Making decisions on the way things go on the bar can seem like a pretty easy thing to do once you are convinced as the leader or owner. The trouble is when you do not make your decisions with empathy and deference to the barista and how they will…
When we talk about equity we often we are just scratching the surface of what is going on deep in the structure of the coffee industry. Today’s guest, Phyllis Johnson has dedicated much of her career to bringing to light the deeper generational inequities that hold people back. Her new book, “The Triumph: Black Brazilians in Coffee” profiles two …
Oooh boy – This is a phrase frequently used often in coffee to determine whether or not an employee is exceptional or not. It is also a mentality that we use on ourselves to determine if what we are doing is worthy of praise or earning our keep. Going…
This is an especially important time of the year for coffee shops. The holidays are where our hospitality skills are put to the ultimate test. In the midst of COVID lockdowns and never before seen strains on small businesses, the holidays are a great opportunity for us to more deeply establish our commitment to each other and to …
Sometimes, when we are convinced that something needs to change in how we do things, the biggest obstacle is the pain of the change process. In effect it is the discomfort of detoxing and introducing something new or better that prevents us from…
Actions are the products of mindsets and not all mindsets are beneficial. In fact, there are a few very common and very dangerous mindsets that will actually sabotage your success without you even knowing it. We will call it fate, the universe, circumstance but in actuality it could just be a problem in our minds. In today’s episode we will …
I am thrilled to present this amazing conversation w/ Klaus Thompson to you all today! The Coffee Collective is at the top of a very short list of the world’s best and most influential roasters. Today’s guest, Klaus Thompson, is not only a Danish barista champion but is also the 2006 World Barista Champion. In 2007 Klaus, along with …
It is very easy for us to slip into a place where we start to seek approval from employees through trying to just be “one of the gang”. Put another way, we want to be likes and as a result we become ineffectual bosses creating relational messes in the…
How coffee is processed after the harvest is integral to whether or not it reaches its full flavor potential. Farmers depend on their crop’s quality and consistency but all too often what happens during processing produces inconsistency and a less than full realization of that coffee’s potential. Enter today’s amazing guest, Lucia Solis! Lucia, specializes in “microbial demucilagination”, or …
We all have a collection of little things the annoy us, and the customers in our shops. What we don’t talk about very much is the result of all of the little problems accumulating over time and what it would be like if they were not there. Today we…
