Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

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

On this show we have talked about how leaders are typically seen by staff with some degree of skepticism and/or suspicion due to leaders having authority and how, over time, that gap is closed through building trust and empathy. If that does not happen then that usually leads to bitterness. What we haven't hit on yet is how bitterness can be generated from owners to the staff due staff not understanding what owners or leaders are responsible for. On today's shift break we are going to chat about how the desire for understanding can breed bitterness and what we should expect and do to keep things professional and build more trust in our business relationships. Episodes to listen to next: 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe Visit our Sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com

Scott Rao, a coffee roasting expert and the author of influential books like 'Coffee Roasting: Best Practices,' shares insights from over 25 years in the industry. He discusses the evolution of roasting practices, emphasizing the shift toward lighter roasts and the importance of data logging. Rao highlights mastering moisture control and adapting techniques for consistency. He also challenges traditional beliefs, advocating for systematic experimentation and continuous learning in the coffee community.

Ever Meister, a seasoned journalist and advocate for sustainable coffee practices, shares her insights on transforming coffee purchasing habits. She discusses the detrimental effects of spot buying from numerous producers, urging a shift towards deeper, long-term relationships. The conversation touches on the evolving landscape post-COVID, emphasizing the importance of integrity in sourcing and highlighting the need for commitment over variety. Sustainability, trust, and ethical practices emerge as vital components for a successful specialty coffee industry.

Hiring your friends or relatives can seem like a very convenient solution to the problem of staffing. After all, you know them well and trust them right? What more is there to consider? Well, as it turns out, a lot more. On today's shift break we are going to be discussing why hiring friends and family can breed toxicity and how you can build preventative measures to guard against it. Episodes to listen to next: 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings 066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin Visit our Sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com

If there is one thing that is certain it is that, as you grow your roastery, you become pulled in a thousand different directions. The need to maintain the operation, drive sales, maintain relationships, improve quality, etc becomes overwhelming to the point where you are not sure if growing is a blessing or a curse. Luckily for use, as the industry of roasting continues to expand too too do the resources we have at our disposal to help us beat overwhelm and recapture time and energy. In this category RoastTools is leading the charge to help you streamline, optimize, prioritize and focus on the right things for your roastery to truly thrive, Today we are going to be talking with the founder of Roaster tools Jon Ewald. As the founder of the award-winning sales and operations software platform for coffee roasters, RoasterTools, Jon Ewalt spends his days strategizing, coding and talking with coffee roasters on how they can get more coffee out the door. Jon isn't just another developer who got the coffee bug; he spent eight years building a successful roastery with his wife in the tiny community of Bayfield, Wisconsin, where he developed systems that helped his small team roast, package and deliver thousands of pounds of coffee per week. They sold that business to focus on building (software) tools that help the roasting community achieve that same level of success. Jon is passionate about helping others avoid the mistakes he made, and freeing up founders to spend more time with the things that drive real change in their businesses: their team, their customers and the coffee itself. In today's conversation we will be covering: Entrepreneurship and Improving operations Developing systems and inventing RoasterTools Solution to burn out Scaling through automation and delegation Clarifying your identity and focus Current shifts in the industry How Roaster Tools helps roasters Managing Sales channels Curse of over optimization Episodes to listen to next: 217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler 270 : A Conversation w/ Mark Michaelson of Michaelson Consulting! 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I am very excited for this Founder Friday! When we talk about coffee shops we often talk about culture, authenticity, and relationships. I have the immense pleasure of presenting to you a conversation with someone whose business and way of operating in the world of coffee exemplifies those things. Today we are talking with the dynamic Jackie Nguyen, founder of Cafe Cà Phê, a ground breaking Vietnamese coffee shop based in Kansas City, MO. Jackie is a first generation, Vietnamese American, daughter of a refugee. Born and raised in sunny San Diego, California. After graduating California State University, Fullerton with a BFA in Musical Theatre, she moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. Some of her favorite jobs were performing on stage with Reba McIntyre, Ashlee Simpson, many holiday seasons with How The Grinch Stole Christmas the Musical and most recently traveling the country with the Broadway Revival Tour of Miss Saigon. After ten years of being a New Yorker, ten International and National Broadway tours, she decided to take a career pivot, relocate to KCMO and pour her heart into Cafe Cà Phê. Spending 8 years of being a barista, a trip to Vietnam last year, and a yearning for entrepreneurship, the idea of a Vietnamese coffeeshop was born. I have had the honor of having Jackie as a client since the start of her business and am so excited for you to hear the story of Jackie and Cafe Cà Phê's mission, development, and impact on the KCMO community and beyond. In this conversation we cover: Her unique way of researching the concept Pivoting from the world acting to coffee Responding to changes in the plan due to COVID The difference of the Vietnamese cafe culture Overcoming huge operational challenges Making a place for the KC Asian community Learning to run a coffee trailer from scratch Networking and building relationships Finding locations to pop-up and a long term residency Authentic expression and vulnerability What is next for Cafe Cà Phê Links: Instagram https://www.cafecaphe.com Episodes to listen to next: 281 : The Vietnamese Coffee Revolution w/ Sahra Nguyen of Nguyen Coffee Supply 279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar 199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee, Oceanside, CA 086 : Founder Friday w/ JoEllen Depakakibo / Pinhole Coffee 097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys www.pacficfoodservice.com

Systems, efficiencies, and optimizations of your business are needed elements to make sure it is healthy and thriving. There is, however, a dark side of optimization. When taken too far and left unchecked it becomes obsessive and starts to drain the life from the very thing it was meant to serve. In today's shift break we will discuss over optimization and how to balance your pursuit of systems and efficiencies with the heart of what makes your coffee shop run. Visit our Sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com

People open coffee shops for many reasons. Some good and some-not so good. It really all depends on how you approach the "why" behind your business that determines your success. In a time where the barrier to enter the coffee house space is quite low we see a deluge of new cafes opening and quickly struggling then closing due to a lack of proper preparation born from a lack of proper mindset going into it. On today's episode we will be chatting about five of the most common reasons people open a coffee shop and why they might not be the best reasons for beginning this journey. 1. The Dream 2. My Own Business 3. The Money Maker 4. The Community Hangout Space 5. The Vanity Shop Episodes to listen to next: 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez 202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting 202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting 022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops" 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com