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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 countless decisions we make through our lives that affect the lives of others. No matter how small, it makes a difference. That is one of the central messages of the book written by today's guest, Wendra Lynn.  Wendra Lynne is an artist and author with a background in commercial art, as a long time member of the Art Directors Guild for Screen and Television. Today, she brings her artistic expertise and love of nature to write and illustrate picture books uniquely painted with real coffee blended into watercolors. Her first book, The Wondrous Cloud Forest, uses coffee-infused illustrations to tell the story of how shade-grown coffee can protect wildlife, support Indigenous communities, and promote sustainability. Her second book, The Little Bean That Grew to Brew, follows a single coffee bean's journey from seed to cup, mirroring a child's journey of growth and discovery while celebrating resilience, finding purpose, and the big difference seemingly small choices can make. Today we get to talk about Wendra's experiences in art, coffee, writing, and we unpack the lessons she has placed in the Little Bean book as well as the lessons she has learned form her life as an artist that we in the coffee shop world can apply to what we create and who we become as we do.  Links:  https://thelittlebean.org/ https://www.bywendra.com/store/p52/The_Little_Bean.html   Keys to the Shop Consulting: Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related Episodes:  622: Lifting Up Coffee Farmers w/ Ben Carlson of Long Miles Coffee! 112 : The Power of Story w/ James Harper of Filter Stories Podcast 519: The World of Coffee People w/ Ryan Woldt of The Coffee People Podcast SHIFT BREAK: Why Your Shop Needs to Tell Stories       SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 over and over again? Well, the answer may not be what you want to hear, but it may help solve the problem.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about what the most common reasons are for staff asking and re-asking questions, what it means, and what you can do to solve the real problem or discern whether there is even a problem at all!  This is one of those episodes where you have to come with a mind to take ownership. Related episodes:   Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick 541: Repetition, Reminders, and Guidance 490: 7 Vital Things to Include in Daily Shift Work   KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING  Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/   The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

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 class, one more book, one more podcast and then I will act. Really anything, can and does and it become a tool for avoidance not education. Today we are going to be talking about why we procrastinate on taking action and also how we can avoid taking action compulsively out of self interest or ego. The issue that stands in the way of applying information well is typically us. Not the information. Let's talk about it and remove yo as the obstacle.   Keys to the Shop Consulting: Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: 587: How To Apply Insights To Your Coffee Bar SHIFT BREAK: Getting Over the Awkwardness of Leadership SHIFT BREAK! Taking the First Steps Toward Change in the Cafe   SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 not will be whether you have a plan for doing what you say you will do.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why keeping promises is perhaps the most important area for operators to focus on and how to approach the logistics that need to be in place to actually fulfill those promises related employment, leadership, menu, and service.  Related episodes:  SHIFT BREAK! What It Means To Have Integrity In Our Work Coffee, Integrity, and A.I. Managing Expectations in Systems 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING Helps You Find Joy Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    SPONSORS!   Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/   The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

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/Fort-Worth and heard basically the same thing form many experienced owners. Today we will be talking about what is behind this issue and what can be done to begin to unravel and fix the way we view and lead people in our cafes.   Keys to the Shop Consulting: Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 579: How to Really Care For People in the Cafe   SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 talked with thousands of people in my 3 decades of coffee and one thing that persists is the nagging feeling that you are not as good as others and that you need to keep pace with them or some terrible undefined thing will happen. Whether it is the progress you make in coaching or the growth of your cafe, your situation and journey is yours and no one else's. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about this compulsion we have to always think we should be further along andf how to embrace the road you are walking and steward the people and opportunities you have. This is what brings lasting and fulfilling growth. Related episodes:  Three Questions for Better Cafe Decisions Your Peers are not your Customers 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison 604: 5 Habits Holding You and Your Team Back   KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING Helps You Find Joy Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    SPONSORS!   Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/   The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

