This week, we hang out with Ben Richardson of Sydney’s Made of Many roastery and Brighter cafe, and get into what it really means to build culture in coffee. Ben shares how his journey started not just from wanting to roast great coffee, but from seeing a lack of genuine culture and career paths in many roasteries. He explains how focusing on real relationships and long-term commitment — rather than just chasing perfection or high scores — leads to deeper impact and a more meaningful business overall.

We also touch on the philosophy behind Brighter cafe, which intentionally avoids social media marketing and instead thrives on word-of-mouth and authentic community connections. It’s a long, fun conversation, giving more perspective to who makes up the coffee industry, and how we have so much in common.

🔖 Chapters –

00:00 Welcome Ben

05:04 Building a Coffee Culture: Insights from Experience

10:01 Career Progression in Coffee: Challenges and Opportunities

15:05 Intentional Roasting: Quality vs. Relationships

20:03 The Importance of Commitment: Investing in Producers

24:58 Storytelling in Coffee: Beyond Quality

29:55 The Experience of Coffee: More Than Just a Beverage

40:54 The Evolution of Coffee Roasting Technology

43:53 Brand Identity and Community Engagement in Cafes

47:14 The Power of Authentic Experiences Over Social Media

53:03 Creating a Unique Cafe Culture

01:00:39 Some bullsh!t

🔗 Links –

Connect with Ben:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benyoman_/

Made of Many Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeofmanycoffee/

Connect more with Cat & Cloud:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/

Cat & Cloud webstore: catandcloud.com/

Chris Baca’s Personal Blog: chrisbaca.com/

We are Cat & Cloud Coffee. Started by three friends trying to pursue their passions with the mission to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences, and we created this podcast to continue forming those connections inside and out of our cafes.

The Cat & Cloud podcast was created as a space for us to share our experiences in the coffee industry and starting a business. Each week we sit down to talk about new challenges as business owners, how we've utilize our mission and values to make decisions, and answer questions from our listening community. If you’re looking to expand your coffee knowledge, get some advice for your own small business, or just like the vibes, give us a listen!

Enjoy!