Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

We have developed a mentality that if we can just get the right manual, the best onboarding, the most effective hiring process then all will be well and staff will magically fall in line and our shops will run smoothly. The truth? It's not that easy, no matter how hard you work on those things. Today we will be discussing this propensity, why it is dangerous, and how the real work begins and ends with hands-on leadership. Recommended episodes: 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan : A guide to defining and fighting the under management epidemic in your cafe so you can be the manager your staff need Systems as care 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it Don't You forget About Me 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap Visit our awesome sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

You are unique, but are you just marketing everyone else? How do you differentiate yourself as a business when the market has become so saturated with everyone saying the same things? Customers need clear messaging that delivers meaning, sets you apart, and drives loyalty to your shop. In a time where more than half of the ways we communicate with existing and potential customers is remote, having solid messaging is an absolute must. Today we are going to be discussing all of this with coffee marketing pro, Garrett Oden! Garrett is a coffee industry native who left the cafe to pursue coffee marketing as a freelance copywriter and content strategist. He helps brands like Caffe Nero, Amavida Coffee, Alternative Brewing, and others across the industry find and communicate meaningful messages to customers through website writing, content marketing, packaging, and beyond. Get ready to do a deep dive into actions and strategies that will help you make long term improvements to the way you represent your brand to the world. You will learn about: The problem with our messaging True differentiation Connecting with your core audience Clarity of mission and focus Holistic branding 3 core actions to take Where to put your message Actions and values Hierarchy of messaging intensity Links: www.coffeemarketingschool.com/keys Garret on LinkedIn Garrett on Twitter Related Episodes: Bridging the Values-Actions Gap 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 059 : Founder Friday! Joshua Boyt, Metronome Coffee The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

We have a problem. Dreaming up a vision and writing out our list of core values, missions, etc. is an exciting and crucial part of any business. The problem is that most cafes stop there. The list of ideals an noble pursuits never make their way into reality and are soon relegated to only being invoked at staff meetings. So many of the issue we have with toxic work places, burned out staff, and needless turn over stem from the values-actions gap. Today we are going to discuss this issue and how you can make sure your values are not just nice ideas, but are lived out in the real life of the business. Interested in consulting & coaching : chris@keystotheshop.com Links to related episodes: 156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco COVID-19 Focus : Jonathan Pascual | Taproom Coffee and Beer | Atlanta, Georgia Systems as Care 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap Visit our awesome sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

Humility, serving wholesale clients, accessibility, and creating an inclusive community. These are some of the many topics discussed in this fantastic conversation with today's guest, Anthony Ragler! Native of Brooklyn, NY, Anthony Ragler is a coffee professional who combines his craft with his culture and upbringing to cultivate unique and individual experiences for those he encounters. From working as a wholesale manager, to roaster, and technician, Anthony's experiences allows for him to adapt and connect to many different perspectives and people within and outside the supply chain. Anthony is a 2019 Glittercat Barista Bootcamp Cohort member, a 2020 United States Barista Championship finalist, a 2020 Re:Co Symposium Fellow and currently works as the Regional Developer for Black & White Coffee Roasters in Wake Forest, NC. In this conversation we get to explore Anthony's evolution as a coffee professional and hear the lessons and insights he has gained over the years of serving others and working to create community and support diversity. This is definitely ranks up there as being one of my favorite conversations to date. After you listen you will know why. Enjoy! We discuss: Growing and learning through trials Serving your customer vs serving yourself Cultivating community for POC Learning roasting, wholesale, and support roles Benefits of competition Tips for wholesale support and service Tailoring your approach to the customer How to know if you did a good job The demand chain vs the supply chain Playing favorites Links: Anthony's Instagram Black and White Coffee Roasters Related episodes: 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson Your Customer's Relational Baggage 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Writing a job description is the first step in getting the right people in the right positions in your shop. They seem pretty straight forward but there are some elements that you need to consider when creating these documents that, if applied, will create a document that is truly a resource that benefits the business and the staff. Today we will cover some of these elements and why they are critical. Links to related episodes: Broken Chair Systems as Care You need SOPs Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat Visit our awesome sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