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 and give some of my own thoughts on the show and lessons you can apply in your business and area.  Kevin Mejia grew up in Monrovia, CA as a skateboarding, cycling, and fitness lover. It was through his love for cycling where he discovered specialty coffee around 2013. Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin's career started to take a shift when he decided to start learning how to roast out of his garage by watching countless amounts of coffee content online and taking classes with other well known roasting teachers. Kevin's interest in roasting really started to take shape when he started to discover Honduran specialty coffee. As the child of Honduran immigrants in the US, the discovery of something from his parent's home country that he could share with the world became very intruiging to Kevin. In, 2022 Kevin and his fiancé, Dulce, took what little money they had in savings and purchased a 3kg Mill City Roaster and started Bevel Coffee. From that point, Bevel operated as cottage food operation selling roasted coffee and as a pop-up coffee cart which went everywhere from birthday parties and weddings, all the way to farmer's markets and other pop-ups throughout LA. This journey eventually led Kevin and Dulce to the patio of a pizza shop called Prime Pizza in Altadena, where they began to build their roots in the city for a little over a year before the Eaton Fire came through and devastated the community. In an effort to continue the Bevel Coffee journey, Kevin and Dulce stayed put, and kept serving the community, attending any and every event related to the neighborhood, and fostering stronger relationships. Eventually, a year and half after the fires, the pop-up finally became Bevel's first brick-and-mortar on Feb 28 of 2026. Kevin's journey in coffee is very reminiscent of his years spent skateboarding and mountain biking. It required passion, community, and a "get up and do it again," attitude that ultimately led to achieving the goal of opening a cafe where he could share all the coffees he loves with a community he loves even more. In this interview we discuss his cafe's history and his own growth and development as an owner and operator.    Links: https://bevelcoffee.com/   Go check out Coffee Fest Trade Shows Today!  www.coffeefest.com

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 love, and established cafe. The later example is actually a bit more daunting since now there is legacy, community, and great staff to steward, all while learning the ropes yourself! Today is a story of how one woman took on this challenge to take over an iconic cafe and what she has learned thus far. I am excited to be talking with the new owner of the iconic cafe, Taproom Coffee, Ashley Derrick! Ashley and her spouse, Alison, have lived in the East Lake neighborhood of Atlanta GA for 23 years. Ashley has been a Realtor for 19 of those years and has consistently taken her clients to Taproom Coffee - long before she wanted to buy it. Doing good work feeds her soul and she loves spending time with community members trying to figure out how to change the world - all while sipping on a cup of coffee.   Links:  https://www.taproomcoffee.com/ https://www.instagram.com/taproomcoffee/   Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive. Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: COVID-19 Focus : Jonathan Pascual | Taproom Coffee and Beer | Atlanta, Georgia 177 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Pascual of Taproom Coffee and Beer in Atlanta, Georgia 542: Founder Friday! w/ Nori and Tin Burmudez of Corridor Flow, Lomita, CA SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 broken in some secret way that we need to find. The result is that, even when we arrive to a good place, our ability to recognize it and rest in it is nonexistent. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why we sometimes need to just let our businesses be. Rest in what has been made and grown and demonstrate to those you lead how to enjoy and be fully present in the moments that you all have worked hard to bring to bear.   Related episodes:  SHIFT BREAK: Rest and Meaningful Work SHIFT BREAK! It's Got To Hurt If It's To Heal! : The Pins and Needles of Positive Change Don't Let The Light Go Out SHIFT BREAK : It's OK to Have Reasonable Tolerances SHIFT BREAK! The Best Strategy is Simplicity 327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java   KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING Helps You Find Joy Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min  SPONSORS!   Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/   The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

