Seeking to Learn Across Age Divides

Chris DeferioPodcast

Especially important for the younger generation is access to the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before. Older coffee professionals can also benefit from the drive and perspectives of the younger. Problem is that we tend to only converse…

Menu Simplicity as Hospitality

Chris DeferioPodcast

I mean, I like variety as much as the next person, but overly complex menus are overwhelming and create confusion for customers who rely on us to curate our offerings that meets their needs in a way that delivers quality over quantity.  On…

The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership

Chris DeferioPodcast

There is a shortcut for everything these days. Automation, templates, and other tools would give you the impression that you can automate of be hands off with your leadership and that your aim is to continually seek more ways to remove yourself. …

411 : Excellence, Approachable Coffee, and Always Learning w/ Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee and Coffee 101 Podcast

Chris DeferioPodcast, Roasting

Opportunities for specialty coffee still abound in certain areas of the American South. With those opportunities comes challenges of communicating coffee in a way that both meets people where they are, and helps open them up to new experiences that expand their enjoyment. Today we are talking with someone who has not only been communicating to his customers through the …

Don’t Forget Relationships

Chris DeferioPodcast

The foundation of the building determines the stability of what is built on it. When it comes to building a coffee shop business your growth cannot out pace the degree to which you invest in the relationships and the culture at the heart of it. …

410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Career, Podcast

Tenacity, humility, and curiosity. Whether you are working as a barista, competing, opening your own shop and roastery, these are character traits that are essential for success. Today we are talking with someone whose long career in coffee has been characterized by these values. We are chatting with the new U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese! Isaiah Sheese is the Owner of …