If we know anything it is that striking a balance in our communication is very difficult. It often feels like we are neglecting affirmation for fear of not addressing issues, or we neglect addressing issues and challenging our staff because we worry about how they will take it. So we stick to simply working a lot and mostly doing both …
As we continue to see specialty coffee shops grow and expand into the furthest reaches of the globe, one thing remains an enduring value to customers. That feeling of belonging. A sense that the hospitality and the good will of those providing it are genuine makes every cup taste sweet and the memory of the experience even sweeter. Perhaps no …
Every Coffee Fest we sit down with presenters and speakers to talk about their field of expertise and learn from their experience in coffee. This time we had a wonderful time talking with three professionals at Coffee Fest Chicago! We start with Lan Ho, Founder of Fat Miilk Vietnamese coffee bar in Chicago! Lan Ho is the founder and CEO …
Leading and managing are only as effective as your knowledge and understanding of the who, what, and why of your cafe. Sadly many people with the title of manager or in positions of leadership are going day-to-day putting out fires, chasing down tasks, but never getting ahead in developing and supporting their staff in meaningful ways. Today on Shift Break …
How we think determines how we act. This is especially true when it comes to pressurized situations like the kind that we find in a busy coffee shop environment. We talk a lot about leader, ship, tactics, and principles, and aspire to be better leaders, but if we don’t fix our thinking, our actions will not be effective in our …
It’s Founder Friday and I am so pleased to finally welcome the one an only Tim Wendelboe! Tim Wendelboe runs his own roastery and espresso bar in Oslo, Norway where he imports, roast and serve high quality coffees. Apart from winning 8 Nordic Roaster Competitions with his team, he was the 2004 World Barista Champion and the 2005 World Cup …
Seemingly in balance to our episode with Kwame Christian on big swings, we need to talk about small starts! Making decisions about size, scope, and scale of our cafes can set us up for success or it can set us up for disappointment. I see this play out time and time again where people over commit to something and bite …
Summer Webinar Series from Keys to the Shop®! Congratulations! You hired the right people! Now comes one of the most critical parts of the relationship between employee and employer, raining and onboarding. All too often we rush this process and engage in “trial by fire” training, we give people big manuals and handbooks and simply tell them “read this”. How’s …
There is wisdom in taking well considered steps in your life and business. The trouble is that sometimes, when the best move is a big one, we can write it off as unwise or reckless. How can we overcome what holds us back from making the right big moves? Well I am pleased to welcome back to the show someone …
I had a conversation with a successful cafe and roastery client recently. We talked about delegation and what was standing in the way of them giving tasks and authority to others. It came out that they were worried about relinquishing control and that they want things to be perfect. Of course this owner is in good company, we all have …
