I am so excited to share this interview with Adam Obrátil, the co-founder of one of the Czech Republic's most well known and foundational cafes, Industra Coffee!  Founded in 2013, Industra brought a newer specialty coffee experience to the Czech coffee scene that was just beginning to get established. Both Adam and his partner Petra Střelecká are long time coffee pros who cut their teeth in some of London's busiest cafes before starting the shop. Both Adam and Petra have competition experience and Petra is 3x Czech Brewers Cup Champion and 6th place finisher at WBrC.  Through the years of running the shop they have grown from just the two of them working behind the bar, to now a staff of 10 people serving a large and loyal, growing customer base.  In my conversation with Adam we learn about their history, their road to ownership, the biggest lessons along the way and how they have approached service, quality, delegation and what their plans are for the future! Early cafe experience The journey to ownership Bringing a new style of coffee to the Czech scene Attracting all ages from a traditional culture Hiring for hospitality Navigating the different between being a barista vs owner Growing and delegating in order to scale Handling COVID Serving community and supporting each other  Plans for the future   Links: Instagram https://www.industracoffee.cz   Related Episodes: 107 : Kyle Glanville & Charles Babinski of G&B Coffee and Go Get em Tiger 129 : Founder Friday w/ Casey & Jeremy Miller of The Mudhouse, St. Louis, MO   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

How people experience the service we provide them has a lot to do with the pace we keep in the process. Sometimes we go too fast! Sometimes we go too slow! What is the balance here?  Today we are going to talk about how to properly apply speed and intentionality behind the bar to produce an experience that customer will want to come back for again and again.    Related Episodes: 163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times 002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

We have a control problem. Specifically we don't like to give up our control of the processes and operations of our cafes out of fear for what might happen when others take the wheel. The difference between a successful shop that has capacity to both care for its people and grow and one that is stifled and limited, comes down to your ability to delegate.  Today we will be talking about wha delegation is, what it can do when practiced responsibly, and how to begin the process of changing the way you act and think as a leader in the coffee shop.  We cover: Fear driven control The danger of not delegating Testing your systems Building your people Delayed gratification Expanding capacity Cultivate trust Related Episodes: Don't just do it Prioritizing your Work 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

I hear all the time how we want baristas to be excited, motivated, up-selling, engaged etc. Those are all great ideals and goals. The problem is that we tend to expect that to just appear out of thin air.  How we invest into those who we rely on to represent the business determines what kind of representation they give. Today we will. be talking about the truth that, if you want to have staff the are excited about your business, you have to be excited about them!   Listen to these related episodes: Bridging the Values-Actions Gap The Affirmation Vacuum 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co  

The health of our bodies plays a huge role in determining the quality of our life both at work in the shop and outside of work. When we are pursuing our health holistically we are making an investment that pays us back immeasurably. The question is, how do you begin to approach caring for our physical health in a way that equips us to thrive? Today we are going to explore this subject with special guest Dr. David Dahl! Dr. David Dahl DPT, CAFS is the owner and operator of Linchpin Performance based in Louisville, KY.  Dave has worked as an outpatient physical therapist for the majority of his career treating and caring for the old, the young, the athlete, and the sedentary. Linchpin Performance is a company dedicated to helping active adults bypass the need for expensive surgery, pills, or injections. Working directly for people, Linchpin Performance is in a position to make decisions that are best for one's particular goals and aspirations. At Linchpin Performance they place a high emphasis on teaching, listening, and guiding people in their health and wellness journey. In this conversation we cover: What leads to our physical ailments The end result of repetitive stress What pain means Discovering our why Prioritization The interconnected nature of the body Holistic health Surviving vs thriving Using good stress Links: www.linchpinperformance.com Instagram   Health related episodes: 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

One of the most needed but conspicuously missing pieces of the coffee shop puzzle is accountability. Both leaders and baristas need accountability in order to thrive but we neglect to put in place as a real process because we are afraid of what it might uncover in us, or in them.  Today we will be discussing the two ways we tend to respond to accountability and what our responses indicate regarding our attitudes toward work and even our fit for the role itself.    Related Episodes: 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers 158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR 156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co  

Transparency. We see it increasingly being used as a tool to signify responsible commerce and trade among coffee roasting companies. But what is it exactly? Are we approaching it in a meaningful way? How do we define and practice transparency in a way that will actually make the difference we want to see it make? These are questions that will get answered today as we talk with Jonas Lorenz, co-author of The Pledge.  The Pledge was designed to function A common code for transparency reporting in green coffee buying. Companies that sign The Pledge agree to share publicly a fixed set of variables when reporting on green coffee purchases. The aim is to create a common standard for transparency reporting that is applicable throughout the coffee world. With a degree in political science, and 10 years in the coffee industry, Jonas dreamt of combining the ideas of the “direct trade/quality/appreciation for the product” approach of specialty coffee with the “farmer centric/ fair share of profits for all stakeholders in the industry/respect for people and planet” approach of the fair trade movement.  Co-Authoring The Pledge did just that.  In our conversation today we will be exploring how to meaningful define and practice transparency. We cover: Price as the foundation of transparency Approach and mindset Negative litmus test Relationships with farmers How to get started in transparency Sharing information with our customers The dire state of poverty at origin The ripple effect of adopting transparency Being honest about where you are    Links: https://www.transparency.coffee/pledge/ https://www.transparenttradecoffee.org   Related Episodes: 252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research 020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

