Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

As a roaster your career can go through many different unique phases, all of which will tech you different things about the craft, the business, leadership, and even entrepreneurship. Not least among the things you learn is how to use both resources and constraints as opportunities to serve others and grow as a roaster. These are the kinds of experiences that today's guest has had in the industry and today we will explore those career phases and what they taught him. I am so pleased to welcome Leigh Wetzle, Cofounder and roaster for Cedar coffee to Rate of Rise! Leigh Wentzel is Co-founder and Head roaster for Cedar Coffee Roasters. He has been in the industry since 2014 so coming up to 10 years spent the majority of his coffee career working for Rosetta Roastery in various roles. Leigh started as a coffee delivery driver/part-time barista transitioned to full-time barista, head barista/cafe manager, and ended up as their roaster and roastery manager. Along the journey, they won Roastery of the Year 2018 and 2019 with Rosetta and then last year they won Best New Roastery with Cedar Coffee Roasters In this conversation we discuss the lessons learned going from new roaster, roastery manager, starting Cedar, renting time on someone else's roaster, and now what is going into planning Cedar's own roastery. Links: https://cedarcoffeeroasters.com/ @cedarcoffeeroasters Related episodes: 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters 452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee 285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider Subscribe to Roast Magazine! https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe Visit www.roastertools.com for the best software to help you run a roastery!

The most important thing in coffee...is people. More to the point, managers and owners prioritizing hiring and caring for the right people, and baristas embracing taking responsibility for their own careers and how they show up in the shop vs blaming others for their lot in the industry. On today's Shift Break we are going to be getting straight to the heart of what is important for managers and owners to know in hiring and caring for a team, and what is critical for baristas to know if they want to advance anywhere they happen to be. I feel that this Shift Break is by far the one of the most important in terms of the kind of force-multiplying effect implementation of these ideas will have on the industry. Related episodes: SHIFT BREAK: Wrong Fit For the Role, or Wrong Fit For Your Business? Raising Your Hiring Standard Things the Owner Can't do for You Making Yourself More Valuable 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The world of professional specialty coffee can be both inspiring and intimidating with many customers and new baristas feeling lost in the mix of rules, methods, and information. How can we create a great experience for guests and staff who all really want to enjoy coffee and find their place in it? Today we get to learn from the story of someone whose career in coffee took him from curious customer, to barista champion, and finally to teacher and business owner, all along the way finding his identity in coffee firmly rooted in providing the kind of hospitality that won him over at the start. Winston Thomas is 33 years old and grew up in the small suburb of Strand in Cape Town. He studied Civil Engineering at CPUT but developed an interest in coffee after reading a letter in his local newspaper of a woman complaining that there was no good coffee in Strand/Somerset West. This sparked his interest in coffee and during his studies he completed a barista course. This changed his whole perspective on coffee and after completing his National Diploma in 2014 decided to work in coffee full time. Since then he has managed to win the South African Aeropress Championship in 2016, the Western Cape Barista Championship for 2017, 2018 & 2020, the South African Barista Championship in 2017, 2018 & 2020 title as well as the Africa Barista Championship title for 2019. He now owns and runs a coffee training and consulting business called Winston Douglas Coffee and a Coffee Roastery Called Cedar Coffee Roasters. In this episodes you will learn about: Winston's entry into coffee and how his engineering mind helped him discover higher levels Curiosity and a desire to understand how things work are valuable traits in the coffee industry. Barista competitions can provide opportunities for growth and learning, but it's important to maintain a sense of humility and not let success cloud one's perspective. Hospitality as a fundamental aspect of coffee service Why baristas should strive to create meaningful experiences for customers. Building confidence and finding one's identity in the industry The blessing and burden of winning Avoid overemphasizing fame and titles in the industry How having control over the variables in coffee brewing enhances the hospitality experience. Creating an authentic coffee experience specific to a region or culture is a challenge worth pursuing. How disconnecting from social media can foster creativity and originality in coffee Links: @cedarcoffeeroasters @winston_douglas www.cedarcoffeeroasters.com www.winstondouglascoffee.com Related episodes: 290 : Making Connections in Central Africa w/ Keith White Jr of Paraiso Trading! 410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Having high standards is part of what it means to be in specialty coffee. While it is true that we need to have reasonable tolerances built into our expectations, we also need to be specific in our communication, resourcing, and expectations so people know what it is they are aiming for in the cafe. On today's Shift Break we talk about we we should be approaching setting and meeting standards in the shop and how your example and follow through is integral to your teams success. Related episodes: Pre-Closing Madness SHIFT BREAK : It's OK to Have Reasonable Tolerances Defining Excellence and Success You Need to Prioritize In-House Training! 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

When Martin Mayorga first entered the coffee industry it was not as someone whose singular passion was the product, but the people and communities behind it that were unseen and more often that not, unrewarded for their work. He had and still has a mission to address this disparity. Born in Guatemala City to a Nicaraguan father and a Peruvian mother, Martin's early life was a mosaic of Latin American cultures and unique challenges, including losing everything to an earthquake in Guatemala and then again to a revolution in Nicaragua. This journey from Guatemala to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, and finally the United States exposed him to a variety of perspectives and challenges faced by people across these regions while eventually providing him the opportunities unique to the United States Returning to Nicaragua at 18, Martin was confronted with the harsh realities faced by local farmers and their communities. This experience was pivotal, shaping his mission to uplift Latin American communities through sustainable business practices. Leveraging his education in International Business and Finance from Georgetown University, Martin embarked on a journey to make a positive impact for farmers in Latin Americas well as consumers in the United States. Under Martin's leadership, Mayorga Organics has become more than a coffee company; it's a symbol of hope and empowerment for over 6,000 small farmers across 10 Latin American countries. The company's commitment to organic farming and direct relationships with farmers has not only improved the lives of these communities but also helped to transform consumer perception of ethical consumption in the U.S. Today we will be challenged, enlightened, and inspired as we get to explore the arc of Martin's journey and discuss the various critical components of what has gone into the mission that continues to guide Mayorga Coffee and more broadly Mayorga Organics- "To eliminate systemic poverty in Latin America through responsible trade of artisanal organic foods." Here are just some of the things we cover: Martin's entry into the coffee industry Pivotal moments in Martins diverse upbringing that shapes his world view Values and vision for addressing the gap between consumer and farmer Why we need scale to make impact Being patient and steady in your goals in spite of naysayers Giving regular coffee farmers options Competition and collaboration vs domination Considering the impact of investors on the long-term efficacy of a business What to do now to make a difference in the future Links: www.mayorgacoffee.com @mayorgacoffee on Instagram YouTube Video on Mayorga Coffee Related episodes: Sustainability Series #1 : The Farm 294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto! 265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge 060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee 447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

