Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Latest Episodes:

Latte Art Expectations Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #16 : Latte art competitions are fun and inspire us to greater heights of presentation and skill. They can also, when taken without context, frustrate and paint a literally unrealistic picture for aspiring baristas. Today I share some of my thoughts on how to balance the real world with the competitive one.

107 : Kyle Glanville & Charles Babinski of G&B Coffee / Go Get Em Tiger : The shift to roasting their own, the challenges and learning curve of roasting, shop expansion, dialing in, roasting for beverage quality, business philosophy, how they start Aug 28, 2018

Show notes

Live from Los Angeles! G&B Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger are two of the best shops you can find in this world. Since the beginning owners Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski have used the multi-roaster to critical acclaim. They have now, however, taken the massive step to roasting all of their own coffees. In this interview Kyle and Charles sit down with me in their new roasting space and talk about this transition, why they made the decision, what made it apparent that it was the right thing to do for them, and what they did to prepare to do it successfully.

We also chat about their methods for quality control, business philosophy, retail concept development, and their plans for future shop growth. Their advice and insight is priceless as it is earned on the back of the grit of real world experience building what they want to become, and arguably already is, an L.A. institution.

Don't miss this one!

Links

www.gandb.coffee(sign up for the mailing list)

Go Get Em Tiger Instagram

G&B Instagram

Twitter

Introducing Chaos Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #15 : In spite of our best intentions, we who are leaders in the cafe can often introduce chaos through the way we act without consideration for those who will be affected by our decisions and example. Today we chat about three things to keep in mind that will help you avoid introducing chaos into the bar, will help you retain staff, and will help you build a strong culture of trust and appreciation.

106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

Changing lives through coffee! It is something we all want to take part in and learn how to do with our businesses and careers. Well, today's guest is doing just that and setting an example that should inspire all of us. We are having a conversation with Pamela Chng, the founder of Bettr Barista. Better Barista is a coffee organization built to make a lasting social impact by working with marginalize women and at risk youth in Singapore.

We dig into her work, the history of why she set up this company, how it works, the challenges of training high standards in coffee and also helping train their students emotionally, and physically to better their lives and overcome the challenges they face.

Pamela also lays out for us what we should do if we too want to use our business for social impact and effectively change lives through coffee.

Pamela is basically a hero and this conversation is sure to inspire you to action.

Enjoy!

Links:

WWW.BETTRBARISTA.COM

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

"It's not my Job" & Self-Sabotage Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #14 : We explore that all too familiar cop-out, "It's not my Job", how giving into that notion will sabotage your career, and what to do and think instead.

105 : Leadership & Management Masterclass w/ Maria Cleaveland : Leadership in the coffee shop, importance systems and clear vision, shaping a career, servant leadership, taking advantage of opportunities, going the extra mile, challenging yourself, l Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

Maria Cleaveland is a master of management, leadership, and organizational systems and process. She has spent over 30 years in hospitality leadership, the last 17 of which have spent in leading the charge in specialty coffee. Her journey has been one of taking on challenges and a wide variety of high level roles that shaped her into the professional she is today. In this conversation we talk about the arc her career and from it pull out amazing insights, advice, and life lessons that she has learned that will leave you motivated and equipped to better pursue the opportunities that this industry presents to you.

It was a great honor to have Maria on the show and I hope you really enjoy this Leadership and Management Master Class.

Links:

Spiders ! Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #13 : What can we learn about hospitality from spiders? Today on Shift Break we talk about just that.

104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel : Why is it hard to give feedback, how to effectively give difficult feedback, 4 steps process model, developing your coffee shop staff, coaching, follow through Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

Giving feedback is not an easy task. We often psych ourselves out and/or procrastinate on delivering it, dreading the conversation and what might happen when we bring it up. This is especially true when the situation seems to be infused with tension. Fear not! Today we turn to coaching and communication expert (and past guest), Tom Henschel to help us navigate the task of delivering feedback effectively so you get the best possible outcome. We discuss why it is hard to give feedback, the importance of keeping things conversational, some key missteps that managers make when delivering feedback, and we explore a 4 step model that Tom uses with his clients that provides a great framework for that feedback conversation you need to have. We even act out a couple scenarios and direct them to give examples of what to do , and what not to do.

This episode is immensely practical and important. Tom, of course, delivers priceless insights and advice that you won't want to miss.

Be sure to go to www.keystotheshop.com/resources to download the PDF of the 4 step feedback model Tom has generously made available to KTTS listeners!

Links:

Tom's Company: www.essentialcomm.com

Tom's Podcast: The look and Sound of Leadership

Tom's last appearance on KTTS: ep. 52 Solving Coworker Conflict

The Barista Slump : Thoughts on how to deal with times of love-loss, uncertainty, hardship, and weariness in your coffee career Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #12 : It is bound to happen. One day we are inspired, passionate, and the wind is in our sails , but the next we are down, weary, questioning our choice of career, and generally in a slump. The good news is that this is a normal occurrence and the even better news is that it may actually be good for us. Today we discuss the purpose of these dry spells and low points we are bound to encounter as we grow and how we can embrace them as vital elements in our long-term health and success.

103 : The Colombian Coffee Connection w/ Ervin Liz : True relationship coffee, effective representation of origins, growing up on a coffee farm, retail coffee's role in connecting effectively with farmers Jul 30, 2018

Show notes

Ervin Liz is an indigenous Colombian of the Nasa tribe who grew up on a coffee farm helping his family plant, pick, process, and sell their harvest. Years later co-founded The Colombian Coffee Connection where he imports, roasts, and sells the coffee sourced from his home in Colombia direct to the consumer and gives 10% of all profits to charitable initiatives on the farm. Relationship coffee does not get more intimate than that!

In this interview we get to hear about Ervin's story, the company's founding, and Ervins perspective on the effectiveness of certifications and their impact on the farmer. We also discuss the trend of internal consumption of specialty coffee at origin, and what shops can do to best represent the farmer to their customers. This is a great opportunity to see the entire supply chain through the yes of someone who has literally done it all.

Enjoy!

Links:

To learn more and buy coffee visit:

www.thecollombiancoffeeconnection.com Use code:"Keys" to get 5% off your entire purchase and $5 per lb one coffee sold will also be donated to humanitarian relief "Coffee w/ Heart"

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