What is it we mean when we refer to "Quality?" If we take that a step further we might ask, how can we control quality? These questions are top of mind for most coffee roasters who, amidst a sea of complexity and moving parts, are desperately interested in providing a consistently excellent end product to their customers.  Today we are going to dive into the topic of understanding quality, quality control, and taking the first steps in making it a real part of your operation so you can comfortably navigate the multi faceted issue.  To do that we are talking with one of our industries brightest minds (and palettes), Spencer Turer!  Spencer is the Vice President of Coffee Enterprises, the first independent laboratory in the United States dedicated to quality analysis of coffee and a global leader in coffee quality testing and consulting throughout the farm-to-cup supply chain.  Spenser has been a professional coffee taster, analyst, and quality control expert since 1992 having previously held positions as General Manager, Sales Operations (Coffee Division), Mitsui Foods, Coffee Specialist, Kerry Food & Beverage, Waukesha, WI, and Supply Chain Manager / Coffee Technologist - Product Development, Dunkin’ Donuts  Additionally he is a member of American Society for Testing & Materials Evaluations: Food & Beverage Committee. Green Coffee Association Specialty Coffee Arbitration Panel and an ambassador with International Women’s Coffee Alliance.  As a long time Q Grader, co-founder of the Roasters Guild and widely published author, Spencer's incredible breadth of experience and expertise is going to help us tackle this question of quality as we discuss the how to approach the concept and the main issues we need to consider in our operations both large and small. I hope you enjoy! We cover: Defining quality Intrinsic vs extrinsic quality Factoring in the consumers preference Consistency First steps in QC  Factors that contribute to quality Being able to identify issues and replicate success Danger of “Selling your problems” Balance of systems of control ‘ How we set our own definitions Addressing the complexity of the supply chain Choosing the right things to measure This episode is brought to you by Roast Magazine! Visit them and subscribe over at: www.roastmagazine.com   Links: www.coffeeenterprises.com Specialty Coffee Professionals LinkedIn Group Spencer's Audio Article: "Defining and Measuring Quality in Coffee From Production to Preparation"   Related Episodes: RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters 078 : Exploring Green Buying and Sensory Analysis w/ Amanda Juris   Interested in coffee consulting? Let's talk! Email me: [email protected]    

I get it. You love coffee! You listen to this show after all and you cup, brew, read about, and live coffee. Your customers however, do not. Mostly they just drink it and if we are honest, that sometimes bothers us. How we talk to customers about coffee is more than just telling them what we know about it. It is about giving them the tools and understanding to enjoy it.  Today we are going to chat about how to meet customers where they are to help the continue to come get coffee from us!  Related Episodes:  085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience Dark Roast night of the Soul Taste the Rainbow Curbing their Enthusiasm Building accessible menu w/ Joe Marrocco   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co        

On today's episode we get to have a conversation with Abner Roldan who, along with his wife Karla Quiñones founded one of Puerto Ricos best coffee shops, Cafe Comunion. Abner is also Puerto Rico's latte art champion 2014 & '15, a member of the Barista Magazine Editorial Board AND the recent Sprudgie Award winner of Best Coffee Podcast! (La Crema) In this interview we start right at the beginning to learn about Abner's entry into coffee, the story of founding Cafe Comunion, starting his award winning podcast, and his experiences as he has grown as a coffee professional serving both the Puerto Rican coffee community and the Spanish speaking coffee community globally.  We cover: Starting in coffee and building a career Starting the shop Deciding to building in Puerto Rico Connecting community Why the industry needs to expand its reach to other cultures   Inspiring other businesses Not  forgetting about your culture, language , and roots How to welcome more people and offer better resources Links: Abner's IG Cafe Comunion IG   Related Episodes: 236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon! 061 : You Don’t Know Beans about Brazil w/ Kelly Stein, Coffea Podcast 072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way 103 : The Colombian Coffee Connection w/ Ervin Liz   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Well now! Today we are going to get an inside look into one of the biggest and most successful coffee brands in the nation! We are talking with the Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall! Biggby Coffee was founded in 1995 in Lansing, Michigan a fast-growing $100-million-dollar coffee franchise with 250+ locations across the Midwest and quickly expanding into the East Coast in 2020. Biggby is one of the largest coffee chains in the USA.  Having originally started with Biggby in 1996 as a minimum wage barista, Mike has since held every subsequent position within the company, including his current title as co-Founder and co-CEO (May 2016). Mike believes his time in each of his previous roles has allowed him to form a bond with his employees based on understanding, credibility, and respect. Two decades later, Mike also wrote and published the Inc. Original book, Grind, with the mission to help founders and entrepreneurs take their business concept and turn it into a positive cash-flow business. In the book Mike shares his personal experiences having led Biggby through survival mode, stability, and aggressive growth. In our conversation today we will be hearing the story of both Mike's and Biggby's development from concept to present day and all the failures, lessons, and success in between.  This is a very insightful interview and Mike truly hits on some crucial keys to success that apply to everyone from coffee shops with 1-2 spaces to a large chains with hundreds.   We cover: The beginnings of the business The journey from barista to co-owner Mission and vision Catalyst for changing problematic leadership and management styles What is "Love in the workplace"? Commitment to support Why they chose the franchise model Selecting franchisees  Biggby's keys to a successful store Why people are not the problem Self-awareness  Your impact on others is paramount Links: www.biggby.com https://grindthebook.com   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

