Creating opportunities for a wide group of people to experience coffee seems like a goal we have for just for consumers. As good of a goal as that is, it is equally and maybe even more important that this goal be applied to the people who work in coffee. Sadly it is all too convenient for us to default to the easiest and most familiar options for those opportunities and as a result we tend to find a lack of diversity in the shop and beyond.
This does not need to be the case and to help show us what we can do what he is doing to address the issue, we are welcoming to the show, Keith Hawkins of The Color of Coffee Collective!
Keith Hawkins has been in the coffee industry for over 25 years and is a passionate coffee connoisseur. Keith’s pragmatic approach to the coffee industry is to educate, introduce and inspire the consumer, curator and the curious to explore an awe inspiring journey of coffee that will certainly compel conversations and change.
Keith is the Founder of The Color of Coffee Collective and Koffee with Keith. The Color of Coffee Collective is comprised of diverse and talented minority coffee growers, farmers, producers, roasters, baristas, artists, and coffee enthusiasts. The mission of The Color of Coffee Collective is to educate people about the specialty coffee industry from a diverse perspective through symposiums, workshops, conferences, and open and honest conversations.
This is a wonderful, deep, and maybe hard conversation that I hope inspires you!
We cover:
Links:
www.colorofcoffeecollective.com
Instagram: @colorofcoffeecollective
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Welcome to another before and after edition of Founder Friday! Occasionally we sit down with an entrepreneur who is in the proccess of opening their shop to talk about what they are planning, hoping for, and doing right now. Then we come back a few months post launch and see how things went getting open and the lessons learned in the process.
I am thrilled to have been able to sit down with frequent guest on the show, Jonathan Pascual of Tap Room Coffee in Atlanta. This first half was recorded in December 2021 as he was gearing up for the launch of his new roastery and cafe brand, Opo Coffee which has now been in operation for 2 months.
In this conversation we get to hear the details, planning, and hopes Jonathan had for Opo Coffee and then we get to see how things actually went and the wonderful way that Jonathan and his team have approached this new venture based on values, mission, respect, and a deep care for people.
This is going to be an episode full of incredible insight you won't want to miss!
We cover:
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It is all too easy to throw shade at your current state. It is also because of that easy path to bating yourself up that we find it difficult to find the good and even great things about where we are now in our career or business.
On today's Shift Break we chat about the importance of loving where you are and how doing so is in fact the surest way to get to where you want to be in the future.
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Specialty coffee has its fair share of challenges across the supply chain. Solutions for those challenges are only as good as how they were created, namely, whether they were created collaboratively and with deference to those most impacted. In short, when we connect with each other in shared work toward common goals, we see progress.
Today we will be talking with someone whose work in telling the important stories of coffee and producing events for connection is making a big impact. I am so pleased to welcome Henry Wilson to the show!
Henry Wilson is the founder of the popular coffee news organization, Perfect Daily Grind as well as the founder of The Producer Roaster Forum. What started as a fascination for the stories of coffee, turned into a much larger enterprise which focuses on connection and bringing the best information and diverse perspectives to bear on the challenges that face our growing industry.
In this conversation with Henry we talk about his road to establishing these platforms and especially focus on the importance of collaboration, connection, and relationship through the Producer Roaster Forum and what we can apply from its example in our own efforts to connect and create a better future.
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Welcome to part 2 of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of @coffeefestshow Los Angels and PNW in 2022!
Today we will be starting off by talking with Shad Baiz of @lamarzocco.usa A long time machine tech in the coffee industry, Shad grew up around espresso tech and has 2 decades worth of experience in serving the industry. Shad Baiz is now the Southwest Sales Director for La Marzocco USA and spends his days helping cafe owners and coffee entrepreneurs determine the right espresso and coffee equipment for their operations.
Shad and I talk about the advancing role of advancing tech in espresso equipment and what role craft still plays in this new era of automation.
Next we chat with Jeremy Lyman of @birchcoffee Jeremy co-founded Birch Coffee, a New York City-based coffee company, in 2009. Since then, the company has grown to 14 locations and is doing 10x the revenue it was doing by the end of year three. The focus of Birch is on service and the way they hire and manage staff has a lot to do with their success. In this conversation we go in depth on how they hire and then lead staff at Birch coffee to create their dream team.
Lastly we get to sit down with MelindJohn of @josumacoffee Melind John is the Chief Espresso Evangelist and Senior Coffee Bean Hunter at Josuma Coffee Company. This dual role reflects Josuma’s unique positioning as an espresso specialist, supplying not just a roasted bean (Malabar Gold Espresso) to cafes, offices, and home baristas but also green coffee beans to roasters for use in their espresso offerings.
I sit down with Melind to talk about the foundational elements of achieving great espresso and the kinds of questions he gets at his long running session on the subject at Coffee Fest.
links:
If you are looking for resourcing, clarity, inspiration, and just a really fun experience then I would suggest attending Coffee Fest Trades Shows!
You can get 50% off your registration by using the code “KEYS” when registering at www.coffeefest.com be sure to follow @coffeefestshow
Welcome to part one of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of @coffeefestshow Los Angels and PNW in 2022!
In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better.
