It’s Founder Friday! Today we are honored to hear from the owner of The Arrow Coffeehouse, Erica Escalante. Erica is an 8 year veteran of the specialty industry and went from Starbucks barista to coffee shop owner. Her story is one of extraordinary hard work, dedication, building relationships, constant learning, vulnerability, and servant leadership. Her perspectives on communication, making business decisions, hiring, and where she draws energy and joy in her busy life will leave you refreshed and enlivened to work hard to do good.
096 : Instant Specialty Coffee w/ Voila founder, Kent Sheridan
Did you say “Instant specialty coffee”?! Yup, that’s right. Not only does it taste 300 times better than traditional instant but it may well change the way you think about accessibility, consumer engagement, and how we provide value to the end user. In this episode we are joined by the founder of Voila
095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok
In coffee shops we know a thing or two about being stressed! It can range from nagging to debilitating just with a single shift. If you want to experience more calm and peace of mind in the cafe, even in the midst of the business then this episode will definitely help. Today we are talking with celebrated mental wellness counselor and host of the Practice of the Practice podcast, Joe Sanok. Joe share a lot of great insights into the story behind stress, Brain optimization, how staff and owners can manage and reduce stress while at work, the relationship between systems and stress, and helps us walk away with some tools that will bring the well being that we need to sustain a long and healthy career begins the bar.
094 : How to Map it Forward w/ Lee Safar
We all want a fulfilling career in coffee but often times we feel trapped and disappointed with where we are and cannot see the next move. Enter Lee Safar. Lee is the owner of “Map it Forward” and host of the “Map it Forward Live Podcast”. She has amassed a world of experience and knowledge in her over 15 years of working in coffee and draws on both her expertise and other industry success stories to teach you how you can map out an amazing career, grow you business, and be a true professional.
093 : US Brewers Cup Champion, Becca Woodard!
Today we get to talk with the 2018 U.S. Brewers Cup Champion, Becca Woodard! It was such a pleasure to chat about the details that went into her fantastic performance, the fascinating story of her competition coffee, her personal drive and the message she delivered regarding changing systems, her mission as a specialty coffee ambasador, and some challenges to the coffee community around how we can become a more diverse and inclusive community.Becca is a humble and inspiring champion and you will be all the better for listening to her in this conversation.
092 : Tony “Tonx” Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription
Great coffee should be for everyone! For the consumer today though, specialty coffee can be complicated. But it does not have to be! Today we talk with industry legend Tony (Tonx) Konecny, Founder of Tonx Coffee, and Co-founder of Yes Plz (the people behind the $1 cup of coffee at Locol) all about his mission to remedy this issue. In addition to discussing Yes Plz and some of Tony’s professional history that informs the companies philosophy we will talk about: challenging orthodoxy, intentional blending, pricing for accessibility, coffee subscriptions, on-boarding customers, the industries echo chamber and much more. Tony has a lot to say that I think will help shape our approach to customers in the shop and really make an impact on how “into” coffee they get.
091 : Founder Friday w/ Talor Browne of Talor & Jorgen
Talor Browne, Co-founder of Talor & Jorgen in Oslo, Norway chats with us on this May edition of Founder Friday. Talor is an absolute legend and through her career has been at the helm of some of the worlds greatest cafes and roasters. She and her business partner Jorgen opened Talor & Jorgen December 2017 and have put together what looks to be one of the industries most unique and fun concepts.
090 : Researching the Cafe w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira
While many of us can say that we are students of coffee and coffee shops, not many can say that we study it on an academic level the way or guest Dr. Jennifer Ferreira does. In this discussion Dr. Ferreira talks about her research into coffee shops, their impact in society, and the things that she has learned along the …
089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday : Leadership, Innovation, service, heritage
Today we have the immense honor of talking with Andrew Daday, General Manager of La Marzocco USA! We dive into his leadership, values, and goals as he heads up one of the worlds most iconic and respected equipment manufacturing companies. Also in this conversation we discuss the importance of La Marzocco’s relationship with the coffee shop, their vision for sustainability, …
088 : 2018 U.S. Barista Champion, Cole McBride
Today we talk with the new U.S. Barista Champion, Cole McBride! Cole has always given 110% effort to improving both his own craft and being an advocate for specialty coffee and those around him. In his 15 years of professional coffee work he has gleaned an impressive amount of wisdom, skill, and perspective that is clearly on display both on …