All of us want to wake up, look around, and be happy with where we are and what we're doing. How we accomplish that is often thought to be in the "big breaks" and in exclusive opportunities. But in most cases, who we become and what we are able to do is based on the daily decisions we make that pave the way.  Today we will be talking about how we can most effectively build our careers by embracing this mindset.  Related Episodes: 243 : Encore Episode! “The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)” Laziness and the most important Decision Work Alchemy "It's not my Job" & Self-Sabotage   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

How does your shop address and interact with the homeless community? If you are like most people, the answer is not very defined and born more from fear and misunderstanding than empathy and informed policy. As we provide spaces to serve the community, it is important that we focus in on how we interact with every person within it, including the homeless.  To help us rewrite the narrative and bring some understanding to the conversation on home we and our businesses treat the homeless we are going to be talking with the Executive Director of Louisville Coalition for the Homeless, Natalie Harris.  Natalie Harris joined The Coalition for the Homeless in April of 2010. The Coalition is a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy, education and collaboration on the issues of homelessness. It is member agency of over 30 homeless shelter and service providers serving Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. They have a staff of twelve. Natalie was responsible for working to create Rx:Housing/Louisville and effort to end both veteran and chronic homelessness in Louisville. Natalie was also the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, a nonprofit supportive housing provider in Dayton, Ohio. Natalie also served as director of the Specialized Housing Resources Department at Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), the state housing finance agency. There, she was responsible for development, implementation and coordination of policies and procedures relating to special needs housing. She has served as a consultant to the U.S. Census Bureau, Corporation for Supportive Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute on issues related to rural homelessness and supportive housing. In this conversation Natalie gives us insight into the factors contributing to homelessness and helps give us practical and actionable steps to take to equip ourselves and our staff with the mindsets and tools to really connect with and help the homeless community in meaningful ways.  Please look into the links provided here to learn more.   We cover: Systems that create homelessness Profit over people Segregation  Blaming the person Broadening your perspective Listening and connecting Coffee shops role  Gaining more information Communicating with your staff   Links: https://louhomeless.org email: [email protected] https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/   Related Episodes: 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 182 : Founder Friday w/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe Co-Founder, Phil Sipka     Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

In the relationship between wholesale coffee roaster and client, there are things that do not get talked about as much as they should. Largely this is based the desire to maintain the relationship and any harder or awkward conversations present themselves in the course of business are subsequently ignored, often util they reach a critical point.  Today we are going to be discussing why honestly should be the cornerstone of this professional relationship and how it benefits both you and your client.  Related episodes: 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond 233 : A Conversation w/ Anthony Ragler, Black and White   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

When we set up a manager in the cafe we are not just delegating authority and freeing up some of our time, we are setting up the business for failure or success. All of it boils down to how we manage and lead them in their responsibilities and roles.  Today we are going to explore the basics of managing your managers and cover many aspects that get over looked. As I have said plenty of times in on this show, managers are one of the most important, if not THE most important role in the cafe. We need to determine to invest in their success from the beginning in tangible and consistent ways.  I hope todays conversation will help you do just that. Be sure and listen, or re-listen to the recommended episodes below.    Related episodes: 028 : Why it’s Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 013 : Leadership & Management Master Class w/ Eva Attia : Leadership | management | hiring | career 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]     The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

We love to talk about coffee! So much so, we often fail to give people the information they need to be successful on the bar. If you have ever gone off on a tangent about extraction science and esoteric processing methods with a new hire (I think we all have) then this episode is for you!  Today we will talk about training TMI and how we should be approaching the communication of information if we want baristas to be successful as a result of their time in the training process.    Related episodes: 4 Tips for training your staff Shifting the Shadow Shift 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

Sometimes everything will seem to suggest that leaving our job or career in pursuit of something better is the best option. But is is always the best option? What if the job we have now is actually the perfect one for us? What might we be missing out on if we leave and how do we get clarity to make these kinds of decisions in the first place? Today we are going to be exploring these questions with returning guest, Scott Anthony Barlow of Happen to your Career.  Scott Anthony Barlow is the Founder and CEO of Happen to Your Career. He’s been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, CareerBuilder, Fast Company and Huffington Post and various Colleges and Universities as a top expert on Career Happiness. He gets way excited about careers, coffee, and helping people take control over their life and work. In our discussion today we cover specific mindsets, frameworks, and questions to ask yourself in order to gain career clarity and truly know that you should either stay or go.  We cover: Reasons people leave jobs The danger of missing out on what your current job has to offer Questions to ask yourself to determine your values 7 Needs we have at work Contextualizing those needs Using the power you have to change your current circumstance  Good stress and bad stress Wants vs needs  Links: www.happentoyourcareer.com www.happentoyourcareer.com/8day   Related Episodes: 077 : How you can Happen to your Career w/ Scott Anthony Barlow : A frame work for finding the right work 073 : How to be Awesome at Your Job w/ Pete Mockaitis 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]     The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Your customers are not just in the shop. They are not even just in your city. They are anywhere your digital footprint treads and how you manage that experience will determine the quality of the experience people have with your brand.  Today we are going to be chatting about the importance of digital hospitality and why it needs to of equal importance to in person service. Related Episodes: 120 : Social Media 101 w/ Jenn Chen 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds 234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D.   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co        