When we set goals it is usually because we have come to realize a need for change. In the cafe this can result in making a large scale transformational effort that can often fall flat, We want to evolve and grow our cafe or even ourselves but the learned behaviors that got us here stand in our way. On today's Shift Break we will talk about how evolution and change that is sustainable has to be based on small and consistent steps in the direction of your goal and how doing this in the New Year can make it your best year ever! Related episodes: Pull Out The Fridge Slow is Fast? Turning Radius What Sanding Taught Me About the Cafe Refinement Process 426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement 406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Sample roasting empowers people with the knowledge of possibility locked in the coffee. Bringing sample roasting that provides for more continuity and better communication to more professionals in the value chain, especially at origin, is critical not just for how coffee's potential is achieved but how the value of that coffee is distributed. Today we explore this dynamic through the lens of the IKAWA sample roaster with Inventor, Andrew Stordy! Andrew, the inventor and founder of IKAWA, grew up in coffee growing countries including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Burundi.Andrew is an engineer and industrial designer and developed the concept for IKAWA while studying Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He's dedicated years of toil to making IKAWA a reality. In this conversation we discuss the start of the company, how and why the roaster was developed, the impact it has had, and the design/iteration process that they utilize at IWAWA that helps them continue to innovate. Links: www.ikawacoffee.com @ikawacoffee Related episodes: 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients 395: Connecting Roasters and Producers w/ Henry Wilson of Perfect Daily Grind and The Producer Roaster Forum! Subscribe to Roast Magazine! https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe Visit www.roastertools.com for a free e-book and the best software to help you run a roastery!

Hospitality is a pursuit that relies on our ability to not only offer our guests excellence in quality, consistency, and interaction, but it also relies on us being able to select tools for delivery of our service that line up with our values. Mobile apps and order ahead systems have become a part of the fabric of the coffee shop space based on their convenience and marketing potential. Beyond the question of whether you should utilize this tool, is the question of the role apps and convenience ordering systems play in hospitality and how we can integrate them in a mindful seamless way. Today we get to talk all about this with someone whose life revolves around these questions and the pursuit of delivering a solution to cafes. I am please to welcome, Joe Capone, of Espressly! Joe Capone is a Co-Founder and CEO of Espressly. Joe oversees and manages the team at Espressly as they continue to advance and sustain the mobile app ordering system for coffee shops across the US. He is an experienced software developer and previously ran a web development agency that helped clients throughout the US. Joe has a passion for using technology as the foundation to sales and marketing systems and loves how mobile apps are readily available to the masses, enabling things that we only dreamed of in years past. Here are just some of the things we cover: Developing white label apps for coffee shops Possibility to enhance the customer experience. Balancing convenience and quality Prioritization and organization using apps Backup systems to avoid over-dependence on technology Efficient order flow management and pickup stations Grace and flexibility as essential for handling mistakes and maintaining strong customer relationships. Quest for a seamless customer experience Importance of capturing data for business growth and future exit strategies. Links: www.espressly.co IG:@ESPRESSLYAPPS Related episodes: Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

You can't always get what you want. In fact, getting exactly what you want may hinder your growth and creativity in the long run. Most of us in the cafe space work within constraints of budget, time, space, and capacity, and that is actually something to celebrate. On today's shift break we will be talking about why embracing and even applying constraints is the key to unlock your own, and your coffee shop's potential. Related episodes: SHIFT BREAK: Before you Expand 240 : What to do before your Build your Bar 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge blog : Simplicity is the MVP of the Cafe 327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java SHIFT BREAK: Turning Radius In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The coffee market is much bigger than just specialty coffee. In fact specialty makes up just a fraction of coffee consumed globally. The advent of convenience coffee service is growing lock step with innovations in automation and that has historically make those of us in the more craft forward markets nervous. While I will readily admit to being one of those nervous and doubting people when it comes to convenience and automation, I also enjoy exploring the other side of a subject that can help balance my (maybe a whole industry's) dogmatic assumptions. To help us explore the value of these ideas and to connect to a frequently maligned segment of coffee drinkers we have returning guest and friend of the show, Tim Cox! Tim Cox is Marketing Manager for Franke Coffee Systems. He is a food and beverage professional with over 15 years of experience focusing on beverages and Specialty Coffee. With a career spanning diverse roles ranging from multi-unit retail management, restaurant ownership, product development for national brands such as 7-11, and marketing, Tim has developed his experience across multiple channels, including Specialty, QSR, and Convenience. In his role at Franke Coffee Systems, Tim is responsible for research & insights as well as product management. Here are just some of the things we cover: Tim's Career Transition The Value of Automation in Coffee Defining Specialty Coffee and Ethical Concerns The Importance of Accessibility in Coffee The forgotten segments of consumers we need to engage Automations impact on Hospitality Transferable Skills and Intentionality in Automation Balancing Excellence in Coffee with market access The Blurring Lines Between Commercial and Specialty Coffee How convenience and automation can help elevating the Average Expectation in Coffee Links: www.franke.com Tim on IG @booksandbanjos Related episodes: 445: EVOLUTION OF THE MACHINE-BARISTA RELATIONSHIP W/ RYAN WILLBUR OF SYNESSO COFFEE SYSTEMS 400 : The Values of Speed and Service w/ Jaime Denney of Scooter's Coffee 263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee! 127 : Passion and Curiosity: A conversation w/ Starbucks Global Sr. Project Manager, Major Cohen Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

In this second part of our 2 part Founder Friday we switch gears with Doug Zell, founder of the iconic coffee company Intelligentsia Coffee. In the years that followed the acquisition of Intelligentsia, Doug entered into a new era of creativity related to food, coffee, and his passion for cycling. With his friend and fellow cycling enthusiast Chris St. Peter, they founded the Meteor. The vision began with a desire to create a beautiful environment that combines all the things they love under one roof: delicious ingredient-driven food, thoughtfully chosen wine, carefully prepared coffee, and, bicycles. The hope is to build a community that enjoyed these same pursuits. Their motto? - Espresso | Champagne | Chain Lube In this episode we focus on the this new venture, how it came to be, the challenges of a multifaceted concept, the lessons and wisdom earned from 20 years of coffee leadership, and how that, plus the same spirit to innovated and create, has helped the Meteor Succeed. We discuss: The chance meeting and common interests that started The Meteor Building a team of great people who understand different aspects of the business Keeping the menu and offerings tight and well-executed Why opening a coffee bar with just coffee and pastries may be challenging in today's competitive market. How creating a sense of community and connection is a rewarding aspect of running a multifaceted concept. Looking to the future of coffee shops and advise for those entering in to the market. Links: www.intelligenstia.com www.themeteor.cafe IG @doug.zell Related Episode: 448: Founder Friday! Part 1 "Switching Gears" | w/ Doug Zell of Intelligentsia and The Meteor! 387 : Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda Caldwell 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