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 interior design, workflow, and service standards; it also extends to the menu and what we offer.  Enter the 2 dollar drip. An item that represents an intention put into action to offer something to anyone who has less but still wants to experience the beauty of what a coffee shop has to offer its community.  One of the people championing this item and the philosophy behind it is the founder of Heavy Water Coffee in LA, Tim Riley.  Tim has over a decade of coffee experience from barista, to roaster, and now brick and mortar cafe owner. Heavy water is a family run business that is the culmination of Tim's coffee journey and the lessons of balance between quality, excellence, and genuine hospitality.  Today we are going to talk with Tim all about his career, how he has grown as a persona and a professional over the years, and what is behind the 2 dollar drip and the neighborhood focus of Heavy Water.    Links:  @heavywatercoffee https://www.instagram.com/heavywatercoffee/?hl=en     Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive. Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes:   SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 they both remember AND love. For ten years now our guest has been blazing a trail for cold brew lovers to experience a fun, hospitable, pure, and deliciously crafted cold brew menu. Today we will be talking to Stephanie Jones, Founder of Mrs. Jones Cold Brew in Pensacola, FL   Mrs. Jones Cold brew is a brick and mortar cafe that specializes in high end bottled cold brew with a full menu of flights, specials, flavors, a build your own concept, and classics, all with just cold brew. No espresso machine in sight.  What started as an idea in her kitchen, grew to farmers markets, and not 3 years into her own cafe, Stephanie Jones is sitting down with us to tell the story of here humble beginnings, lessons learned, and the secrets to serving customers cold brew with genuine warmth.  Stephanie is also a 3x Key Holder Coaching Group cohort member! So I have been blessed to see this businesses recent growth.  Here community has raved about her and her team for years and I am thrilled to get her on the show to tell her story and show us what is possible with cold brew and a dream.  Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive. Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality 469: Unremarkable Hospitality and Cafe Terroir     SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 and receive correction to meet the standards. We then rob our business of reach its potential as we now erode the foundations from the inside. Lastly we rob the customer of a great experience because all the little compromises and permissions we give to issues that should be addressed, make their way into the cup.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why operators should not build into their systems and policies, exceptions and leeway that further promotes bad behaviors and habits. It is important that we consistently call ourselves and others up to high standards rather than lowering them for avoidance or convenience.  Related episodes:  496: Hard Decisions and High Standards Grace and High Standards SHIFT BREAK : Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop     KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING HELPS YOU MAKE YOU CAFE BETTER! Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min  SPONSORS!   Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/   The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

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 all, it proves that we are different, better, and that we care about people and quality!...right? Not exactly. Just like Settling the Table before it, Wil Guidara's great book, Unreasonable Hospitality has been making the rounds in the coffee sphere. Many draw inspiration from this book and it helps them make their shops better. Others I have seen take the idea of "unreasonable" and jump over the basics directly into extreme and novel one off efforts or give into the compulsion to reinvent vs refine who they are and what they do. This I feel is a mistake. Today we will be talking about why we need to start with and more successfully maintain reasonable hospitality in order to naturally bring about the kind of moments we can later say were unreasonable, but fit with who we are, vs efforts that we slap on to our shops that are flailing in the basics.   Consulting to help you and your coffee business thrive. Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality 469: Unremarkable Hospitality and Cafe Terroir     SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!