We have created a monster. Over the years our quest to please the customer has turned toxic as it ignores the well being of our staff and enables entitled, rude, and even abusive behavior. All this in the name of the miss guided notion that "The customer is always right".  In today's episode we will be exploring this toxic customer service culture, what is behind it, what its impacts are, and how to begin the process of replacing it with a heathy culture of boundaries and support that create a great experience for both staff and customers alike. Link: Food and Wine article Related Episodes: The Customer service pro is not Always Right 151 : How to Respond and React to Negative Feedback : 5 Step Process 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 019 : 10 Reasons to Love the Customer w/ Chris Deferio   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Welcome to the new series produced in partnership with Roast Magazine, "Rate of Rise: Elevated conversations on Roasting"!  Every first Friday we will be interviewing roasting experts from around the world to discover wisdom and insights that will help you thrive  in your roasting business. In this inaugural episode we are going to be talking with the amazing Anne Cooper or Equilibrium Master Roasters!  With over 25 yrs working in the Coffee Industry, Anne is an Australian Roaster who has gained extensive experience in many areas of the coffee industry as Barista, Café Owner/Manager, National Barista Trainer & Assessor, Head Roaster/Roasting Production Manager at both a National & International level. A certified Q Grader, Anne regularly attends, volunteers, competes in & judges coffee competitions in Australia, USA & Brazil. With her consulting company, Equilibrium Master Roasters, Anne continues to develop her extensive roasting skills & knowledge with exposure to a wide range of roasting companies & machines and various roasting techniques / industry relevant processes & protocols - she is really passionate about passing on skills & knowledge to the next generation of flame keepers. In our conversation we focus on setting yourself up for success through data, equipment knowledge, establishing solid protocols, and balancing the use of software and tools with a deep sensory understanding of the roasting process.  There is a ton of fabulous information here to help you kick of 2021 the right way! We cover:  What's changed in roasting perspectives over the last decade Barrier to entry in the roasting profession The balance of software and sensory as tools to achieve flavor Data collection and decisiveness  The importance of palate preference Are you roasting the coffee or the software? Finding your palate preference  Getting to know your specific machine  Common misconceptions of new and experienced roasters Why sharing roast curves is not really helpful Identifying human error before equipment error Links: Equilibrium Master Roasters Roast Magazine Audio Articles   Related Episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee 078 : Exploring Green Buying and Sensory Analysis w/ Amanda Juris 082 : Knowledge and Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo   This episode is brought to you by Roast Magazine! Visit them and subscribe over at: www.roastmagazine.com    

Last Shift Break of 2020! As this year wraps up and we set our sights on the next there are a few things I believe we would greatly benefit from focusing on in order to build resiliency and a thriving business. Today we will be discussing a few of these things and why focusing on them can transform your shop for the better!   Related Episodes: Systems as Care Bridging the Values-Action Gap 004: Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to Being a People First Leader 257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee! 170 : Why your Inventory Counts w/ Albert Amar and Pierre-Francois Rio of SwiftCount 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting     Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

This year has been a mental and emotional test of endurance like no other. Add to the pandemic the already existing stresses and pressures in the cafe as customer face professionals and you get a perfect storm of both feeling the need for mental health wile simultaneously feeling helpless to actualize it. Even though mental health has been top of mind, it can be hard to move it from a "Should" to "Must" and as we look forward to the new year at the close of this incredibly challenging one, resolving to prioritize our mental health will make a monumental difference both for us personally and the people we lead. To help guide us in this pursuit we are going to be talking with Dr. Lara Pence! Dr. Pence attended graduate school at Widener University where she obtained her Doctorate Degree in Psychology (PsyD) and her Masters in Business Administration (MBA). In 2010, she opened her own private practice, Chief Mind Works, in Dallas, TX. Early in her career she worked primarily with individuals suffering from eating disorders, anxiety, and depression both through individual work as well as intensive group workshops. She later branched out to work more specifically with entrepreneurs who were looking to elevate their leadership skills and execute more efficiently at work, and professional athletes who needed support in understanding the mind/body connection and its impact on performance.  In 2018, Dr. Pence began consulting for Spartan Race, the largest endurance racing organization in the world to implement a curriculum that provides a mental pathway to change and transformation, and began hosting a weekly video series, Spartan MIND. Dr.  Pence also works at the Unbeatable Mind Coaching Program alongside Mark Divine, and has recently launched her own product – LIGHFBOX – a tool used to strengthen mental health and wellness. She also began a new podcast, Curious Minds with Dr. L, where she and her guests use curiosity as the cure for stagnation.  She has served on the Board of Directors for various non-profit organizations, and has been featured in various publications, media outlets, and podcasts, including Good Morning America, the BBC, Glamour, Vogue, WebMD, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post. In today's conversation with Dr. Pence we are going to explore many absolutely critical topics that will set us up to prioritize our mental health in the new year.  This is the perfect way to end the year and I hope you get a lot out of this episode! We will be covering:  Why dont we prioritize our mental health Taking stock of our relationships Making mental health practices stick How knowing our values guides our success Self and situational awareness The masks we wear Matching values to circumstance What are common things that degrade our mental health Setting boundaries The value of hard conversations  Negativity bias Checking in with ourselves and others   Links: www.drlarapence.com Instagram   Related Episodes: 201 : Igniting your Curiosity w/ Cody Gough 213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Connection with our audiences has never been more important. How do we go about truly delivering value and building a strong community that resonates with or message all while staying true to our core "why" ? Well, today we are going to be talking with and learning from someone who has cultivated all of those things and has created the largest online coffee following in the world as a result. Today we get to have a conversation with Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee!  Morgan is a barista and content creator, having worked in the specialty coffee industry for 3.5 years. With over 5 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, she shares her love for coffee through comedic customer service sketches, vlogs about her job, and educational videos. Morgan also released a line of coffee in collaboration with Wrecking Ball Coffee in December 2020 and is working to continue creating a link between baristas and their customers through a shared love for coffee and a dash of humor. In this conversation we will be exploring Morgans beginnings in the industry as a barista and competitor, then diving into the story of how MorganDrinksCoffee was born, how it has grown, and the insights and lessons Morgan has learned along the way.  When we look into what the future holds for hospitality, we need to fully embrace our distributed online audiences and create for them a specialty experience just like we do for those who frequent our in-person shops. Morgan shares a great deal of wisdom to help get us where we need to be as an industry.  We cover: The evolution of MorganDrinksCoffee Managing both cafe life and the social platform Creating a message that connects people Lessons in marketing Community inspiration Attracting the younger generation Balancing and curating the message at scale How to approach digital hospitality Not using celebrity as leverage  Balance of sales and story in marketing  Quantity of fillers vs quality  Advice to baristas and owners  Links: https://morgandrinkscoffee.com Instagram TikTok   Morgan Recommends these IG accounts: Glitter Cat Erica Escalante  Umeko Motoyoshi   Related Episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 222 : How to have Difficult Conversations about Race and Justice w/ Kwame Christian COVID-19 Focus : Erica Escalante, The Arrow | Acting Quickly, Leading Well, and Fighting for Connection 097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse (Now Cafe Reina) 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail Prophet   Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service      