The landscape of specialty coffee has been influenced by many people and companies over the last few decades. The foundations of the standards and methods we use now, at one time, were merely ideas waiting for someone to put them into action. In the class of companies operators that have championed that exploration one of the most influential was Intelligentsia Coffee under the leadership of founder Doug Zell. Doug Zell is the founder of Intelligentsia Coffee and the Meteor Cafe. In 1995 he and Emily Mange founded what was just a small roastery and cafe in Chicago. Through a passion for design, coffee, and innovative hospitality Intelligentsia became an iconic brand with retail locations and roasting operations across the country and an influence in coffee that has inspired countless professionals globally. Intelligentsia was an early innovator of Direct Trade, and has boasted progressive design and service concepts that have challenged the status quo of training and hospitality in the industry. Included in their staff of some of the best green buyers, baristas, and managers, including a WBC Champion. It is virtually impossible to measure the impact and contribution to coffee culture Intelligentsia has had and so much of it comes from the original values and goals that the company was founded on and the ability to develop a team to scale that vision. In this first part of our 2 part Founder Friday we will be talking with Doug and focusing on the years of 1995-2015 and the establishment and growth of Intelligentsia Coffee all the way up to the acquisition of the company by Pete's Coffee. In part 2 we switch gears with Doug and talk about how he pivoted to start the unique concept of The Meteor Cafe. We discuss: Doug's entry into coffee and the coffee business The original store, concept, and values Growing in Chicago and working to lead with design How Doug grew his leadership and the Why culture is a critical aspect of building a successful business Having confidence in your ideas and the ability to endure the challenges of a startup Competition's role in company culture and the barista craft Balancing local and national perception How expansion can creates opportunities for growth and economic success. Links: www.intelligenstia.com www.themeteor.cafe IG : @doug.zell Related episodes: 313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee 401 : Founder Friday! w/ Jack Benchakul of Endorffiene in Los Angeles 017 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Rubinstein of Joe Coffee: Entrepreneurship | Coffee Business | Hiring | Barista Culture | Growth 375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse 219 : Building a Winning Food Program w/ Marilei Denila, Culinary R&D Manager, Go Get em Tiger 444: Founder Friday! w/ Julia Peixoto Peters of Peixoto Coffee, Arizona 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

The pursuit of excellence drives us to create very stringent standards for our coffee, service, and businesses. There is nothing wrong with this, except for when it becomes so narrow that it chokes out the life of the café, pushes people away and ends up, creating the opposite result then we intended. On today's shift break we are going to talk about why it's OK to have reasonable tolerances in the café and how having them is actually necessary to achieve excellence in all areas overtime Related episodes: 436: STOP BURN OUT! AND MAKE WORK EFFORTLESS W/ GREG MCKEOWN | BEST SELLING AUTHOR "EFFORTLESS" 435 : ENCORE! IT'S OK TO BE THE BOSS, W/ BRUCE TULGAN 432 : HOW TO WIN IN SPECIALTY RETAIL COFFEE 427 : ENCORE EPISODE: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT EMPLOYEE CULTURE W/ STAN SLAP 426: FOSTERING A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The world of coffee trade and commerce is complex to say the least. The difference between a business that succeeds and one that flounders is largely based on how well we know the business of coffee and how we move wisely within it as we establish and grow our shops and roasters. The consistent nurturing and success of our business has a ripple effect that will help the whole supply chain. Certainly it is not overstating the case that, if we want to have true sustainability then we in specialty coffee need to be about the business of coffee as well as the craft itself. But where do we start to gain this understanding? To help us view this world in a clearer light I am thrilled to welcome Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood to KTTS! Maxwell Dashwood's fascination with coffee began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2007. Returning to the UK, he co-managed a coffee events company and opened Colonna & Small's, a Bath-based coffee shop with a focus on curated, changing coffee menus. Maxwell founded and runs the Colonna Coffee roastery, and has recently opened a Colonna & Small's location in London. He also works on different coffee research and development projects. An acclaimed figure in the industry, Maxwell is a three-time winner of the UK Barista Championships and has co-authored academic papers on coffee. He's also the co-author of "Water For Coffee," a study on the impact of water on coffee taste, and "The Coffee Dictionary," an accessible guide to coffee terminology. His most recent book, "The Business of Specialty Coffee," combines his business experiences with an exploration of the coffee supply chain. Here is just some of what we discuss in this episode: The need for business knowledge Maxwell's career development Why write this book? Unicorn business vs the preferable "good" business Various business models Fast vs slow growth Specialty coffee's need for the brick and mortar cafe Sustaining a business to fulfill your vision Links: Buy the book: www.scottrao.com Follow: https://www.instagram.com/mcolonnadashwood/ https://colonnacoffee.com/ Related episodes: 082 : Knowledge and Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 017 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Rubinstein of Joe Coffee: Entrepreneurship | Coffee Business | Hiring | Barista Culture | Growth Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

The holiday rush is in full swing and many of us (most of us) are trying our best to just survive the frenzy. Shops are full of customers as well as friends and visiting family of our customers and it is a great time to not just survive the craziness but to increase our intentionality, presence of hospitality, and care for our staff and guest in spite of the pressure. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how we can plan our energy, presence, and lean into ways to make the holiday time more than just a profitable time for finances, but also a time where we are reinforcing our values and bringing the our best selves to the work of coffee. Related episodes: 058 : Holiday Hospitality 254 : Holiday Hospitality Part 2 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab Episode 32: Making Order Out of Chaos Episode 57: SOPs FTW In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

As the tools we use to craft coffee multiply, so too does the need for companies to keep the machines running well. Service techs are an essential segment of the industry and in an industry based on hospitality and service, it is important that a tech is able to not just diagnose and fix machines, but is able to work with people in a way that reflects the values of hospitality that equipment is meant to help produce. I am thrilled to finally get an opportunity to talk with someone whose history in coffee and mission with his company has been focused on community and a people-first culture from the beginning. Excited to welcome the co-founder of Black Rabbit Service Co., Jason "Double J" Johnson! Double J has been quite a while. Starting as a teenager in the mid 90's, he developed a deep passion for coffee, food, and hospitality. After moving to Portland Oregon in 2001 he worked for a handful of coffee houses (large and small) until finding work as a coffee technician for Stumptown Coffee. After a decade of honing his tech skills at Stumptown he is now a co-owner of Black Rabbit Service Co. Fast forward a few more years, Double J is now the writer, producer and host of Coffee Breath - A food and travel show based around coffee and cafe culture. Today we will be chatting about Double J's career, how he learned the industry and began tech work, the founding and development of Black Rabbit, and how they serve both their clients and their team with empathy and expertise. Links: www.blackrabbitservice.com www.coffeebreathshow.com Listen to these episodes next: RoR # 22 : Master Insights on Roaster Maintenance and Care w/ Doug Graf, Vintage Coffee 240 : What to do before your Build your Bar 238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph 128 : Terry's Top 10 w/ Terry Ziniewicz : Best practices for how not to kill your espresso machine Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

