On this Founder Friday we are taking a look into the before and after of Torpedo Coffee in Denver, CO. I was able to interview Kyle Wells at the Coffee Fest trade show in Denver June 2018 before ehe opened his new shop. We then sat down and talked last week about how things have played out, what has …
149 : Celina Velez, Head Roaster of Merit Coffee in Austin, TX
Celina is about to celebrate her 2 year anniversary of joining the specialty coffee community having started with no knowledge of coffee as a roasting assistant at the great Merit Coffee in Austin, TX. Through hard work, curiosity, and integrity she has worked her way to head roaster and leads a team of people producing some of the best coffee …
147 : U.S. Roasting Champion, Shelby Williamson of Huckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO
Roasting is a hard job that happens behind the scenes. Even the championship itself is somewhat isolated from view! That is why I am so excited to share this talk with you. Not just because we get to learn more about roasting but because we get to learn from the Champ herself, Shelby Williamson of Huckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO! In …
144 : A Conversation with 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman!
The Champ is in the house! 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman of Dillanos Coffee Roasters joins me for this very special episode. In our conversation we discuss the evolution of her coffee career, her love for the community, what drives her as a professional, competition, challenges she has faced developing as a competitor, her first origin trip, balance in …
140 : A conversation w/ Erika Vonie, Director of Coffee at Trade Coffee
I am so excited to welcome Erika Vonie to the show! Erika is the Director of Coffee for Trade Coffee and she is the professionals professional. Her long and accomplished career in coffee has been comprised of great success in retail, management, green buying, quality control, customer relations, event management, competition, and much more. Erika’s energy and drive to learn, …
139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka
It’s Founder Friday! Today we talk with the Co-Founder of Kusanya Cafe located in Englewood, Chicago, USA, Phil Sipka. Kusanya Cafe is an all resident owned and run non-profit coffee shop that has been providing an amazing gathering spot and 3rd place for the Englewood neighborhood for the past 5 years. It is truly a great example of what can …
137 : Essential Books for your Professional Development vol.2 : Five books to help you grow
Nothing helps you grow like great books! In this Vol.2 of Essential Books we talk about 5 books that will have a huge impact on your career and business. They cover everything from team building, problem solving for managers, and managing up the chain of authority -to entrepreneurship and an in-depth look at the role the coffee shop plays in …
136 : Nourishing the Barista’s Soul: A conversation w/ Deb Kaminski of Pacific Natural Foods
Today is a special day because we get to chat with Deb Kaminsky, the Director of Food Service Marketing for Pacific Natural Foods. When you see the Pacific Barista Series, it’s success in the market, and the incredible support Pacific gives baristas, that’s Deb. Throughout her career her heart has been to nourish people and in this interview we get …
135 : Stay Motivated in the midst of Difficulty
Working in coffee can really wear on you. Often we find our motivation for the job is so low it is almost non-existent. It could be you are the only barista that really cares about quality, or you want to advance but there’s nothing available, or you might be consuming a lot of content from the industry but non of …
134 : Founder Friday w/ Jeremy Zhang of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee in Nanjing ,China
It’s Founder Friday and today we get to hear from the 2x Barista Champion of China and owner of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee , Jeremy Zhang. In this conversation we get a look into Jeremy’s road to specialty coffee through competition and the founding of his coffee businesses M2M Roasters and Uni Uni Coffee. We discuss the challenges …