Today we will be talking with Manish Shah founder of Maya Tea. Manish Shah is the owner of Maya Tea Company, a Tucson, Arizona-based manufacturer and distributor of fine loose leaf tea blends. He began his tea company in 1996 with a single product, and has since grown and expanded his line to include over two hundred varieties of tea as well as an innovative line of chai concentrates. In this conversation we chat about tea trends and your business.
Next we chat with Stephanie Alcala of RGC Coffee. Stephanie Alcala is a trader specializing in sustainable coffee supply chains. She works for RGC Coffee, a family-owned importer whete she pursues her passion for agriculture and community economic development. We talk with Stephanie about sustainability and what it means to have a truly responsible supply chain.
The next guest is Maria Cleaveland. Maria Cleaveland is a food & beverage and hospitality professional with business development, strategic planning, finance and operations and brings an entrepreneurial spirit to every project. Currently she serves as North American Sales Director for Urnex Brands. Maria and I talk in this interview about the new innovations and tech making easier for consumers to have great coffee and what it means for coffee shops
Lastly we get to sit down with the great Jim Ngokwey! Jim is managing partner at Mighty Peace Coffee, a social impact coffee importer and roaster that highlights the great coffees of the Congo. As a Congolese immigrant who now calls New York home, Jim dreams of the day when his country’s coffee will not be an afterthought or an exotic option that roasters try once every few years, but rather a mainstay for coffee companies across the country.
Jim and I talk about the ways roasters and coffee people can and should make room for origins like Congolese coffee and then the importance of purging diversity in our businesses as well as the bean counter.
links:
You might have the perfect checklist, SOP, policy, and plan to apply to you current situation, it might even make things technically better, but if you are in the wrong place, position, or even career then those tools can easily become anchors that hold you down.
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the need to make sure that you are in a place that is right for you, how tools can help you discern this, and how to know the difference between something that is challenging vs something that is a sign that you're in the wrong place and need to seek change instead of more efficiencies.
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Why so serious? Coffee is a beverage that inspires a wide range of emotions but within the specialty industry in organizations, competitions, and businesses it has somehow moved away from one of the main emotions that draws so many to it. Happiness.
As we focus on improving our skills, pushing our craft, and solving problems, we also need to make room for fun, community, encouragement and create relations that relieve stress instead of creating it.
Today we are going to joined by someone whose own journey in coffee has taught her deep lessons about place, belonging, professional development and how being happy is an absolute necessity.
We are talking with the indelible Wendelien van Bunnik!
Wendelien van Bunnik is the 2019 Dutch Barista Champion, Dutch Aeropress ánd World Aeropress Champion. She started her career in coffee in 2010, and has competed in coffee competitions since 2011. She started her career as a barista, though after three years, she was employed at a Dutch specialty coffee roastery. Here, she was responsible for wholesale training and education for over 9 years. She has started her own business in 2021 as an AST, trainer and consultant.Though she is a trainer through and through, chances are you know Wendelien from her humorous and relatable content she shares on her Instagram account @wendeliendrinkscoffee .
She is also the founder of The Happy Coffee Network: an open, welcome community space on an online platform, which launches in March '23. This Network is a friendly online place for barista's to connect, share experiences and knowledge as well as provide access to resources and support, no matter their level of coffee skill.
In this episode we will be learning about Wendelien's journey into professional coffee, how she discovered her place and voice in the process, and what she has to say to us about finding happiness.
We discuss:
Links:
Instagram: @wendeliendrinkscoffee
Instagram: @thehappycoffeenetwork
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The ideal for cafe management is that you can raise up and promote a barista from within the shop. Unfortunately that cannot happen in all circumstances and shop that needs to delegate management is forced to seek outside help.
On today's Shift Break i wanted to cover a couple tips for cafes to consider when seeking to hire a manager form outside the shop. I believe these things will help make this move a successful one for all involved.
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Specialty coffee has been defined by a difference in quality and taste for a very long time. It is the central value that creates the markets that we currently operate in. The problem with this though is that taste as a value is, in the end, a subjective opinion. While quality, taste, and serving the desires of customer is always important, how we go about the practice of taste making will either include or exclude those most impacted by out judgments. How can we balance the need to serve and be effective in what we have not, while building a better way for the future? Well, to talk with us about these and many other questions regarding taste is Kosta Kalivoursis of ally Coffee.
Kosta Kallivrousis is a Senior Account Manager with Ally Coffee and has been a fixture in specialty coffee for a very long time. He spend a great deal of his time researching coffee, community, and social movements and putting together some very thought provoking posts that challenge us to evolve into a better industry.
One such article was recently featured in the latest issue of Standart Magazine called "Against Taste". In it Kosta explore the idea of taste as a value that dominates and competes with the well being of those who produce the coffee we enjoy.
On this episode we will dive into this topic and tease out where we are, how we got here, and where we can go in the future if we move beyond the tyranny of taste.
We discuss
Links:
Kosta's Instagram @espresso_patronus
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Community is an incredibly important part of our industry. In fact it is the number one thing cited by professionals as the main reason they love coffee. Unifying around a common love is so powerful and helps us all become better...or does it?
On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how community can often be a way to avoid difficult parts of working together and keep things at a perpetually shallow level of enthusiasm and keep us from making real progress both professionally and industry-wide.
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