We are obsessed with innovation that tends to solve problems that are increasingly inconsequential to the customer. A race to put coffee in virtually any context all in the name of convenience may bring coffee to more people, but what does it do to the value of the coffee when we remove virtually all customer generated investment into the process. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why a bit of inconvenience is ok and, in fact, may be a needed thing to allow the customer the buy in, personal investment, ritual, and connection with the product we are, in my opinion, rushing to devalue through wasteful mindless mass consumption. In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Related episodes: Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer BLOG: Getting out of Work 432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Taking what you have learned over many years of working in coffee and creating your own roasting and cafe business is no easy task. It requires a strong enough "why" and a vision for the people that the roastery and shop wil serve. Cody Gordon did just that with the founding of Cerberus Coffee in Jacksonville, Oregon. In this conversation Cody and I discuss the journey taken from barista, manager, wholesale manager, and finally roaster and owner. We talk especially about the recent scaling of Cerberus, and the impact it has on how Cody and the team can serve their community and make a difference through community, good business, and great coffee. Links: www.cerberuscoffeeco.com https://cerberuscoffeeco.com/pages/the-wizard-cat-project IG: @cerberuscoffeeco Related episodes: RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind" 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters Subscribe to Roast Magazine! https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe Visit www.roastertools.com for a free e-book and the best software to help you run a roastery!

The magic baristas can render from coffee relies on not just their skill and the incredible efforts from producers and roasters, but also on the quality of the equipment they have to work with. Over the past couple decades the quality and consistency of machines has improved in massive ways. Much of the reason for this lies with the way machine manufacturers and baristas have evolved their relationship on to the other. Today we will explore this evolution with the VP of Synesso Espresso Machines, Ryan Willbur! Ryan Willbur has been working within the Specialty Coffee Industry for over 15 years. His career has taken him from barista, to Account Management, Marketing, Sales, and Leadership. Along the way, Ryan has been a competitive barista, a coffee roaster, and has spent many hours learning and sharing about the technical workings of espresso and coffee equipment. Ryan is currently the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Synesso Espresso Machines. In this role, he travels the world, building relationships with customers, and working to understand coffee culture in various markets. From his perspective, people are the core of the coffee industry, and Ryan believes wholeheartedly in building relationships as the best means of doing business. Today we are talking about the how machines, barista culture, and the industry have been shaped by the way we communicate and serve each others needs along the value chain. Links: www.synesso.com Ryan on IG: @RWILLBUR Listen to these episodes next: 238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph 405: Beyond the Schedule w/ Wil Brawley of Schedulefly 089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday : Leadership, Innovation, service, heritage 408: Coffee Tools, Music, and Serving the Community w/ Anita Tam of Slow Pour Supply Co. Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Between the moment a farmer hands over their crop, to the moment a barista hands a customer a cup of that same coffee, there is a complex system that will either bring hope and equity to those most vulnerable, or reinforce the hopelessness that is too common with those who cultivate the coffee we love. Today's guest grew up seeing this hopelessness on her families farm and decided to do something about it. I am so excited to welcome to the podcast a leader in innovative trade models and the owner of Peixoto Coffee, Julia Peixoto Peters! Julia Peixoto was born and raised in a coffee farming-family in Southern Brazil watching her father and relatives give their lives to produce the best coffees they could but, when it was time to sell those coffees, they were at the mercy of the ups and (mostly) downs of the commodities market. Julia wanted to do better for her family and farmers in her region, changing the equity of the coffee trading game from the middleman to the farmers, who bear the brunt of the risks involved in farming and harvesting coffee. Julia and her husband Jeff left their promising corporate careers to start Peixoto Coffee in Arizona in 2015 to produce, import, roast, and bring to the market coffees farmed at their own family-farm, challenging the status-quo of the market and the traditional profiles expected of Brazilian coffees. We discuss: Julia's life on the coffee farm The hardships producers face Leaving her career for her higher calling in coffee Developing skill and finding mentors Running a coffee shop with a deeper narrative The first steps in vertical integration The challenges of leadership and importance of systems Having faith that you can figure it out Sustainable relationships and long term commitment Hiring staff to represent the vision and story Links: www.peixotocoffee.com Instagram: @peixotocoffee Related episodes: 288 : The Truth behind Cheap Coffee w/ Karl Weinhold 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee 413 : Coffee Education and Training at Origin w/ Fabiola Solano of Soy Barista 348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama! Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

The coffee shop environment is filled with more that just coffee. It is a swirling mix of emotions, thoughts, expectations, communication, action, interpretation of actions, and everything in between. In other words...Relationships. The hardest part of coffee is the people they say. And while it may be true, it is also true that people are integral to coffee and to the joy and fulfillment of the experience. On today's annual thankfulness themed Shift Break we will be talking about how the relationships and resources we have now are both a weight of responsibility but also a necessary fuel that we and the business are designed to run on in order to find sustainable success. Happy Thanksgiving! -Chris In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Related episodes: Thankfulness and Giving Energy to the Positive Priorities and Deep Thankfulness 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown The Miracle of the Mundane: How curiosity helps our sustainability Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Why do we overcomplicate things? Certainly details matter with SOPs , recipes, etc...but communication to our customers and staff can often be more confusing than helpful in delivering the impact and purpose we intend. The coffee shop is a dynamic place with a ton of inputs and noise swirling together. Having a simple clear way to communicate will help cut through the noise. Today we will be exploring how to do just that, and in turn how simple communication and messages can bring big results for cafes. I am happy to be joined today by author and expert in simple messaging, Ben Guttmann! Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them. He's an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, Hachette Book Group, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands. In our talk we cover: The reason and ways we over complicate massages What makes a simple message impactful The negative impact of too many words How do we ensure the right result from our communication? Nobody cares and the paradox of choice Applying constraints to challenge ourselves The perception of confidence We can only care about so much Links: Buy the book : Simply Put! www.Benguttmann.com Ben Guttmann on LinkedIn Listen to these episodes next: 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner 432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee BLOG: Good Communication is "For Here" 321 : Marketing and Moral Injury w/ Josh Tarlo of Kiss the Hippo Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Do we care what our customers think? If so, how do they know? When you talk to almost any operator of a cafe you will hear them say that they value the customer and their feedback. The question though is how are the customers supposed to deliver it and are you making it easy for them to do so? On today's Shift break we will be talking about how we can pursue customer feedback in a clear and meaningful way that builds trust, connection, and a sustainable coffee shop. Listen to these next! 282 : How to Listen to your Customers Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

