Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

635: Wholesale and Building Relationships w/ Bear Soliven of Onyx Coffee Lab

Coffee is built on relationships. Wholesale relationships are particularly important in that there is a need for both equipping and resourcing, as well as connecting and

SHIFT BREAK! Don't Let One-on-Ones Become Gossip Sessions

"I want to have one on ones but they always turn into gripe sessions!" You have perhaps experienced this problem. You go to sit down with staff and begin a habit of good

634: The Book About A Little Bean That Makes a Big Difference w/ Artist and author, Wendra Lynn

Stories are how we communicate something deeper than just information. They help both old shape their worldview and grasp concepts that have far reaching impact on the co

SHIFT BREAK! Help! My Baristas Ask me the Same Questions!

Do you find yourself saying this? Over the years I have heard this or a version of this on repeat (the irony!) What is going on? Why do your staff ask you the same things

633 Making Information Stick in Your Cafe by Removing Yourself as The Obstacle

It is easy to fall into the trap of sitting on helpful information and ideas that can help your business and your people because you feel it needs to be perfect. One more

SHIFT BREAK! The Logistics of Keeping Your Promises

We promise people a lot of things. Whether they are implied by marketing, or stated directly, the biggest differentiator between a cafe that is trusted and one that is no

632: Addressing the Biggest Challenge Cafe Owner's Face

People. This is what owners consistently say is one of the biggest challenges they have in running their shops. Why is this? Well, I was just at Coffee Fest in Dallas/For

SB Cafe Owner! You Don't Have to Keep Up With Others

Am I behind? This was a question I was asked by a coaching client recently. They worried that they may be not to where most people "should be" in their coaching. I have t

Special! Interview and Commentary From Coffee Fest Los Angeles 2026! w/ Kevin Mejia of Bevel Coffee

Coffee Fest LA was awesome and I am finally getting this episode out right before we fly out to Dallas! Stay tuned.  In this episode I sat down with one great presenter

631 Ashley Derrick: The Joys and Challenges of Buying an Existing Cafe

Many owners start in the business of coffee shops by buying an existing cafe. Sometimes there is a lot of work to do. Other times, the cafe is already a successful, well

SHIFT BREAK! Let Your Cafe Be

In the ecosystem of entrepreneurship we glorify and practice a certain kind of paranoia about our businesses. We are never happy and always suspecting we are behind, or b

630: Two Dollar Drip and The Fight For Accessible Menus w/ Tim Riley of Heavy Water Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

The coffee shop experience is one that should be accessible to a wide variety of people. How we go about building a welcoming and hospitable space is not only the work of

629: Founder Friday! Stephanie Jones of Mrs. Jones Cold Brew is The OG Cold Brew Queen!

Cold brew only is not a normal thing for a coffee bar. It takes deep dedication, innovation, and focus to drive that concept and offer customers out of the ordinary that

SHIFT BREAK! Don't Build Compromise Into Your Business

What happens when we build into our systems exceptions for the less than desirable habits of staff? Well for starters we rob that staff member of the opportunity to grow

628: Start With Reasonable Hospitality

We love extremes. Novel services, events, specials, and stunts to catapult us into the consciousness of our customers seem to be what we favor and are fixated on. After a

SHIFT BREAK! The Danger of Fast-Track Training

The temptation for fast-track people during training is a very common one. I would go so far as to say that, half of the reason we see the inconsistencies and quality of

627: Why You Need to Work IN Your Business

We hear the advice from the popular author of "The E-Myth" saying that we should work ON our business, not IN it. While I understand and agree with the point being made t

SHIFT BREAK! Vibes Are a Cheap Replacement For Meaning

I hear the word "vibes" used as a stand in for a lot of different things. Most often it is used to describe a somewhat ambiguous sense of good feelings or peace of mind a

626: Why You Are Not Getting Ahead in Your Career

We all have ambitions and hopes for our career but time passes and we don't see any progress. It would be a mistake to chalk this up to fate instead of a lack of progress

SHIFT BREAK! It's Got To Hurt If It's To Heal! : The Pins and Needles of Positive Change

All too often we are likely to stick with the comfortable and known dysfunction or the habitual neglect of important areas of our business, than to take the uncomfortable