everyone has their unique morning routine, but for most a cup of coffee is step number one above all else. Some make their own brew from the comfort of their own home, others opt for Starbucks, but for Mekhi Monche and I, we try to think outside the box.
This past Saturday we checked out Portal Coffee, which is a popular coffee shop based in Little Italy in Downtown San Diego. When you arrive, it provides the consumer with an odd familiar feeling, almost as if you never left your desk in your office. The warm colors from the wood and brick setting throws you into a state of productivity alone. However, add in a small crowd of people who are complimented with various laptops, tripods, cameras and more, it is futile to fight against the contagious impulse to get some work done. If you are amongst the early birds who add to their rank of customers who arrive before noon, there will be a generous menu filled with different breakfast items, caffeinated drinks, and teas and snacks.
As mentioned, there is a blend between leisure and productivity and the first hand experience was a gift in its own right. As Mekhi and I settled in, getting a grasp of all the variables associated with our location of choice was on our list of priorities. Following, we moved on to our game plan for setting out the foundation to our Social Media Marketing Business for High Ticket Clientele. Getting into the motion of things, we captured various angles of our process both B-roll and authentic moments. By the end of it all, fate has an interesting way of making its introduction considering we had connected with a potential lead for one of many High Ticket Clients.
Xzavier’s Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🫘Keep It a Bean: Our Key Findings This Week In Content Marketing
Overly Caffeinated isn’t just a vibe — it’s a strategy session disguised as a coffee run. Each week, we drop actionable gems from our content marketing journey so you can sharpen your brand, boost your SEO, and pull more clients without guessing your way through it.
Here’s what we brewed up this week:
1. Stop Guessing. Start Testing.
This insight hit us from both Latasha James, a trusted social media strategist for freelancers and creators, and Neil Patel, a leading voice in digital marketing known for helping major brands grow online.
Their advice? Test your content.
Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube Shorts don’t penalize low-performing posts, making them the perfect places to experiment with different messages, hooks, and formats before bringing them to your main platforms.
But we added our own twist:
We’re now testing content in Instagram Stories first.
Why? Because we believe Instagram Reels are initially pushed to your core audience (your followers) before they ever reach new people. If your content doesn’t hit with your current audience, it’s unlikely to make it to a wider one.
By testing ideas on Stories — polls, questions, sneak peeks — we can see what’s resonating. If our followers are feeling it, there’s a better chance they’ll engage with the final post too, giving it the momentum it needs to push past the algorithm gate.
2. SEO Isn’t Just for Google Anymore
The new search engine? Social media.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are where Gen Z goes to search — not Google. That means you need to treat your captions like mini blog posts.
If you’re a content creator, marketer, or service provider, you should be embedding searchable keywords into your captions. Whether it’s “San Diego videographer,” “small business marketing tips,” or “how to grow with Reels,” this tiny shift can help the right people find you — organically.
Bottom line: Test with purpose. Write with search in mind. And always use your insights to drive intentional content — not just pretty posts.
👇🏾 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway or what you’ve been testing lately.
And if you’re feelin’ the vibe, follow us for more content breakdowns and creative strategy every week:
📍 Company Page: @ocp.ent
👤 Mekhi: @mekhimonche
👤 Xzavier: @its_xzavierb
We’ll see y’all next Saturday — same grind, new café. ☕️📈