You hear it everywhere. Owning and running a business is hard, taxing, a battle even. And while there is truth to this, it is not the whole truth. In the entrepreneurial journey we have accepted, with no degree of irony, that it is a miserable business bringing joy to our communities through coffee. Don't buy it. Today we are going to be talking about the transformational role that confidence, celebration, and joy play in not only helping your business succeed, but in allowing you to find fulfillment and life through the running and growing of it. This is an incredibly important truth that needs to be given priority in our daily lives. Lets embrace confidence, celebration, and joy together through coffee! Listen to these next: 008 : Finding Joy in Coffee w/ Nathanael May 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth 394 : Happy Coffee People w/ Wendelien van Bunnik 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Over Optimization Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

High expectations are fine as long as they are coupled with the resources and tools to actually achieve them. No position in the cafe gets the short end of the stick of resourcing than the cafe manager. As baristas watch their manager lose their mind, they in turn pass on the opportunity. Come be a manager where there is more stress, more work, less time to do it, and more expectation. No thanks. Today on Shift Break we will be discussing how you can set up your manager with the structure and time they need to thrive in the role. Who knows, maybe people will actually see the position as an attractive role to aspire to rather than one that receives their pity. In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Keep the conversation going! Listen to these episodes next: 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 435 : Encore! It's OK to be the Boss, w/ Bruce Tulgan 425 : Some Thoughts on Supporting Your Manager 383 : How to Train a Manager Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

A coffee shop cannot survive without having excellent operational systems and tools that bring together and make consistent all the craft, values, and magic we want from a cafe experience Just like the work of a barista, 75% of what we do in ownership and leadership has to do with the things that happen off bar. The foundations of business. How we create, employ, and refine structures means the difference e between realizing potential and courting disaster. Today we are going to be talking with the great Laila Ghambari. An expert in operations and coffee shop training and management, all about achieving what she calls operational excellence. Laila Ghambari has nearly 20 years of specialty coffee experience. She won the prestigious title of United States Barista Champion in 2014 and was elected member of the Executive Counsel for the barista guild from 2012-2016. Her experience is in running multi-unit retail operations, training and education, as well as team and organizational leadership. This year Laila founded "by Laila Ghambari", her coffee and consulting business that is Providing Simple Tools Every Coffee Shop Needs to Achieve Operational Excellence. ​In this conversation we cover: ​🔑Laila's family legacy of coffee ​🔑Pursuing education and training ​🔑How winning the US barista championship helped her mindset approach to achievement and ​🔑Lean management and the role of gemba kaizen ​🔑managment of multi-unit retail ​🔑Defining operational excellence ​🔑Tools to begin and tools Links: www.lailaghambari.com IG: @LAILAGHAMBARI Listen to these Episodes next! SHIFT BREAK: Defining Excellence and Success 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 057 : SOP's FTW! Success through Standard Operating Procedures SHIFT BREAK: Pull Out The Fridge 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse SHIFT BREAK: Ineffective Training Thank you to our amazing sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacificfoodservice.com

Quality is subjective. What is not subjective though, is that quality matters. That begs the question, how should we define quality and pursue it in an age of coffee where we want both excellence and inclusivity of expression of preference. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why quality still matters and how we should think about what, how, and for whom are we crafting these coffee experiences. Related episodes: 406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality 393 : The Tyranny of Taste w/ Kosta Kallivrousis RoR #20 : Challenging the Status Quo w/ David Lalonde of Rabbit Hole Roasters, Montreal, Quebec 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 282 : How to Listen to your Customers Prioritize In-House Training and QC 426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Working in coffee, you come across a lot of unexpected career pitfalls. Things that you may not have expected that can lurk just around the corner and lead us off track in our careers and our businesses. That should scare us. At least it should make us vigilant to pay attention and walk out our careers in a way that avoids these dangers. Today on this slightly Halloween themed episode we will be talking all about what I believe are the major coffee career and business pit falls to look out for and what to do to protect yourself from getting caught in their trap. We cover: The Industry Insecure bosses The path of least resistance Comparison Anger and lying to yourself Over commitment and boundaries Related episodes: When "Going above and Beyond" goes too Far Service, Spite, and Compromise 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison 267 : The Power of Delegation Special: Grossest Stories from the Bar Blood Sucking Bosses! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

More than 23k youth age out of the foster care system each year. Many of these young people, because of the trauma and instability, end up at higher risk of addiction, homelessness, financial instability and worse. One man whose own past parallels those he seeks to serve, has been working to change this seemingly hopeless cycle through founding a coffee business that serves these youth and gives them a better chance for a brighter future. Miah Sommer is a social entrepreneur and the founder and Executive Director of Astute Coffee (formerly The Bike Union), a non-profit coffee shop that provides workforce development and life skills to youth who have been impacted by the foster care. Sommer is the past recipient of the Donna Tubach Davis Children's Advocate Award from Child Saving institute. He was also a speaker with TEDxOmaha, and has taught a workshop at Homeboy Industries' Global Homeboy Network in Los Angeles, CA. The Bike Union is a winner of the Excellence in Innovation through the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Sommer Lives in Omaha with his wife Katie and their sons Henry and Charlie. Today we will be getting deep into the story of Astute Coffee, the stories of the people in it, and how it has evolved and made a real difference. An astute observer will see , that hospitality is about empathy, seeing in others a sameness and using this perspective to serve their needs with every cup we make. I hope this episode inspires you to reach out, pay attention, and soften your heart to all the humans we serve and serve with. (-This episode has potentially sensitive content -) Links: www.astutecoffee.org IG: @ASTUTE_COFFEE Related episodes: 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee 262 : Understanding the Homeless Community w/ Natalie Harris, Executive Director of The Coalition for the Homeless 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