One of the most counterintuitive ways to make progress in the right direction just may be slowing down your decision making and response time. We are bombarded with pressure everyday from all sides to make decisions about a myriad of subjects both large and small. Often we will resort to making quick decisions in the moment that we might regret later. In today's Shift Break we will be   talking about why slowing your your response time can create a greater likelihood for good decisions down the road.  Related Episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success   Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected]   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co      

It's Founder Friday! Today we are visiting the wonderful city of Bangkok, Thailand as we have a very interesting and inspiring  conversation with Varat Vichit-Vadakan. On top of being the 2014 barista champion of Thailand, Vichit or "Tae" as his friends call him, is the founder of Roast Coffee & Eatery and Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand. Over the years he has expanded to many other food and beverage concepts but always with the coffee at the center. At Roots Coffee Roaster they source 100% Thai coffee and they are heavily invested in creating a virtuous circle from farmer to consumer through their direct relationships.  In our conversation we get to hear about the early years where many important and hard lessons were learned that informed how they conduct business today.  This is a fantastic conversation that shines light not only on the great work of Varatt and his team, but also on what is happening more and more at origin as consuming markets in coffee growing countries are gaining momentum. After this I m sure you will want to pay a visit to to Bangkok and taste the awesomeness for yourself.  We discuss:  Beginnings in coffee from a marketing career Hard lessons form early failures Tapping into success through listening Coffee culture in Bangkok Evolution of Thai coffee Building a customer base over time Expanding and evolving form past experiences The keys of service style and consistency  The consumer market in Thailand Complete circle value chain in Thailand Sourcing and serving Thai coffee Meeting your customers where they are Links: www.rootsbkk.com Instagram   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

Making decisions on the way things go on the bar can seem like a pretty easy thing to do once you are convinced as the leader or owner. The trouble is when you do not make your decisions with empathy and deference to the barista and how they will perceive it or how they are even able to accomplish it. This lack of regard and impatience produces a lot of stress and bad blood that can be avoided. Today we will talk about the difference that deference can make when we make decisions that impact the lives of those we employ.  Related episodes: 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement Good baristas are not born, they're made Your Employee Handbook is Worthless   The Broken Chair     Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co        

When we talk about equity we often we are just scratching the surface of what is going on deep in the structure of the coffee industry. Today's guest, Phyllis Johnson has dedicated much of her career to bringing to light the deeper generational inequities that hold people back. Her new book, "The Triumph: Black Brazilians in Coffee" profiles two families whose inspirational stories are rewriting the narrative for future generations of marginalized people in coffee farming.  Phyllis Johnson is the President and co-founder and CEO of BD Imports, and In addition to owning and operating a social enterprise over the past 16 years, has served as lead international consultant to the United Nations International Trade Centre, Women in Coffee Program. In addition Phyllis founded The Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to build greater racial diversity and equity in the U.S. coffee industry. In our conversation today we will be discussing her new book but also diving into the issues that were a catalyst for this book. As we enter into a new year after such a strained and tumultuous 2020, our sights, more than ever, should be on how we can use our positions in the industry to help others, like those featured in this book, rewrite the narrative and create more opportunity, visibility, and representation across the whole spectrum of our global coffee community.  Among many things, we discuss: How we see black people in coffee The importance of landownership Creating space  Interrupting the pattern Visibility and opportunity Representation Choosing coffees based on story and support Using our buying power for good Links: https://www.bdimports.com https://coffeeforequity.org   Related Episodes: 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 245 : A Conversation with the World’s Youngers Q Grader, Frankie Volkema, Founder of Joven Coffee COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Oooh boy - This is a phrase frequently used often in coffee to determine whether or not an employee is exceptional or not. It is also a mentality that we use on ourselves to determine if what we are doing is worthy of praise or earning our keep. Going above and beyond may be a nice and generous thing to do, the problem though is when becomes a tool to unfairly judge employees and to unfairly judge ourselves. I and many others have suffered under unreasonable standards that have been both imposed by bosses and self-imposed out of insecurity. Today we will be discussing how this manifests and what to do to avoid "going above and beyond" to the detriment of yourself and others.  Related Episodes: 200! : From Tragedy to Triumph! Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co      

