Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Don't hire someone with experience! At least that is what I hear quite often. The idea being that you won't have to untrained old habits. I many people's mind experienced employees are more of a pain than they are willing to deal with.

But where does this assumption come from? Is this a fair rule to have for hiring? I honest don't think so. The truth is that experience is only a liability in the hands of certain people.

On today's Shift Break we will be exploring just how experience can turn into a liability and how to approach baristas with experience in a fair way.

Related episodes:

235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff

194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings

031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career

018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop

For consulting reach out to: [email protected]

Visit our sponsors!

Elevated batch brew and so much more!

Ground Control Cyclops Brewer

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Have you ever thrown your hands up in frustration and said something like, "Why won't my staff listen to me?!" I get this type of question a lot from people attending my lectures at Coffee Fest. Managers and owners alike have this moment often. I know I have. We desire nothing more than generating buy-in and to be at peace knowing that our employees are not only listening but will faithfully carry out what has been communicated. Unfortunately this just is not the case and today we will be exploring what some possible causes and suggesting some fixes to help you finally be able to trust your staff, and yourself.

We will cover:

• Your approach to communication
• Expectations and engagement
• Approach to Leadership and communication
• Feedback and honesty
• A culture of ignoring the boss
• Your focus and energy
• Hiring the wrong people
• Systems of support

Episodes to listen to next:

194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team

244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees

Visit our sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com/keys

www.pacficfoodservice.com

www.coffeefest.com

Sample roasting is a critical part of any roasting operation. But sample roasting is not simply used for finding defects or even just for making purchasing decisions. It is also very important to use as a tool to illustrate what a coffee can do and where it fits in your line up according to your's and your customers tastes. Today we are going to be exploring what our guest, Mike Ebert calls, "Illustrative Roasting", and giving you tools, insights, mindsets, and best practices to use your sample roaster to its fullest capacity in helping your coffee reach its highest potential.

As the founder of Firedancer Coffee Consultants, Mike is dedicated to helping clients create a personalized strategy to ensure long-term success. He works primarily with roasters, producers and retailers, drawing from his extensive experience in all facets of the specialty coffee supply chain to guide clients in reaching their potential. Ebert is an Authorized SCA Trainer; holding the professional level certificates in Green Coffee, Sensory Skills, Roasting and Brewing. He has had a hand in many positions up and down the supply chain and continues his volunteer work with the Specialty Coffee Association's Education Advisory Council as Co-Chair of the Education Content Committee.

In our conversation we cover:

• Sample roasting for defect vs Illustrative
• Roasting with Objectivity and planning use of coffee
• Priorities of sample roasting frequency
• Sample roast and cupping for buying vs development
• Taking into consideration the end user
• Translating from sample roasting to production roasting
• Selecting the right sample roaster
• Assumptions that get you in trouble
• SOPs and System for any and all roasters

Links:

www.firedancercoffee.com

www.roastmagazine.com

Subscribe to Roast Audio Articles!

https://www.roastmagazine.com/audioarticles/

Related Episodes:

RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters

RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises

RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee

RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak

RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind"

RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister

286 : Coffee Roasting Best Practices w/ Scott Rao

Turnover is inevitable. Even though we expect it, it's not easy. When it comes to replacing managers though, it becomes 10x as difficult because they occupy a specialized position and typically possess a certain skill set that made them effective.

On today's shift break we are answering a question posed by a listener on how to go about replacing a manager who is moving on.

This is a great episode for both managers and bosses of managers alike. Succession planning for your admin positions is critical and I hope this episode helps guide you down the right path.

Related episodes:

For consulting reach out to: [email protected]

Visit our sponsors!

Elevated batch brew and so much more!

Ground Control Cyclops Brewer

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Today we get to explore the ever growing Central African coffee farming industry with some one who's company is creating inroads, resources, and opportunities to improve farmers lives and the global demand for their product.

Keith White Jr. is the founder of Paraiso Trading. Paraiso Trading was created to connect Central African Farmers and their high quality organic produce directly to world markets. The company initially focuses on organically produced Coffee, and Cocoa. However as it grows and adds more farmers to the network it will expand the product portfolio.