It can be difficult to tell the difference between and employee who is not the right fit for your business, vs a barista who is is simply not the right fit for the role they are in. Many great employees have been unduly let go, passed over, or simply remain in ill-fitted positions because their boss is not able to tell the difference or may to even be paying enough attention to notice and take the right next action. On todays Shift Break we will be talking about how to discern between employees who need opportunity and shifting to flourish and those whose performance is not just a problem of execution but a sign of a deeper cultural and values clash. Knowing the difference could not only save their job but also your business. Related Episodes: 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders 336: A Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee 437 : The New Age of the Barista: Mindsets + Habits for Success The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Opening a running a successful cafe is no easy task. I requires passion as well as attention to the details around systems, relationships, and being able to grow yourself as a leader in that environment. Today we are going to be exploring one owners journey who not only has done this well, but has just published a book about her experience that gives others insights and tools to find success in their shops! Erin Young is the founder and CEO of Red Buffalo Cafe in Silverthorne, CO. A passionate small business owner and advocate, Erin has actively worked to build kind, conscious, and responsible communities. She has experienced the challenges and opportunities faced when considering improvements to business planning, recruitment and hiring, and other features that contribute to long-term business success. In addition to being a business owner, Erin is an active community leader who has served on several local non-profit boards and as a local elected official for various jurisdictions. Erin loves the outdoors and spending time with her family. Erin holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Public Affairs. Erin's new book, The CEOwner, is the chronicle of Red Buffalo Cafe from inception to today. Additionally, it is a checklist for starting and succeeding in a small business. The CEOwner will approach business ownership using the lens of conscious business techniques and community improvement. In it she also covers the process of building and planning your business profile from the very beginning; moves along to suggestions in ethical business management; and finishes with how to create a legacy beyond you as the business owner. In this conversation we talk about Erin's journey and dive into the books main message and insights. I know this will be an encouraging episode! Links: https://redbuffalocafe.com/ https://redbuffalocafe.com/order-shipped-1/ols/products/the-ceowner IG: @redbuffalocafe Related episodes: 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez 387 : Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda Caldwell 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 416 : People-First Principles for Growing Your Shop w/ Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

Once we see that there are changes that need to be made tyo improve our shops, we can tend to either freeze under the enormity of the task, or we can respond by going all out in a fast and intense bid to fix that area. In reality, neither of these approaches lead to great results. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we should be approaching making changes in the cafe by making Minimum Viable Changes over time and in the direction of our goals. Related episodes: 399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You Embrace the Fallout Turning Radius Limiting New Things The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

What does it take to be successful as a barista or even just a coffee professional today? I believe the main differentiator for cafes is the experience and the main differentiator for baristas is how they approach their role. This will determine what they can glean from their current position and who they become in the process of carving out a career in coffee beyond the barista role. In this episodes I will be exploring some critical habits, attitudes, and mindsets that baristas must embrace to be successful and fulfilled as baristas in today's cafe landscape. Owners, managers, and leaders take note, even though I believe we all must hold ourselves accountable, the things we discuss are 100% things that your can help facilitate. Related Episodes: 031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career 162 : Discussing "Baristastainability" w/ Jenna Gotthelf of Counter Culture Coffee 347 : Brewing Coffee and a Career w/ U.S. Brewer's Cup Champion, Elika Liftee 331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

As we focus this week on balance and taking stock of the levels of energy and effort we put into our cafes, we must also consider the type of work we are taking on and how it alligns with our values and how we find meaning in it. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about the place rest and meaningful work has in helping us find fulfillment in the midst of the efforts Related episodes: 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

How many times have we heard that we are supposed to give work our all? Give 100% or even 110%? And then we wonder how it is that professional baristas, managers, and owners burn out on a regular basis. I'd say it is high time we look at how we take on the work of the cafe work so that we can care for the health of ourselves, our people, while at the same time achieve even greater results. Too good to be true? Well today we will be talking with returning guest, author, speaker, and the world's leader in the subject of meaningful work, Greg McKeown! Greg McKeown has dedicated his professional life to uncovering counterintuitive ways to be very successful–without burning out. In this pursuit he has written two New York Times bestsellers, "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less", which has sold over one million copies and been voted by Goodreads as "The #1 Leadership and Success Book to Read in a Lifetime" and "Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most". Together they have been published in 37 languages. McKeown is an exceptional public speaker and has spoken to hundreds of audiences as he has traveled to 40 countries around the world, including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Nike as well as TED Fellows, SXSW and more He's the host of The Greg McKeown Podcast which has been ranked in the Top 5 of all Self Improvement podcasts and Top 10 in all Educational podcasts His work has been covered in print media including in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time, Fast Company, Fortune, Politico, Inc., and Harvard Business Review. It's been covered on NPR, NBC, FOX and many times on The Steve Harvey Show. McKeown served for 7 years as a Board Member for Washington D.C. policy group Resolve and as a mentor with 2 Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. He has also been a speaker at non-profit groups including The Kauffman Fellows, Net Impact and Stanford University where he co-created the popular class, Designing Life, Essentially. He serves as a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. He recently moderated a session at the Summer Davos in China called, Unpacking Social Innovation Models for Maximum Impact, and served as a panelist at the Sharpening Your Creative Edge working session at the Forum. McKeown did his Masters of Business Administration at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, his Global Leadership and Public Policy certificate at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and is currently doing doctoral research at the University of Cambridge. In this episode we discuss: Why we burn out at work The revolutionary 85% rule and why margin matters Trust as the engine of business Identifying the priorities and taking first steps Case studies in effortless thinking across time Focusing on the lighter way vs the heavier way An incredible personal story from Greg's own family How we can lead others into effortless work Related episodes: 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others 420: Design Meaningful Roles in the Cafe 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters Prioritizing your Work The Power of "No" Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

Whether or not you are familiar with the 80's anti-pot commercial this episode references or not, the fact is that those who we lead are looking at the example we give them in our own performance. Even if we are not doing the same work. It is the way we conduct ourselves in any work that will influence the way others do their work. On today's Shift Break we will be exploring why your example is the primary way we can either inspire people to excellence, effectiveness and growth, or give them permission to allow low performance and standards for themselves and their work. Related episodes: 427 : Encore Episode: What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Fully stepping into your authority is an act of service. Your position as a leader is meant to serve those you lead. But if you do not think it is ok to be the boss, you will simply be a bad an ineffective boss vs one that takes a strong, caring, and clear approach to the position. One of my favorite authors on management is Bruce Tulgan who wrote the book "It's OK to be the Boss. We had him on the show back on episode 28 in 2017 and I believe his work and message is an absolute must for us in specialty coffee retail. Bruce is the founder of Rainmaker Thinking and the author of more than 20 books including the best selling "It's OK to be the Boss" and "The 27 Challenges Managers Face" He is regarded the world over as a leading authority on management and leadership and is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and many other international publications. In this encore episode you will here both the original episode from 2017 as well as som commentary from myself on how to digest and apply these principles. Links: www.rainmakerthinking.com Bruce on LinkedIn Related episodes: 226 : The Art of being Indispensable at Work w/Bruce Tulgan 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan 378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Tanzania is well known the world over for growing and exporting wonderful and iconic coffees. Mostly every coffee professional has enjoyed a Tanzania Peaberry coffee. Yet, much like most coffee farming countries, Tanzanias internal consumption nd availability of great roasted coffee to locals was limited at the very best. Enter Leo Ferreira and Puzzle Coffee Shop. For the past 8 years now Leo, his wife, and team have been running and growing Puzzle Coffee as a hub of coffee education, excellence in roasting, quality, and hospitality. In those years Puzzle has been a catalyst for change in Tanzania as they source great local coffee, and origins beyond to expand horizons invest in the community. Leo is a certified AST in both roasting and Barista, a Q-Grader, a post graduate of the Coffee Excellence Program, and a sought after consultant/trainer. In this discussion we talk about the journey of putting it all together, lessons learned, keys to success, and what pieces of the puzzle Leo and the team are currently working on putting together. Links: @leomarinhoferreira https://www.puzzlecoffeeshop.com/ Related episodes: 247 : Founder Friday! w/ Ritesh Doshi, CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Nairobi, Kenya 332: Founder Friday! w/ Iman Kusumaputra & Putri Yulandari of Kopikalyan, Jakarta, Indonesia 289 : Founder Friday w/ Ochen Simon Eidodo of Chariots Coffees, Uganda! 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com Reach out to KTTS! [email protected]

