Coffee With People (Life with COVID)

Today you’re going to meet Megan Duehring, a southern California resident who likes coffee almost as much as she loves riding bikes. Megan’s passion for bicycles also happens to be her profession, something she’s feels lucky to be doing everyday. As manager of the STEPS e-bike Program for Shimano North America, Megan also coordinates advocacy and access projects with PeopleForBikes.

Megan‘s coffee story begins at a French bakery during college. These days her best memories are from coffee rides - days out on the bike with friends that include breaks for coffee and socializing.

Due to some technical difficulties, my conversation was cut short. Be sure to read the blog for the full conversation.

Enjoy this short, but very sweet episode with Megan!

Today I’m excited to share my conversation with Tina Ooley, mountain bike coach and advocate for underserved youth. A recent transplant to Fruita, Colorado from Durango and is the new Mesa County program manager for the Cycle Effect, a non-profit dedicated to creating equitable access through the sport of mountain biking 

In a very thoughtful and inspiration way, Tina also shares her challenges of running a coaching business during the Coronavirus pandemic and how she has drawn from her inner strength to practice a life with more acceptance in a time when things are beyond our control. "Every stop that we come to in our life is a place to practice. To practice adapting and living in the moment.”

Enjoy this week’s episode! 

Today I’m stoked to welcome my friend and fellow (native) Coloradan Trina Ortega. She and I met a few years back on a bike industry media trip and have worked together on and off since. As editor-in-chief of Mountain Flyer Magazine, Trina was in the midst of a deadline when the Coronavirus hit. During this episode, she gives us a sense of what life has been like working full-time, home-schooling her son, and how her community of Carbondale has rallied together. Trina’s kind spirit really shines through, especially when she reminds us that we shouldn’t let fear guide us through this uncertain time.

Most importantly, Trina shares her passion for properly made lattes. You’ll find out that the right type of mug and carefully crafted foam are important aspects of her daily drink. 

Today I’m very excited to introduce Millete Birhanemaskal. She’s a realtor and owner of the Whittier Cafe in Denver.

I know Millete through Breanne Kiefner at Root Adventures. She introduced about a year ago just before we traveled to Ethiopia together on one of their trips. It was a mind-blowing experience. One thing that made it very special was Millete sharing her Ethiopian history as well as time with her family.

During this episode, we chat about how East African beans are super delicious and why the Whittier Cafe is a special place for bringing people together. It was so wonderful to catch up with Millete, she has bright and uplifting energy that makes everyone around her feel good. You’ll know what I mean when you jump into this episode.

Thanks for listening!

I learned a lot about coffee in this latest episode with Sam Higby, an outdoor adventurer and part-owner of First Ascent Coffee. He reminds us that coffee is more than just a beverage that gets us going each day. It is something that engages all the senses, a transcendent experience.

Sam takes us on his coffee journey which landed him in the outdoor paradise called Crested Butte. There, he works alongside his business partners Mark and Allison Drucker, to bring delicious coffee to the world. One exciting thing from this episode is the story of First Ascent's instant coffee. Skeptical? I was too until I had some…I can’t wait to take it on my next adventure! 

Meet Emily Slaco. In the winter she’s on ski patrol and during the rest of the year she is mountain bike guide and coach. I met Emily last spring while shooting a Big Mountain Bike Adventures trip in Croatia. Emily is a big fan of coffee, starting the day with a nice espresso while enjoying mountain views from her home in Pemberton, BC.

As a guide and coach who travels a lot during the mountain bike season is learning to embrace an extended period at home. She’s really enjoying the simplicity and a slower pace of life, something that she hopes to carry with her into the new normal. 

Today we’ll be chatting with Tara Llanes. Tara lives in beautiful British Columbia. where she is on the National Team for Wheelchair Basketball. I know Tara through the mountain bike world and my good buddy Elladee Brown.

There’s not much coffee talk in this episode as Tara is a former coffee drinker. Despite that, Tara shares her love of Yorkshire tea and walks us through her morning cup experience.

As an athlete, Tara and her team are training for the Tokyo Paralympics, something that’s been postposed to 2021. Tara gives us a sense for being away from her teammates and adapting her training in her home environment. 

Canada week continues with my good friend Kelli Sherbinin. She is co-owner of Endless Biking, based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. I met Kelli for the first time two years ago in Kathmandu, Nepal - we were teamed up with Elladee Brown and Jaime Hill and had one of the biggest adventures of our lives. Aside from sharing the experience of riding mountain bikes over the biggest navigable pass in the world, we bonded over coffee, something we made every morning together with the Aeropress coffee machines that Elladee and I carried on our bikes.

Kelli has some sage advice for dealing with the Coronavirus. Like other things in life, she approaches a lot of her challenges with this equation - focus 10% on the problem and 90% on the solution.

I’m glad to report that there’s still toilet paper in British Columbia. This comes from my friend and very adventurous Mountain bike skills coach Sylvie Allen. I’ve known her since 2015 when I traveled up north to shoot for a Big Mountain Bike Adventures Trip. As some of you know the terrain there can be quite intimidating on the first trip there - especially the steep slabs. Sylvie taught me a few tricks that made the trip and have served me well ever since.

While Sylvie has the occasional cup of coffee, she’s more of a tea drinker, making her own elaborate concoction to drink in the morning - let’s jump in let her walk us through it.

Jaime is an entrepreneur who works on two ends of the spectrum. She’s an accountant and a mountain bike coach, satisfying both the analytical and athlete sides of her persona. I met Jaime in 2015 in Whistler, and thankfully we’ve had the chance to connect on some big adventures since then. We’ve also had coffee together in some far-flung places. At home, Jaime starts her day with fancy coffee, a customised drink that starts with chocolate and finishes with whipped cream.

Let’s jump into this episode as Jaime walks us through the process of her morning mocha, and also gives us a breakdown on what’s been challenging for her during the Coronavirus pandemic.