Working with women farmers, as well as priding ourselves on only working with farms and Cooperatives that we have actually visited and exceed our social and transparency standards in accordance with those required to be apart of the global economy. They work hard to promote the product at a higher price, work with farm owners and managers to assist in obtaining certifications, educate farmers and others on the benefits of improved sustainability and environmental consciousness, as well as educating consumers on the history behind their cups of coffee and who is producing it.

Having grown up the son of a sharecropper in the south and a farmer himself, company owner Keith White has lived the frustration of growing some of the highest quality products on the market yet still struggling to make a living while others became wealthy from the very same product. We aim to be a part of the change happening in the specialty coffee industry!

In our conversation today we talk all about how the company was founded, the opportunities, challenges, and needs associated with bringing central African farming to the greater market, and what we need to know about what goes on behind the scenes in getting providing a stable and thriving life for farmers.

We cover:

• Getting started in coffee and founding pqraiso
• Finding the potential and ways to help farmers in Cbetral Africa
• Brining the coffee to market
• Partnering with farmers
• Certifications and the role they play
• What goes into creating stability for farming communities
• Importance of organic and responsible farming
• Helping shift methods
• Improving land management
• Addressing concerns about supply

Links:

www.paraisotrading.com

Related episodes to listen to next:

288 : The Truth behind Cheap Coffee w/ Karl Weinhold

103 : The Colombian Coffee Connection w/ Ervin Liz

078 : Exploring Green Buying and Sensory Analysis w/ Amanda Juris

265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge

Visit our sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com/keys

www.pacficfoodservice.com

www.coffeefest.com

It's Founder Friday and we are talking with the founder of Chariots Coffees in Uganda, Ochen Simon Eidodo!

Chariots coffees and Barista Academy was established in 2018 by Ochen Simon Eidodo one of the most renown Ugandan professional barista and 2018 Ugandan Barista Champion, whose experience in coffee brings a high level of quality in the coffee value chain in Uganda helping to promote the highest level of coffee quality from farm to cup.

Chariots Coffees and Barista Academy was designed to be the best buyer and seller of high quality coffees in Uganda. They also are training up a highly professional and passionate barista community in Uganda who will brew the best quality their very own Ugandan coffee. The result is the promotion and boosting of the rate of domestic consumption of Ugandan coffee.

In today's conversation we are going to hear the story of both Simon and Chariots Coffees and the incredible impact they are having on the coffee industry in Uganda. I love hearing about producing countries creating change, increasing internal consumption, and building a stronger coffee community right where the coffee grows. Enjoy!

We cover:

• Beginnings in hospitality industry in Uganda
• Simon's shift in perspective on coffee
• His competition experience
• Influence on Ugandan barista and coffee scene
• Adding value at origin
• Starting Chariots Coffee
• Challenges in starting and running the business
• Expanding services
• How the Ugandan barista and coffee scene has changed
• Learning the roasting process
• Passion, purpose, love
• Advice to entrepreneurs at origin

Related Episodes:

247 : Founder Friday! w/ Ritesh Doshi, CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Nairobi, Kenya

171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India

256 : Founder Friday w/ Varat Vichit-Vadakan of Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand

153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee

www.chariotscoffees.com

Instagram

Visit our sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com/keys

www.pacficfoodservice.com

The day is full of issues calling for your attention. Most of the time there are a few urgent problems that need to be addressed and once they are, new ones seem to rush in to fix the void. Where do big problems come from?

On today's shift break we will be discussing the origin of most big problems, why we miss them, and what do do about it.

Related episodes:

278 : Making great Hiring Decisions

The Impact of Absence 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture

For consulting reach out to: [email protected]

Visit our sponsors!

Elevated batch brew and so much more!

Ground Control Cyclops Brewer

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

The problem of cheap coffee keeps producers trapped in cycles of poverty and keeps the power in the hands of those least impacted by what is at best a global crisis. What has led to this current state of the industry and how can we be informed and equipped to make changes with the power we each posses to create a better future and tip the scales in favor of those whose lives are literally on the line? Well that is the subject of the new book "Cheap Coffee" by today's guest, Karl Weinhold.