As we seek to rebuild our staff in the midst of the pandemic, many different questions come up about re-hiring, deciding who not to bring back, how to decide who to promote, and generally how do we do this in a way that is good for everyone involved. It is not enamors easy task but today we are going to gain a lot of clarity about these topics and more as we talk with the always insightful, Dave Stachowiak. Dave founded Coaching for Leaders in 2011. Since them the podcast has been downloaded 12 million times and is consistently ranked as the #1 podcast in business, coaching, and management. Dave was named in Forbes as one of the 25 Professional Networking Experts to Watch in 2015 and has also been featured in U.S. News & World Report. He previously served as Senior Vice President with Dale Carnegie of Southern Los Angeles and led training programs for top organizations like the Northrop Grumman Corporation, The United States Air Force, the Boeing Company, and the University of California system. In our conversation today we will cover: Why it is an employers market Making smart hiring decisions The consequences of poor staff placement Longterm thinking vs rushed hiring Assessing readiness Adjusting our decision mindset Job Descriptions Choosing the right person for the role Immediate steps to take in the right direction Links: www.coachingforleaders.com Dave's past KTTS episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak My past episodes on Dave's show: How to Lead Part-Time Staff 415: Employee Retention in Small Business, with Chris Deferio Related episodes: 172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must! 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan : A guide to defining and fighting the under management epidemic in your cafe so you can be the manager your staff need The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

When is comes to community and serving the neighborhood well through the cafe, you'd be hard pressed to find a better example than Franny Lou's Porch, in Philadelphia, PA. Blew Kind began her entrepreneurial journey in 2010 with Leotah's Place in North Philly then, moving across the street and renaming it, she established Franny Lou's Porch. All along the way Blew's goals have been to create an inclusive, loving and distinctly human coffee shop experience. With an emphasis on activism, health, and the history, art, and culture of the black community, Franny Lou's Porch has been a dynamic for peace and change. In today's Founder Friday interview we are going to explore the genesis of Blew's coffee career and also that of her shop and the challenges, lessons, and experiences that she has had seeing this vision into fruition. This was a fantastic conversation and I hope it inspires you. We discuss: Faith in your vision Setting up a board for accountability Serving community and co-creating the culture Starting again after moving locations Overcoming financial burdens Experiences of being taken advantage of Strength of vision but reliance on community The maternal, non-heirachical business model Discussing black owned business, wealth generation What can coffee do to be more accessible and equitable? Creating a place of humans and love Links: www.frannylousporch.org https://www.gofundme.com/f/franny-lous-porch-covid-relief On Instagram Related episodes: 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

You've heard of FOMO, but what about the insidious FOLO? This is the Fear of Limited Options and is a big mental hurdle that most coffee bars have to leap over. If you want to run a healthy business and not have your menu built on a very shaky foundation then today's episode is for you. We are going to discuss what is behind FOLO, why you don't need to fall into or follow it, and what to do instead. Recommended episodes: Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco 219 : Building a Winning Food Program w/ Marilei Denila, Culinary R&D Manager, Go Get em Tiger Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings "Local" does not Equal Quality Visit our awesome sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

This is going to be a deep dive into some foundational ideas related to your shop and the way it exists in your community. I wasn't planning this episode but I really felt a gut-level urgency about the message. Thing is, if we want to build something that lasts and is resilient in the face of our resent and future challenges then prioritizing community what we should be doing. Do we we leave room for, or even really consider, the community when we set out to start and run our stores? What are the ramifications of not doing this and what are the benefits of focusing on it? Today I am sharing some deeper thoughts that tap into the roots of the what and why of our profession and I hope you listen with an open heart. Some things we will cover: Your experience-vs-the customer experience Co-creation and knowing your neighbors Connecting with and leaving room for community The relationship between the shop and the customer Stifling growth and giving up control The coffee bar as a platform for others Gentrification and cognitive dissonance The future of coffee bars and resiliency Conversational nature of your business 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge The BEST in commercial coffee equipment www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

There is an abundance of stress to go around right now. I'd say it is likely the most tense and uncertain time I have seen in coffee in my 20 years of working in retail. Stress leads to more stress and as someone who is prone to stress/panic attacks etc I feel this reality all too well. The question is, since it does not seem to be letting up, what do we do with it? Today I wanted to briefly chat about not stressing about stress and turning the tables on it to use it to our advantage. Please follow the links below for more helpful resources and to listen to the great talk by Kelly McGonigal that was the inspiration for this Shift Break. I love you all. You can do it. Links: TED Talk: How to make Stress your Friend by Kelly McGonigal Related Episodes: 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others Visit our awesome sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com