Two Tips on Hiring an Outside Manager

Chris DeferioPodcast

The ideal for cafe management is that you can raise up and promote a barista from within the shop. Unfortunately that cannot happen in all circumstances and shop that needs to delegate management is forced to seek outside help.  On today’s Shift…

393 : The Tyranny of Taste w/ Kosta Kallivrousis

Chris DeferioPodcast, Supply Chain

Specialty coffee has been defined by a difference in quality and taste for a very long time. It is the central value that creates the markets that we currently operate in. The problem with this though is that taste as a value is, in the end, a subjective opinion. While quality, taste, and serving the desires of customer is always …

Community as Avoidance

Chris DeferioPodcast

Community is an incredibly important part of our industry. In fact it is the number one thing cited by professionals as the main reason they love coffee. Unifying around a common love is so powerful and helps us all become better…or does it? …

391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Chris DeferioFounder Friday, Podcast

. It is Founder Friday and boy is this a wonderful conversation with a wonderful person. You simply cannot underestimate the importance of what an owner brings to a cafe and business. You as a leader have the opportunity to bring meaning, soul, and vision that creates electricity and momentum for your staff and customers. This is exactly what today’s …

RoR #18 : Expert Tips on Avoiding Tipping w/ Rob Hoos

Chris DeferioPodcast, Roasting

Even though it is one of the most objectively identifiable defects, the presence of tipping seems to continue to plagues roasters. With the end result ruining an otherwise perfectly roasted coffee, this largely preventable defect deserves special focus. In this episode of Rate of Rise we are going to be interviewing the great Rob Hoos who has dedicated a significant …

Values At The Heart of KTTS

Chris DeferioPodcast

I am helping my clients establish values all the time. Having a clear understanding of what is important to you and your business is incredibly important because it informs everything you put your hand to. For this show, and in my consulting work, I…

390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive

Chris DeferioBusiness, Podcast, Uncategorized

Being competitive in business is often thought of in the same vein as being aggressive, leading with fear, and creating an us vs them scenario that is antithetical to community. The reality is that while we need to be competitive in order to run successful businesses, we need not do so in a way that alienates. In today’s episode you …

Leaner Teams, Better Results

Chris DeferioPodcast

The future of staffing our cafes depends on how effectively we hire and set up our teams for success. Rather than having an unsustainably low or high number of staff working, we need to create lean and effective teams of thoroughly trained, resourced,…

389: How to Approach Modern Coffee Processing w/ Christopher Feran

Chris DeferioPodcast, Roasting, Supply Chain

A lot has changed in coffee over the last couple decades. As roasters and baristas, our understanding of the current landscape of coffee processing, its impact on flavor, and the possibilities it contains will greatly determine our success. Thankfully our industry has some very bright minds who create clarity around the ever complex world of coffee, and one of those …