Build it for the Business, not the Person

Chris DeferioPodcast

Creating a new role in a coffee shop is often done when we face the prospect of losing on of our key staff members. We scramble and promise the world if they would just stay. This is missing the mark in several ways and today we will be chatting about…

184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak

Chris DeferioBusiness, Leadership, Podcast

Running a successful business is all about the quality of your decisions. Whether large or small, each one plays a part in shaping the company and either strengthening or compromising it. To help give us a frame-work and foundation for making quality decisions we welcome back to the show, Dave Stachowiak. Dave is the host and founder of Coaching for Leaders, …

Blood Sucking Bosses!

Chris DeferioPodcast

This is a truly scary reality that so many cafe employees have had to deal with. Symptoms of getting bit by these bosses looks like overloaded schedules, no boundaries, burnout, stress, and unhealthy self-sacrifice to “prove” yourself to the…

183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson

Chris DeferioHospitality, Leadership, Podcast

Creating a coffee bar and working in retail all boils down to practicing hospitality. We want to practice this on behalf of our guests and our staff but without taking a critical look at how and who we welcome in, we are not really showing hospitality. We need to look at our thoughts, behaviors, and actions critically in order to …

182 : Founder Friday w/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters

Chris DeferioFounder Friday, Podcast

Today we are talking about scaling and transitions with the founder of Indie Coffee Roasters, Alec Tod! Founded in 2013 with a home roaster on his back patio, the business has undergone several stages of change and growth over the years to get them to where they are today in their new retail / roasting facility serving the people of …

The Customer Service Pro is not Always Right

Chris DeferioPodcast

Sometimes we can overestimate how bad the customer is and in the process make ourselves out to be so very righteous. It is a reality in every bar I have seen that we are blind to the double standard for what we accept from the customer vs what we…

181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge

Chris DeferioBusiness, Leadership, Podcast, Uncategorized

How well do you know your business? I’m not talking about the numbers and the stuff that is accessible through the POS or spreadsheets. I am talking about the life of the business and the people and cultures that make it up. The incredible number of intangibles that create the life of an organization. A lot of us assume we …

Systems as Care

Chris DeferioPodcast

We tend to have a mindset toward systems that breeds a lack of clarity, break downs in communication, and generally an unpleasant and even toxic environment in the work place. Today we are going to chat about viewing systems as a primary form of…

180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale

Chris DeferioBusiness, Podcast

  Coffee is more than just a drink. It can also be a vehicle for change. Ending teen homelessness through coffee is the vision of today’s guests, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale. Established in 2019, Rugid Grind is a for-profit coffee provider that, as of now, acts as the sole supporter and funder of The Oneighty Project, a nonprofit dedicated …

Sink or Swim

Chris DeferioPodcast

Bringing a new employee onto the bar is often a hasty effort. Unfortunately, when we do this, we end up paying for it in the long run.  Today we chat about the sink or swim mentality of on-boarding and what managers need to practice in order to…