Shows
Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSHIFT BREAK! Considering the Future You When Making DecisionsHave you ever made a regrettable decision in the moment that you would have made differently if you had given yourself a bit more time and space to reason it through? I think we have all been there. Many are there right now! Every time we decide something in the present based on desperation, impatience, or fear, the future version of ourselves and other, suffer for it. There have been countless examples of owners deciding on hiring, programs, expansion, menu items etc that seemed like a good idea, until the more reasonable future Today on S...
2025-08-1410 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSHIFT BREAK! Should You Up-Charge for Alternative Milks?In recent weeks Starbucks has announced it will no longer charge for plant-base alternative milks. This comes after efforts from activists claiming discrimination. Starbucks aside, the conversation about up-charging for alt milk has been going on for a while now with people who feel strongly on either side of the topic. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about whether or not you should be charging for alternative plant based milk options, how to approach this from a practical business perspective, why it's not a great idea to be so obsessed with what major retailers do, a...
2024-11-0715 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSHIFT BREAK: Making Sense of Marketing PromisesMarketing is designed to get you to buy. It is something we all do in our businesses. In fact, to not market is to do the customer a disservice in that they will not be aware of the possibilities your product may have for their business. That said, sometimes marketing goes too far and without a well exercised discernment muscle we can fall prey to claims that do not, or can not, come to fruition. Today on Shift break we will be breaking down the landscape of marketing promises and why it is critical for you to t...
2024-09-0510 min
Coaching for LeadersThe Power of Leadership Through Hospitality, with Will GuidaraWill Guidara: Unreasonable Hospitality
Will Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership received four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars, and in 2017 was named #1 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He has co-authored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is the recipient of WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award. He is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect*.
We expect hospitality from a restaurant or hotel, but we often miss opportunities for this mindset at work. In...
2024-07-0838 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSHIFT BREAK: Why You Need Exit InterviewsTry as we might, the reality is that eventually even the best staff will leave our shops for another job or career. How they leave is largely up to us as leaders. Some will exit on bad terms for reasons related to bad management or their own personal behaviors that are an ill fit. Others will have been wonderful team members and right fit for the role, but need to move on. In all cases there is much to learn that we miss out on when we don't conduct exit interviews. Today on Shift Break we will...
2024-06-0511 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good AuthorityBeing technically skilled as a leader is a small part of what makes one effective. The larger part of cafe effective leadership has to do with emotional skill and how we either create or destroy relationship in the daily life of our coffee businesses. The impact of our over-focus on technical skill leads to many cultural issues that eventually show up in the partial or total downfall of your business. Today I am please to welcome back to the show Jonathan Raymond, who is the author of the book Good Authority, which we discussed on this show 5...
2024-04-3048 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders438 : How to Build a Successful Cafe w/ Erin Young of Red Buffalo CafeOpening a running a successful cafe is no easy task. I requires passion as well as attention to the details around systems, relationships, and being able to grow yourself as a leader in that environment. Today we are going to be exploring one owners journey who not only has done this well, but has just published a book about her experience that gives others insights and tools to find success in their shops! Erin Young is the founder and CEO of Red Buffalo Cafe in Silverthorne, CO. A passionate small business owner and advocate, Erin has actively w...
2023-10-2450 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersThree Questions for Better Cafe DecisionsEveryday we make decisions about both small and large things in the coffee shop. Often those decisions are made in a reactive way that is more born from a sense of urgency and FOMO than intentionality and right fit. Today on Shift Break we will talk about 3 questions to ask when you are faced with any decision and how the habit of asking and answering them will transform your business. Related episodes: Making a Decision Pipeline Slowing down your Response Time 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak The best espresso machi...
2023-07-2710 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders411 : Excellence, Approachable Coffee and Always Learning w/ Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee and Coffee 101 PodcastOpportunities for specialty coffee still abound in certain areas of the American South. With those opportunities comes challenges of communicating coffee in a way that both meets people where they are, and helps open them up to new experiences that expand their enjoyment. Today we are talking with someone who has not only been communicating to his customers through the coffee he roasts, but also through a podcast designed to be an entertaining AND educational. We are chatting with Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee! Kenneth Thomas is host of the very popular Coffee 101 podcast and interviews coffee...
2023-05-2356 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders387: Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda CaldwellAs the 2023 begins it is a great time to take inventory of our cafes and roasteries and really look at what we have done and where we can not only improve, but what needs to change. How can we keep up with the changing industry while still serving our customers? Where do we need to innovate and what are the first steps to building a better business? Today we are discussing all of this and more with our guest Miranda Caldwell! Miranda Caldwell is a coffee business coach and the founder of The Coffee MBA...