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 product and service issues we do today, comes from pushing people through training and putting them on bar when they are not equipped to succeed.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the danger of "fast-track" training, some of the reasons I believe are behind this practice, and how we can guard against it so we are actually training people well and setting up them, and our guests for success.  Related episodes:  SHIFT BREAK! The Urgent Need for Training in Today's Coffee Shop You Need to Prioritize In-House Training! 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS APPLY TO THE 2026 KHCG COHORT! For cafe owners, the way you and your coffee shop grow is determined by how you are supported and nourished by community. The trouble is most owners are isolated, stressed, and are in desperate need of a type of community that is not just generally related to business but is made up entirely of other coffee shop owners who know exactly where you are coming from.  That is what Key Holder Coaching Groups are all about.  A small group of invested coffee shop owners who are dedicated to encouragement, accountability, insights, and helping each other grow.  Our groups are limited 6-7 experienced cafe owners and we meet 12 times over 6 months in our Zoom sessions where we focus on member led topics that are actually relevant to the real life of a cafe owner.  Each member received 2 hours of one-on-one coaching through this time and has access to our Circle community where they can keep the connection and conversation going between our calls.  I would love to talk with you about how this unique group can make a difference in your life.  Look below for a few testimonials of past members and click this link to apply for the Fall 2026 cohort!  APPLY TO THE 2026 KHCG COHORT!   Testimonials: My name is Susanna Winters and I am the owner and co -founder of Hilton Head Island Coffee Roasters. We're based out of Hilton Head, South Carolina. I've been part of Chris's key holder coaching group for I guess about five months now. And prior to that, I have participated in a few different business groups and business mentorship programs. And this coaching group has by far been the best and provided some of most value that we've received honestly in the two and a half years that we've been in business. And I think it's a combination of being paired with other business owners who are all at different places in their business. It really helps us take this big picture approach as well as get that really nitty gritty feedback, not only of what we need right now, but also what we might need a year from now. And the group that I was part of, it was honestly just so much fun and so much fun getting to know this group. Everyone provided so much value and they were honest and they were vulnerable and they were so transparent with their businesses and everyone really took that extra step to support each other, which is one of the reasons why I'm signing up to do it for another six months. But I absolutely recommend this coaching group. I think it's one the best things out there for new coffee shops, old coffee shops, anyone looking to elevate their business to the next level. -Susannah Winters/ Hilton Head Coffee Roasters      For us looking back, I think we were at a point of growth that we needed to take the steps to grow, but we were wearing ourselves out and burnout was starting to set it.  I feel if we didn't reach out for help with Chris we would have greatly struggled. Both during the coaching and as a result of the coaching.  Working with KTTS consulting has been monumental for us as individuals and as a business.  We were able to get insight and confidence in areas that we felt like we were really struggling in. We took huge steps with hiring a manager and equipping them to help lead.  Chris' structure behind servant leadership really matched well with how we wanted to lead so it allowed a very cohesive development of our foundation for goals, foundations, requirements and leadership. I would HIGHLY recommend KTTS to anyone regardless if you are struggling for feeling as though you are on top of the world with your business. I feel that no matter where you are in your journey, there's always room for growth. I even believe a few years down the road and we are continuing to grow that we would do it again and learn to continue to keep growing in a healthy was as a business and staying healthy as entrepreneurs -Jessica Nguyễn Queen City and Co.     I made the decision to become a part of the Key Holder Coaching Group (KHCG) primarily to establish connections with other professionals who are actively engaged in the coffee business. I have found that through coaching I have been able to improve my productivity, streamlining my operations and have a healthier life/work balance. The most beneficial aspect of the KHCG has been getting the opportunity to explore topics from multiple perspectives. I have found that even If I am not in the "Hot Seat" I am gaining valuable information that is relative to my business in some way. KHCG has proven to be a safe space for me to be vulnerable, increase my self-worth and positively adjust my mindset to get the most out of the experience. As business owners, we are, without a doubt, our most valuable asset. Investing in ourselves, stepping outside of our patterns and opening up to fellow business professionals within our field will absolutely bring fresh perspectives to solve problems and reminders to celebrate wins. You do not have to do it all or do it all alone, KHCG will be a valuable ally on your journey to success. -Sunny Cover / Peekskill Coffee Roasting Company / The Peekskill Coffeehouse

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 to not get caught up in tasks perpetually that make you a bottle neck, I believe we have taken it a bit far as of late where many want to skip a crucial step in the process of their growth.  Today we are going to be talking about why you need to, and always will work IN your business and why that is a good thing for everyone. How effective we are in working on the business later is based on how well we work in it now. Don't believe the myth that you can be a hands of automated leader. Your people and your business deserve better.    "KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS"! Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort: Click below to learn more:  APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP CONSULTING HELPS YOU MAKE YOU CAFE BETTER! Book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    Related episodes: The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership SHIFT BREAK! How to Have Healthy Communication Between your Cafe's Departments 483: Encore: 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders   SPONSORS! "Your Brand Cafe" for all your Cups, Sleeves printing and much more!    The worlds best plant based beverages! The Barista Series!