Imperfect Action and Finding Time

Chris DeferioPodcast

“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” This quote from Voltaire has been passed around a lot over the years, even still it seems we always find ways to procrastinate on starting things because we either want it to be perfect, feel fear of…

378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers

Chris DeferioCareer, Leadership, Podcast

It is easy to assume that a managers main role is only to take on basic administrative tasks. At least this is the way I would argue most shop treat the role of manager. It is too often a “set and forget” scenario that inevitably leads to  managers being in the dark, ill equipped, and frustrated. Ultimately this is all …

The Insult of Sink or Swim Training

Chris DeferioPodcast

It’s wild to me that this still exists in coffee. The idea that we can throw a new hire in to the mix of a shift in a new cafe and expect that they will prove themselves as being valuable based on if they fail or thrive.  On today’s Shift Break…

Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth

Chris DeferioPodcast

The coffee shop is a can be a stressful place. There are no shortage of challenges big and small that confront us daily whether you are a barista of cafe owner. The trouble we run into is when our confirmation bias kicks in with every challenges and…

375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse

Chris DeferioFounder Friday, Leadership, Podcast

I am so happy to share with you this Founder Friday episode that takes a hard look at what is possible when you want to offer excellence at scale in a cafe setting. I am joined by the founder of the iconic and standard setting company, WatchHouse, Roland Horne. Roland founded WatchHouse in 2014 after extensive experience running small-to-medium-size businesses, including …

Some Tips on Signature Drinks

Chris DeferioPodcast

It is that time of year where cafes are all but expected to have the ubiquitous PSL in their menus. But there is so much more. Beyond this staple drink specialty cafes around the world have developed both wonderful signature creations and others that…