This is an especially important time of the year for coffee shops. The holidays are where our hospitality skills are put to the ultimate test.  In the midst of COVID lockdowns and never before seen strains on small businesses, the holidays are a great opportunity for us to more deeply establish our commitment to each other and to the customers through how we show up in the cafe. In today's episode we will be discussing some important points to consider as we enter into this season of holiday hospitality and how they will give you, your staff, and your customers the best chance at having a wonderful holiday season in spite of the present circumstances.  We will cover: Empathy based action The gift significance Self-care, planning Organization and planning Attention and connection Honoring guests Checking in with and listening to staff Related Episodes: 058 : Holiday Hospitality 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner 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   Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Sometimes, when we are convinced that something needs to change in how we do things, the biggest obstacle is the pain of the change process. In effect it is the discomfort of detoxing and introducing something new or better that prevents us from seeing any substantive change take root. Today we are talking about this problem and how pain in the process a necessary apart of helping us make positive change.    Related episodes: 200! : From Tragedy to Triumph! Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway 228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab      Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co  

Actions are the products of mindsets and not all mindsets are beneficial. In fact, there are a few very common and very dangerous mindsets that will actually sabotage your success without you even knowing it. We will call it fate, the universe, circumstance but in actuality it could just be a problem in our minds.  In today's episode we will going over what I believe are some of the more pernicious mindset traps we fall into that I have seen sabotage progress isn success. I have personally experienced all of these over the years and also seen the havoc they create in cafes.  In addition to pointing out these thinking traps we will discover the mindset to replace it with in order to help you succeed and thrive.  So let's dive into these mindsets with an open mind and start the process of fixing how we think to fix how we act.  We will cover: Image vs. Substance Fast vs. Right Perfect vs. Good For power vs. From power Approval vs. Service Links: 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 Your peers are not your Customers   Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service      

I am thrilled to present this amazing conversation w/ Klaus Thompson to you all today! The Coffee Collective is at the top of a very short list of the world's best and most influential roasters.  Today's guest, Klaus Thompson, is not only a Danish barista champion but is also the 2006 World Barista Champion. In 2007 Klaus, along with his co-founders Peter N. Dupont and Casper Engel Rasmussen, founded the Coffee Collective with a mission to build a different kind of coffee business from the ground up. One the focused on sustainability and hospitality both at the farm and in the cafe.  For the last 13 years they have been growing the company slowly, responsibly, and are what many consider the vanguard of direct trade, transparent business practices, and the epitome of quality from seed to cup. Today they have a thriving wholesale business, global web store, and 6 amazing retail locations, and continue their positive impact on the specialty coffee industry.  Of course, you don't get to this level without challenges, grit, determination, and lessons learned along the way. In this conversation we get an inside look into the story of the Coffee Collective from the first day until now and Klaus truly delivers some great insights and wisdom that we would do well to follow. We discuss: What it took to get started The goal of transforming the way coffee business is done Challenges in the early years Site selection and lessons from failures  The value of starting small  How retail fueled wholesale Creating a practical and personalized space  Scaling the business and engaging customers  Becoming more professional  Prioritizing areas of the business Approach to sustainability  Become a B-Corp Their long term goal and why it is never about profit Links: www.coffeecollective.dk Coffee Collective on Instagram Coffee Collective Youtube channel   Related Episodes:  242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano 118 : Founder Friday w/ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters founders, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb 145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley   Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

It is very easy for us to slip into a place where we start to seek approval from employees through trying to just be "one of the gang". Put another way, we want to be likes and as a result we become ineffectual bosses creating relational messes in the cafe.  In today's episode we will talk about how you are NOT just one of the gang, why that is a good thing, and how to pull yourself out of that state if you have already gone down that path.   Related Episodes: 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan 028 : Why it’s Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan  226 : The Art of being Indispensable at Work w/Bruce Tulgan 229 : 7 Tips for New Managers   Sponsors!  Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co  

How coffee is processed after the harvest is integral to whether or not it reaches its full flavor potential. Farmers depend on their crop's quality and consistency but all too often what happens during processing produces inconsistency and a less than full realization of that coffee's potential. Enter today's amazing guest, Lucia Solis! Lucia, specializes in "microbial demucilagination", or the use of microbes to process coffee following pulping. Born in Guatemala and raised in San Francisco, Lucia studied Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis prior to working in the wine industry in Napa Valley. In 2014 she started at Scott Laboratories and traveled to Central America applying commercial yeast strains at coffee mills to modulate flavors coming from the tank.  Today she is an independent consultant working directly with coffee producers in origin countries to improve processing practices to increase quality. In her work she is able to help farmers control the variables in processing their coffee in order for them to efficiently produce consistent high quality coffee that opens up more opportunity for them to scale and thrive.  In today's conversation we will be learning about her work and its implications for the future of farming. Additionally we will be discussing our role as retailers, roasters, and consumers in how we have communicated with and influenced the farming community in ways that have been potentially damaging and some helpful mindsets to adopt going forward that create a better chance of success for all parties.  We will cover: The role of microbes and fermentation coffee production Why fermentation has been undervalued Bridging the gap between consumer and farmer  Creating efficiency and scale  Do microdots really help producers? Romance vs exploitation Where do processing traditions come from How we shape production How consistency is key to quality Links: www.luxia.coffee Instagram   Related Episodes: 072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way 060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research 020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience 140 : A conversation w/ Erika Vonie, Director of Coffee at Trade Coffee 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 138 : Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids and the Importance of Coffee Science   Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