Fine robusta has been the hot topic of conversation in the specialty industry these last few years and for good reason. What was once relegated to the sidelines has been showing up on offering sheets and coffee menus of some of the world's best importers and roasters. With this in mind, knowing how to approach and roast this species of coffee is critical. As robusta secures its place in specialty coffee we need to do our part to do it justice when we bring it into our roastery and offer it to our customers. On this Rate of Rise we will be talking all about fine robusta with Cleia Junqueira! In 2005, Cleia's coffee passion ignited in Brazil, as she owned and operated her independent café training baristas. She partnered with the Beehive Institution Young Service, offering training to underprivileged youth and later produced an educational coffee DVD. Joining the Brazilian Association of Coffee Baristas (ACBB) in 2007, she judged barista championships and enhanced her coffee knowledge until late 2012. Cleia then coordinated at the Coffee Preparation Centre at Sindicafé-SP, earning a CQI Licensed Q-Grader Certificate in 2012 and becoming a Q-Robusta Grader in 2017. From 2017 to 2019 Cleia served on the SCA-UAE board of directors and spent six years, as a WCE Certified Judge. As Coffee Planet's Head of Coffee, she managed quality control and became well-versed in Middle East Coffee Industry Trends and Consumption while actively supporting the International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA). In this conversation we talk about our changing perceptions of robusta, how does it behave differently from arabica, what goes into roasting it well, and how can we ensure we are doing it justice with the tools at our disposal both in the roastery and the shop. Links: www.cleiajunqueira.com Cleia on LinkedIn Related episodes: ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic RoR #16 : Ideal Resting Times for Roasted Coffee w/ Joey Stazzone of Cafe Kreyol 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Transcript Subscribe to Roast Magazine! https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe Visit www.roastertools.com for a free e-book and the best software to help you run a roastery!

We love to talk about setting each other up for success and pursuing excellence in what we do. In some ways we are like the person trying to order food in english to a server who does not understand the language, instead of translating, we think we should just say it louder and slower. Which makes things way worse. They are fine words, but without telling people what they mean, they become meaningless. On today's shift break we will be talking about why defining these terms before we use them in the shop is necessary for buy-in, good communication, and to achieve a specific level of excellence and success. Related episodes: 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 167 : Handing off the Shift : 4 Tips to Avoid Chaos 057 : SOP's FTW! Success through Standard Operating Procedures The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

How do I find loyal staff and win loyal customers? This question and many like it has been asked thousands of times as we deal with incredible amounts of turn over in our shops. We have tried tricks, incentives, benefits of all kinds but they never seem to quite do the trick. Same with customers, we offer deal, discounts, and specials, and dance whatever dance we think will get them to come back and be engaged. Today we are going to be exploring the idea of winning staff and customer loyalty and what it truly takes to achieve this in a responsible and effective way. We cover: Why we assume people want to leave How to think about people Communicating value and proving value through action integrity in other's focused operations Start by caring about the people you want to care Earning vs winning Related episodes: 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive Differentiation Takes Time! Customer Loyalty Getting Them In By Getting Out! You are not your Competition 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Cafe standards are often a jumble of various people's ideas sourced from both far flung areas of the industry and the past habits of new staff. We are in a constant cycle of sending people away to outside places to learn what to do within our own walls. The problem with this is that we are constantly dependent on outside input but never truly using resources to build our own systems and standards that bring clarity and stability to the shop. On today's shift break we will be talking about why you need to focus on and prioritize developing in house quality control and training standards vs perpetually outsourcing these things to your roaster, a consultant, or a certifying body. Related episodes: 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence Blog post: Grocery Shopping and Training Success 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

It is a new era is specialty retail coffee. Great coffee can be found very easily in most major cities and people are making better coffee at home than they ever have. Add to this the ubiquity of RTD (Ready to Drink) coffee and a wide variety of convenience products. The retail coffee shop, with baristas making drinks and serving those drinks to customers, sits amongst this saturation with a problem, how do we create value? How do can you win in specialty retail coffee? On this episode we are going diving into some extremely important ways that you can not only stand out in a crowded marketplace, but give the customer unmatched value that draws their repeat business, and you sustainable success. Enter with an open mind and determine ahead of time, that if something resonates with you, that it will be the first step of your consistent pursuit to apply it and let it change you and your business. We talk about: Hospitality as priority Why convenience products are actually an indictment of the cafe Values and your digital identity Keeping marketing promises True accessibility and death of ego Listening to your customers Leadership reformation in the shop Keys to the Shop Coaching and Consulting! Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

The world of hospitality is filled with people who are either a great fit for the field, or not. Problem is that, for the number of coffee shops in operation today demand for great people is way higher than the supply. So how do we make sure we are hiring the best fit for our business? Today on shift break we will be exploring the number one most important thing you need to discover about a person before bringing them on to the team. Related episodes: 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop 366: A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee 014 : A Barista's Guide to Advancing: How to take full advantage of where you are and set yourself up for success in coffee The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

