322 : A Conversation w/ LaNisa Williams of Barista Life L.A.

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training

Creating a path forward and up in the coffee industry sometimes requires we take matters into our own hands and build the opportunities for ourself and others that we don’t see. This is exactly what today’s guest, LaNisa Williams did with Barista L.A. LaNisa Williams has been in coffee over 14 years as a barista, manager, trainer/educator, and all around …

313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training

Training and education is an ongoing process. Not just for those we are training but also for ourselves as trainers and educators. If we adopt the same type of “always learning” mentality we want to see in other, then the way we understand and conduct training will change over time. Today we will be exploring training and education through the …

308 : A Conversation w/ Italian Brewers Cup Champion, Alessandro Galtieri

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Podcast, Training

Italian coffee has shaped how the world understands coffee and cafe culture. These days there is a movement to take the traditional Italian way of of getting a coffee and elevate the quality and the experience making it a truly specialty coffee experience. At the heart of that movement is Aroma Caffe todays guest, Alessandro Galtieri. Alessandro has owned and …

Sustainability Series #3 : The Cafe

Chris DeferioBusiness, Podcast, Supply Chain, Training

As we have explored all that has gone into the product of coffee and the many ways that sustainability can be achieved in farming, Importing, and Roasting. Now we come to the place where coffee’s potentially is ultimately on display. The cafe. Next to the farm, the cafe has been the focus of much of our sustainability efforts, and with …

303 : Create Authentic Partnerships w/ Marc Gessler of Cat & Cloud Coffee

Chris DeferioBusiness, Leadership, Podcast, Training

Ideally, the nature of your relationship with your wholesale customers is less like a transaction and more like a partnership. How do we approach caring for those who have decided to serve our coffee in a way that is true to our values, supports their success, and creates growing trust and mutuality? In this episode these questions and more are …

301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence

Chris DeferioLeadership, Management, Podcast, Training

These are the two most important and intensive processes in the cafe yet they often are the most rush and poorly thought through. The preparations we make and the actions we take when hiring and training staff will and does create a ripple effect that is felt by everyone who interacts with your business for years to come. Maybe more …

297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Podcast, Training

A big issue with coffee education is accessibility. Much of the practical information that leads customers and coffee professionals alike to understanding, buying, and brewing great coffee is either locked away in our roasteries and cafes or hurried in a sea of misinformation. That’s where Leaderboard Coffee comes in. Today we are going to talk with the founder of Leaderboard …