We all have a collection of little things the annoy us, and the customers in our shops. What we don't talk about very much is the result of all of the little problems accumulating over time and what it would be like if they were not there. Today we will be discussing how your shop can benefit from the impact of absence. Related Episodes: Working clean Fix the small stuff "It's not my Job" & Self-Sabotage The Customer Service Pro is not Always Right 2nd First Impression : Tips for Welcoming Customers Back  Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co  

These days community and connection are needed more than ever. There can be many hurdles to creating opportunities for having events whether in-person or online, but how we go about planning and execution those events does not have to be one of them!  For 6 years The Barista League has been at the forefront of what it means to produce a community driven and community connecting event in specialty coffee. Today we will be talking with the founder of The Barista League, Steven Moloney.  Steve Moloney is a two-time Swedish Barista Champion and founded The Barista League in 2015. Since then, his team has grown The Barista League's original coffee competition concept into a global brand across three continents. Whether it's throwing wild coffee parties, producing reality competition shows or running barista competitions, every project that The Barista League creates follows their three core values of Accessibility, Sustainability and Community. Steven is also the author of the organization's brand new book The Barista League’s Guide to Planning Better Events - a practical guide of how to run coffee events for your community. In todays discussion with Steven we will be talking about how things have evolved over the years and in response to COVID, plus we will dive into some of the most important points in this new book.  We wil cover:  How they have grown and pivoted in 2020 Connecting the barista community Producing a great event in-person and online Balancing entertainment with content Breaking down and focusing on the details Focusing on who you are serving Keeping everyone's attention Communication Staffing and delegation Links: www.thebaristaleague.com Instagram   Related Episodes: 163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field 195 : Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind founders Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez 146 : How to Host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY     Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

There comes a time in every service encounter where we need to decide to take the high road. Re-making a drink when there is a mess-up is one example of many that highlight an attitude we need to have toward service that will produce the best possible experience. Unfortunately, we (myself included) can sometimes default to pettiness rather than advocacy and generosity.  On today's shift break we will be talking about re-making drinks and the motive and the mindset that drives good in-the-moment hospitality decisions. Related episodes: 030 : Casey Underkofler : Matching Your Service to Your Quality : How to Manage and Control the critical details of service so both the experience and product are excellent 016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth  045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner 058 : Holiday Hospitality 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times Visit our amazing sponsors!!! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

When we think about cooperative ownership related to the coffee shop we tend be fairly unsure what to think of it.  Even though we tend to fear it as an unknown, it is actually a viable option to help secure your business and also to generate stability for your employees.  In today's episode we are going to explore this operating model by talking with Christopher Feran and Shane Hinde of Phoenix Coffee in Cleveland, OH.  After years of planning and research they just transitioned the business to being a worker owned cooperative. The values of Phoenix Coffee have always been to create a democratic and equitable company that supplies stable middle-class jobs to their employees. This is the latest step in many they have taken to pursue that.  In this conversation we will be exploring their experience in this process and what it means for the company going forward. You will definitely learn a lot from this talk and perhaps you will be inspired to pursue this model for your own shop. We discuss: Values based operating culture Navigating the impacts on the business Establishing equity and driving commitment  Beginning the process of becoming a coop Challenges in the process How their cooperative model works What changes now? How are decisions made?  Developing skill sets and competencies How collective leadership looks Coops as an option to exit as an owner   Links: www.phoenixcoffee.com Evergreen Coops in Cleveland   Related Episodes: 237 : Thoughts on Post -COVID Coffee Bridging the Values-Action Gap 6 Truths about Power   Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

As the saying goes, "The grass is always greener on the other side." We all know this to be true in one or more areas of our lives. In the coffee bar we can tend toward always comparing our selves against what others have or have accomplished with their careers or their shops. In today's Shift Break we are going to dive into this idea further as I give you some thoughts I had while pondering professional accomplishments and my neighbor's tree.    Related episodes: You are not your Competition 046 : Death by Comparison : How we practice it and ways to avoid getting caught up in it Episode 08: Finding Joy in Coffee / Nathanael May   Visit our amazing sponsors!!! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

The main job of leadership is to give people the resources they need to do the work. Generally speaking, I have simply stated that staff need the tools to do the job. Today I want to go a little deeper and cover 5 elements of resourcing that must be in place for your cafe to work well. If any one of these thing is out of whack it will show up big time in the final product and experience.  We will cover: Planning Time Information Tools Training Related episodes: 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR   Starting a shop -or-want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Part of the work we do entails some pretty gross things. In today's episode I will be reading 8 selected stories submitted by listeners about the grossest things they have experienced while working to bring great coffee to the people.  Story order: Dropping the Load Backed Up Bar Clean up in Everywhere Isle Elbow Room French Roach  "Take Out?" Coffee Rabid Fire When Urine Trouble    Links to related episodes: Working Clean Reasons to love the Customer   Other resources: Resource 1 Resource 2 Resource 3 Resource 4  

