Live from Los Angeles! G&B Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger are two of the best shops you can find in this world. Since the beginning owners Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski have used the multi-roaster to critical acclaim. They have now, however, taken the massive step to roasting all of their own coffees. In this interview Kyle and Charles sit down with me in their new roasting space and talk about this transition, why they made the decision, what made it apparent that it was the right thing to do for them, and what they did to prepare to do it successfully.
106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista
Changing lives through coffee! It is something we all want to take part in and learn how to do with our businesses and careers. Well, today’s guest is doing just that and setting an example that should inspire all of us. We are having a conversation with Pamela Chng, the founder of Bettr Barista. Better Barista is a coffee organization built to make a lasting social impact by working with marginalize women and at risk youth in Singapore.
105 : Leadership & Management Masterclass w/ Maria Cleaveland
Maria Cleaveland is a master of management, leadership, and organizational systems and process. She has spent over 30 years in hospitality leadership, the last 17 of which have spent in leading the charge in specialty coffee. Her journey has been one of taking on challenges and a wide variety of high level roles that shaped her into the professional she is today. In this conversation we talk about the arc her career and from it pull out amazing insights, advice, and life lessons that she has learned that will leave you motivated and equipped to better pursue the opportunities that this industry presents to you.
104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel
Giving feedback is not an easy task. We often psych ourselves out and/or procrastinate on delivering it, dreading the conversation and what might happen when we bring it up. This is especially true when the situation seems to be infused with tension. Fear not! Today we turn to coaching and communication expert (and past guest), Tom Henschel to help us navigate the task of delivering feedback effectively so you get the best possible outcome. We discuss why it is hard to give feedback, the importance of keeping things conversational, some key missteps that managers make when delivering feedback, and we explore a 4 step model that Tom uses with his clients that provides a great framework for that feedback conversation you need to have. We even act out a couple scenarios and direct them to give examples of what to do , and what not to do.
103 : The Colombian Coffee Connection w/ Ervin Liz
Ervin Liz is an indigenous Colombian of the Nasa tribe who grew up on a coffee farm helping his family plant, pick, process, and sell their harvest. Years later co-founded The Colombian Coffee Connection where he imports, roasts, and sells the coffee sourced from his home in Colombia direct to the consumer and gives 10% of all profits to charitable initiatives on the farm. Relationship coffee does not get more intimate than that!
102 : Founder Friday w/ Justin Hartman of OZO Coffee, Boulder, CO
It’s Founder Friday!!! Today we get to sit down with Justin Hartman who is the Founder of the standard bearing OZO Coffee Company. Justin brings a very down to earth perspective to all he undertakes. We discuss his journey into coffee working as a barista in the best shops he could find, the founding and evolution of OZO Coffee from one small shop using other roasters to now 4 busy cafes with a thriving (Good Food Award Winning)roasting operation. We also dive into management, leadership, scaling the business, the challenges of growth, hiring, and Justins 3 pieces of advice to other shop owners. There is a lot here and I know you will walk away informed and inspired!
101 : Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in Retail w/ Specialty Coffee Attorney, Marshall Fuss
There are countless details that go into setting up a great coffee shop. At the top of the list of priorities are the legal considerations that provide you with a foundation on which to build your dream cafe in a way that won’t turn that dream into a nightmare. Today we welcome long time attorney and general counsel to the Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events, and Coffee Quality Institute, Marshall Fuss!
100! Why YOU are the Key
Wooo Hooo! It’s the 100th episode of Keys to the Shop!!! Thank you so much for listening to and supporting this show! I can think of no better way to use this time than to highlight what a critical role you all play in the industry. Today I want to talk to you about why you are the the key. You can provide others with insights, inspiration, and tools that will have a positive impact on your circle of influence no matter what you do in the industry or how long you’ve been doing it. I hope that after todays episode you feel confident to take what you have and put it to work even more within specialty coffee community.
099 : The Barista League w/ Competition Founder Steve Moloney
Competitions don’t have to be expensive, complex, or stressful! The Barista League is proof. Today we are talking with Barista League founder, Steven Moloney about this community focused, engaging, and refreshing competition. We discuss the benefits of this type of format, what people who attend are saying, his perspective on specialty retail, and advice for how we can support and liven up our shops and cities on our own. This is a great chat that will leave you encouraged to connect with and learn from your your fellow baristas and maybe even join the Barista League.
098 : Loving the Closing Shift : Problems, solutions, and philosophy on work
As shifts go, the closing shift is normally not a covent one. We can suffer from boredom, lack of motivation, disillusionment, isolation, and end up feeling bitter toward our day-time counterparts who get to work more in the thick of the coffeehouse culture plus make better tips!