As professionals, our communication about coffee is only as good as our ability to truly tune in to the message that emerges from the many different voices that give shape to the story of coffee. In the noisy world innovating ways to connect people with meaningful narratives is crucial. Today we are going to talk with someone whose coffee subscription project invites people to interact with coffee in a new and unique way by blending quality coffee with interviews captured on vintage audio. I am so happy to welcome Alexander Roach of Boycott Coffee and the Alphabet Book of Coffee! Since 2010, Alexander has worked behind coffee bars in both Memphis and Seattle. In that time, he has ventured into owning/operating a cafe and roastery, Boycott Coffee, in Memphis, Tennessee. The Alphabet Book of Coffee is a independent project with a goal to produce an audio/tasting series that gives people an out-of-the-box exercise in how they consume and share coffee narratives. In our conversation we will discuss communication, how we learn, curating content, exploring deeper stories, and how we can lean on creativity to truly connect with people about and over coffee. Links: www.boycott.coffee https://www.alphabetbookofcoffee.com/ Keys to the Shop Coaching and Consulting! Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Ever wonder what's behind the fridge? Most of us have had the unique "pleasure" of finding out. The build up of cup lids, loose change, grime, and other organic matter / creatures is a great illustration of how we tend to avoid things that are out of sight, yet left un attended will have a negative impact of everything. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how this applies also to the deeper integral parts of the cafe(leadership, communication, systems, culture etc) that we tend not to tend to but left un attended, they build up their own kind of grime that impacts everything. It's all about building with structural integrity from the foundation to the facade. Related Episodes: 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 293 : Thoughts on Defining Professionalism Excellence In The Things We Hate The Impact of Absence 2 Qualities of Quality Baristas The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Coffee is all about human connection. That we get to create both the beverage and the experience people have when enjoying it is at once a great responsibility, a joy, and an opportunity to change lives through our hospitality in each interaction. In our daily pursuit of providing this special moment we must start with a dedication to our craft and care for people that in many ways could be considered "Unreasonable". I am thrilled to welcome to the show someone who has created these moments for guests at the highest levels of global hospitality and is on a mission to champion "Unreasonable Hospitality" as a framework and philosophy that will benefit to anything we set our hearts and hands to do. Such a pleasure to welcome, Will Guidara! Will Guidara is the founder of Thank You, a hospitality company that develops world-class destinations and helps leaders across industries transform their approach to customer service. He is also the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park. Under his leadership, the restaurant received numerous accolades, including four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars and in 2017 was named number one on the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. He is also the cofounder of the Welcome Conference, an annual conference that brings together the best minds in the world of hospitality. A graduate Cornell University, he has coauthored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ. Magazine's Innovator Award. In his latest book, Unreasonable Hospitality, he shares many of the lessons about service and leadership he learned over the course of his career in restaurants, and makes the case that any business can choose to be in the hospitality industry by taking ordinary transactions and turning them into memorable experiences. In the conversation we explore Will's own development and pursuit of hospitality through his career in restaurants, the birth of the idea of Unreasonable Hospitality, and the nuances of how it is applied in both life and the work of serving others. We cover: Choosing to focus on hospitality What is "Unreasonable Hospitality"? Applying the practice to your daily work Managing your own emotions as you serve Being the "Best" for the right people How to gain buy-in from a younger work force Metrics to focus on for hospitality Can we kill hospitality through systems? Staying motivated without awards Links: www.thankyou.nyc https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ https://www.thewelcomeconference.com/ Instagram: @wguidara Related episodes: 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 058 : Holiday Hospitality 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders Keys to the Shop Coaching and Consulting! Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Effectively training up an apprentice roaster is key not only to your succession, the growth of your business, and the consistency of your quality, -but providing a great learning environment and approach to education and coaching will push the whole industry forward. The key is to not only deliver processes, rules, and systems, but also opportunity for contribution, conversation, and room for your trainee to grow in maturity. These are just some of the powerful things discussed in this Rate of Rise episode featuring, Steve Lee! Steve Lee began his coffee career in 1996 as a barista at Peet's Coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area. After spending a number of years in the Training & Education Department of Peet's, he moved on to help open the Roasting and QC Department at Intelligentsia Coffee's Los Angeles Roasting Works, where he developed his love for the craft of roasting. Since then he has worked on a number of consultancy projects, worked as the Director of Coffee for Groundwork and the SPC Group in Korea, worked as a green importer for Odyssey Coffees, and has served as a judge for international coffee competitions. Throughout his coffee career, the main focus has been on craftsmanship, education, and fostering relationships across the supply chain for the betterment of the coffee industry as a whole. Steve spent two terms on the Roasters Guild Executive Council where he had served as the Vice Chair to the Education Committee and Vice Chair to the Events Committee, focusing on creating content for the RG Origin Trips. Steve is currently the C.O.O. of Linea Caffe, a micro-roastery based in San Francisco, CA. In this conversation we discuss Steve's own now 25 year journey in being trained, becoming an educator, and the way he would love to see learning take place in roasteries that can deliver the most value for both the one being trained and the roasting company itself. Links: https://www.pocketknifecoffee.com/ https://lineacaffe.com/ Related episodes: RoR Live! w/ Anne Cooper Subscribe to Roast Magazine! https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe

Now that you are the boss, manager, trainer, or leader, there is a lot of pressure to perform and prove yourself to those your lead AND to yourself. It is easy to question your legitimacy and fall prey to imposter syndrome. "I need to have the answers" is a thought that haunts us as anything less means we are not the right one for the job. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we can overcome these thoughts and help others do so as well, by shifting our mindsets about what it is that makes us the right person for the role in the coffee shop and embracing discover as one of our main acts of service. Related Episodes: 373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness 420: Design Meaningful Roles in the Cafe The Affirmation Vacuum : How to make positive reinforcement a corner stone of your leadership and communication The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Coffee Fest live on the show floor interviews from Anaheim, CA 2023! This time we are starting off with an interview with Steve Chang, Founder of Copa Vida Cafe! Currently the owner of Copa Vida Café (10 locations) as well as it's sister roasting company, True Beans Coffee Roasters and it's parent, HNF & Associates, Steve Chang has been in the Food Service business for over 17 years. He loves the Specialty Coffee world and feels a calling to create community through coffee, tea, and great food. In our conversation we talk about what it takes to open a successful coffee shop that also integrates food as well as the values and lessons that have been keys to Steve's success. Links: https://copa-vida.com/ Next we get to talk with Jon Ferguson of Coffee Tech Central! Jon Ferguson has been professionally involved within the coffee industry for over 15 years. Following his first specialty coffee cupping in 2005, he established and sold a small roasting company and continued his passion as a coffee buyer and broker for several national coffee programs. During his time as a barista, roaster, business owner, green buyer, and broker, he found a passion for the tools, equipment, and technology that allows our industry to thrive. In 2020, Ferguson established Coffee Tech Central where he focuses on espresso equipment sales, service, and support. Ferguson doesn't just sell equipment, he strongly advocates for his customers long term success through sharing industry experience, coffee knowledge and professional networking Jon and I discuss the ins and outs of buying used equipment. This is a conversation you don't want to miss! Links: https://www.coffeetechcentral.com/ Related episodes: 238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph 375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop Sponsor: www.coffeefest.com