The best Kenyan coffee tends to be exported to other countries. Spring Valley Coffee flips this on its head by sourcing, roasting, and serving the best for themselves and the local Kenyan community. Today we are going to be exploring this wonderful company's history, evolution, and impact as we talk with Ritesh Doshi! Ritesh is the CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Kenya’s oldest premium coffee roaster, a business he acquired in 2018. Having introduced the Flat White to Kenya, Ritesh wanted to combine his passion for coffee and his sense of purpose with his need to control his own supply. Prior to Spring Valley Coffee, Ritesh founded Naked Pizza Kenya, a company he sold to Pizza Hut. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ritesh worked in international finance in the US, Europe and Middle East for financial institutions such as Credit Suisse & HSBC.  In this conversation we not only get the overview of Spring Valley Coffee but we also explore how rites came to the company, the values and goals they are pursuing, why scaling, relationships, and integrity are cornerstones of success and much more.  I love the work they are doing at Spring Valley and I know you will as well!  In this episode:  The coffee culture of Kenya Building resiliency and scaling Sourcing and serving Kenyan coffees Impact of relationships Challenges of politics Setting goals for the business Adding value in-origin  The value of doing the right thing Kenyan coffee history Why company culture matters Links: www.springvalleycoffee.com Instagram @springvalleycoffee    Related Episodes: 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India 236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon! 108 : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC 134 : Founder Friday w/ Jeremy Zhang of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee in Nanjing ,China   Starting a shop -or-want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Stay in coffee long enough and it will happen to you. The assumptions and dogmas we make when we first get into coffee are challenged or destroyed, and we are sent into a dark place of wondering who we are, and what we really even know about coffee. Today we are talking about how this moment every professional goes through is critical to maturity and should be more common for the health of the industry.  *Stay tuned for a Halloween special where I read the grossest cafe stories sublimed by KTTS listeners!   Recommended episodes: Taste the Rainbow 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann Curbing their Enthusiasm    Our amazing sponsors!!!   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co      

Your business is built on partnerships. One of the most critical is the relationship between you and the coffee roaster you select. Entering into this relationship needs tp be done pretty methodically and the decision should be based on more than on just branding and your personal taste.  Today we are going to go over 10 things to consider when deciding on a wholesale coffee provider that will help you have the best chance at finding one that fits what your business and your customers need for the long term.  We cover:  Values  Cost Forecasting and capacity Variety Regional tases vs personal Flexibility Support Feedback  Checking references Taking your time Recommended episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee 026 : What Your Roaster want you to Know w/ U.S. Roasting Champion, Mark Michaelson, Onyx Coffee Lab 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano 217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco    Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

BOGO! 10% off! Get any item of equal or lesser value free!  We love to offer promotions and discounts in the coffee retail space. When numbers are down we go for deals, offers, and discounts... maybe a little too often. Combine this with the fact that most of the time these offers are executed sloppily and create more confusion than excitement and you turn that BOGO into an OHNO. (sorry, not sorry) In todays shift break we will talk about how you can approach promotions in an organized and clear way that actually benefits your business.  Related episodes: 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement You need SOPs Introducing Chaos Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co        

What an interesting and inspirational episode this was!  Frankie Volkema, at just 14 years old, is the world's youngest Q Grader and the founder of Joven Coffee, an organization that sources, roasts, and promotes coffee from young farmers around the world! We are also joined by her father Tim Volkema, who is the CEO of Schuil coffee, Michigan’s first specialty coffee roaster. Schuil also owners the boutique brand Sparrow Coffee.  In this conversation we discuss the backstory of how Frankie came into coffee, her road to becoming a Q Grader, and the founding of Joven Coffee. Tim also adds operational perspective as to how Schuil Coffee works with Joven Coffee.  This was a great conversation and one I hope will inspire you to support Joven Coffee, look into supporting young farmers through your business, and take big steps to create change where it is needed. Enjoy!   In this episode: The challenge young farmers face How Frankie became the worlds youngest Q grader Founding Joven Coffee The relationship between Joven and Shuil Coffee Having big goals as a young person Partnering with existing organizations on the ground Related Episodes: COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee COVID-19 Focus : Impact on the Supply Chain w/ Ricardo Pereira , COO, Ally Coffee 020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee   Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help!  |  Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

"I wish they would just get it!" Does this sound familiar? Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today's episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against a slower one and why letting this attuned go unchecked may be holding your business back.  Interested it consulting? Reach out! - [email protected] Related episodes you should listen to: 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies 066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak : Coaching, Leadership, education , and how to communicate your coffee and barista knowledge so it sticks 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings   Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer   Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co    

Now ore than ever coffee shops should be building stable and resilient teams to give them the best chance at success in an unstable market.  Unfortunately there are many needless problems and practices that plague cafes and are catalysts for unnecessary turnover.  Today we are going to cover what I believe are the top 10 reasons why we lose employees and what we should be doing to fix these problems. If we address these 10 things well then we will be on our way to creating an environment where staff never want to leave.    Links to related episodes: 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe 028 : Why it’s Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan : A guide to defining and fighting the under management epidemic in your cafe so you can be the manager your staff need Bridging the Values -Actions Gap   Need consulting? email me: [email protected]   The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service