248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team

Chris DeferioManagement, Podcast

  The main job of leadership is to give people the resources they need to do the work. Generally speaking, I have simply stated that staff need the tools to do the job. Today I want to go a little deeper and cover 5 elements of resourcing that must be in place for your cafe to work well. If any …

Special: Grossest Stories from the Bar

Chris DeferioPodcast

Part of the work we do entails some pretty gross things. In today’s episode I will be reading 8 selected stories submitted by listeners about the grossest things they have experienced while working to bring great coffee to the people.  Story…

247 : Founder Friday! w/ Ritesh Doshi, CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Nairobi, Kenya

Chris DeferioFounder Friday, Podcast, Uncategorized

  The best Kenyan coffee tends to be exported to other countries. Spring Valley Coffee flips this on its head by sourcing, roasting, and serving the best for themselves and the local Kenyan community. Today we are going to be exploring this wonderful company’s history, evolution, and impact as we talk with Ritesh Doshi! Ritesh is the CEO of Spring …

The Dark Roast Night of the Soul

Chris DeferioPodcast

Stay in coffee long enough and it will happen to you. The assumptions and dogmas we make when we first get into coffee are challenged or destroyed, and we are sent into a dark place of wondering who we are, and what we really even know about coffee….

246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider

Chris DeferioBusiness, Podcast, Roasting

  Your business is built on partnerships. One of the most critical is the relationship between you and the coffee roaster you select. Entering into this relationship needs tp be done pretty methodically and the decision should be based on more than on just branding and your personal taste. Today we are going to go over 10 things to consider …

Promotion Commotion

Chris DeferioPodcast

BOGO! 10% off! Get any item of equal or lesser value free!  We love to offer promotions and discounts in the coffee retail space. When numbers are down we go for deals, offers, and discounts… maybe a little too often. Combine this with the fact…

245 : A Conversation with the World’s Youngers Q Grader, Frankie Volkema, Founder of Joven Coffee

Chris DeferioPodcast, Uncategorized

    What an interesting and inspirational episode this was! Frankie Volkema, at just 14 years old, is the world’s youngest Q Grader and the founder of Joven Coffee, an organization that sources, roasts, and promotes coffee from young farmers around the world! We are also joined by her father Tim Volkema, who is the CEO of Schuil coffee, Michigan’s …

Good Baristas aren’t born, they’re Made

Chris DeferioPodcast

“I wish they would just get it!” Does this sound familiar? Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today’s episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against…

244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees

Chris DeferioPodcast, Uncategorized

  Now ore than ever coffee shops should be building stable and resilient teams to give them the best chance at success in an unstable market. Unfortunately there are many needless problems and practices that plague cafes and are catalysts for unnecessary turnover. Today we are going to cover what I believe are the top 10 reasons why we lose …

Keeping it Real

Chris DeferioPodcast

The truth can hurt. In our minds, when we thing about “keeping it real” we are usually about to engage in some form of uncomfortable, confrontational interaction. In today’s episode we will be exploring this idea and how an alternative way of…