Karl Wienhold is a consultant, researcher and organizer of postcolonial rural development. He is dedicated to trying to better understand and undo extractive economic power structures that have oppressed people and degraded ecosystems to enrich others since colonial times. He studies coffee, microeconomics, agroforestry, circular economies, and generally fitting square pegs through round holes. He spent several years working as a management consultant specializing in international trade, later shifting to rural development economics and focusing on improving agricultural value chains of tropical cash crops for public, private, and third sector clients. Since founding the farmers' collective Cedro Alto in 2013, he has been supporting smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia, advocating for them in export markets, and moving physical coffee around the world. He has an MBA in global management, resides in Colombia, and is the author of the book "Cheap Coffee.

In our conversation today we talk about Karls journey in coffee and how his experiences, research, and philosophies have developed and contributed to this book. We explore many facets of Cheap Coffee and discuss questions related to the mechanisms behind the crisis and what we need to be aware of in order to take more informed actions as individuals and business owners.

We cover:

• Sustainability and the need for definitions
• Power structures
• Changing for long term benefit
• How we market and what we practice
• The complexity of both the problem and the solutions
• The mechanisms at work behind the scenes
• Perpetuating poverty porn
• Ownership of images and the supply chain
• Better business models
• Helping without condescension
• Curiosity, investigation, and purposeful partnerships

Links:

www.cheapcoffeebook.com

Karls Youtube Channel

Related episodes to listen to next:

265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge

072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way

061 : You Don't Know Beans about Brazil w/ Kelly Stein, Coffea Podcast

020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience

RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister

Visit our sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com/keys

www.pacficfoodservice.com

www.coffeefest.com

Baristas are often the subject of much complaining from leadership. "They just don't get how hard it is" we hear them say. We talked about this last week in the Shift Break "Understanding and Bitterness". Baristas however, are also just as likely to construct the same type of unreasonable expectations of owners and leaders that they don't want put upon them.

Today we are going to be chatting about the barista's role in all this and continuing to emphasis the need for mutual empathy, boundaries, and communication.

Related episodes:

Understanding and Bitterness

Who you are & What you Do 031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career 044 : Navigating Mistakes and Failure : Best Practices for overcoming the problems we bring with us to the cafe 077 : How you can Happen to your Career w/ Scott Anthony Barlow : A frame work for finding the right work

111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others

125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity

Visit our Sponsors!

Elevated batch brew and so much more!

Ground Control Cyclops Brewer

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Whether you are behind the bar making drinks, or behind a laptop making the schedule for your baristas you cannot rely on just one mindset to achieve the best results in your coffee shop. Just like building an agile business that can pivot well in a variety of situations, our minds must be able to shift between preparation and performance. Today we are going to be exploring some of the most critical mindset shifts with the author of the book "Shift your Mind", Brian Levenson!

Brian Levenson is the founder of Strong Skills, which provides executive coaching and mental performance coaching, speaking and consulting to elite organizations, performers and leaders. He has been fortunate to work with CEO's, professional athletes and with teams in the NBA, NHL, and MLS, Division 1 athletic departments, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Homeland Security, Hilton, Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and many other organizations.

He also has a weekly podcast, Intentional Performers, where he interviews a diverse group of elite high performers. His new book, Shift Your Mind, is taking the performance and mindset world by storm!

On this episode we are going to be discussing the concept of minds shifts, why they are necessary, and how to practice them.

We cover:

• The preparation mind and the performance mind
• Humility vs Arrogance
• Perfectionism vs Adaptability
• Analysis vs Instinct
• Fear vs Fearlessness
• Present vs Future
• Selfish vs Selfish

Links:

www.strongskills.com

Intentional Performers Podcast

Related episodes o listen to next:

253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success

243 : Encore Episode! "The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)"

221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin

211 : Straight Talk from the Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs

135 : Stay Motivated in the midst of Difficulty

121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings

Visit our sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com/keys

www.pacficfoodservice.com

www.coffeefest.com