2023-01-0359 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSpecific Expectations and Due DatesFor some reason we tend to think people can read our minds. When we communicate generally but expect specific results we are setting ourselves and everyone else up for a lot of tension and confusion. On today's Shift Break we will dive into the idea of communicating and resourcing your baristas and managers to fulfill specific expectations and using due dates to help give structure to directives and projects. Related Episodes: 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick 301 : Hiring and Training for...
2022-05-1909 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders325: How to Manager your TrainersWhen you have a trainer on staff there are specific responsibilities you have as a leader that will determine their success and how happy you are with their performance. Often we can set someone in a position and let them loose with little to no guidance. Of course this is a recipe for disaster and today we are going to be talking about how to provide structure for trainers hat you lead and also we will be talking to trainers about proper focus and mindsets going into the role. When bosses come along side trainers and give...
2022-01-1824 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersHiring for Future LeadershipHiring baristas can bring a lot of uncertainty. It is because of this we tend to go for people who may not make great leaders but default to following. Problems come when it is time to appoint a manager or have people take on. more responsibility and you don't have any candidates that are right for the role. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we should be hiring for future leadership and why it makes sense for your coffee shop. Related Episodes: 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 291 : W...
2022-01-0609 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersYou Can't Automate QualityIt seems like we as an industry want two conflicting things. On the one hand we want baristas to create excellent drinks and to come to work with the mentality that they will not just be on autopilot and phone it in. On the other hand, we have a tendency to believe that the right configuration of recipes and equipment will solve the problem. Today on Shift Break we will be discussing why machines and recipes cannot replace people in providing the kind of quality we seek, and how, ultimately, we need to take ownership over creating th...
2021-10-0709 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersWhy "Next in Line" promotion Might be a Bad IdeaThe question of who to promote to available positions is one that coffee shop operators wrestle with a lot. As with any hiring decision, we can make great choices based on solid reasons or we can make a choice we will regret later that was based on shaky reasoning. One of those not so great reasons to promote someone is that they are "next in line" Today on Shift Break we will explore the idea of "next in line" promotion, why it may not be a great idea, and what to do to make the best decision...
2021-09-3011 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders302 : Data's Roll in the Success of your Shop w/ Mark Calhoun and Jim Strarcev of Perfect CubeThere is a lot of information available to us through our POS systems that show us the numbers behind the business. Owners and managers read these numbers to get a sense of not only how the business is doing, but also to get an idea of where it needs to go and what decisions need to be made to make that happen. So it is quite important that we have a sensible way to approach and use the data so the conclusions we come to and actions we take benefit the business long term. Today I am s...
2021-09-0657 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersTurning the ShipWhen we seek to change things in our coffee shops we often underestimate the amount of time and investment it will take to actually turn things around. I have experienced this both in my consulting as well throughout my career in cafe management helping cafes scale and refine operations. On this shift break we will be discussing how to approach making big changes to your company in a sustainable and effective way. Episodes to listen to next: Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ D...
2021-05-0609 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders278 : Making good Hiring DecisionsA lot of how successful a shop is depends on the people who work in it. In the specialty coffee retail industry we can tend to hire based desperation, convenience, or nepotism. What we end up with then is problems in the work and culture that manifest themselves either immediately or down the road. Instead we need to prioritize the hiring process as the main tool in creating a great cafe experience. In today's episode you and I sit down to talk about some best practices in the hiring process that will make getting the right fit f...
2021-04-2721 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders276 : Six Ideas for Increasing your RevenueHow do I make more money? Which areas of the business can I adjust to increase my profitability? These are the questions on the minds of most coffee entrepreneurs. Running a coffee bar means you make your money via low profit margins that compound when scaled. It is not as easy as simply introducing a new flavor, choosing the right rewards program, or offering tempting discounts and deals. In fact, a lot of the usual tactics are money drains not money makers and are definitely not sustainable. Many of the ways to make more money are hiding in plain...
2021-04-0828 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersThe Myth of the All-Star TeamHiring a great team is the aim of every cafe. Often when we look for the right person we end up looking for the perfect individual vs the perfect fit for the team and culture of our shop. We want an all-star team but what we get can often just be a big collection of egos that don't work well together. Today we will be talking about the myth of the all star team and how we can approach hiring in a way that creates harmony in the work. Related Episodes: 121 : Working from Yo...
2021-03-1008 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersRoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz CoffeeIf this least year has shown us anything, it is that life is unpredictable and can sometimes throw a wrench into our plans, causing us to go into emergency mode. What do we do when this happens? What is our plan for when the roastery goes down? If you are like most busy owners, you probably don't have much of a plan in place for when these things happen. Having a robust and well rehearsed contingency plan can literally save your business and those who depend on it. But where do you start and what should you...
2021-03-0545 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders269 : What to Focus on after you LaunchStarting a coffee bar means you have to focus on several hundred different things at once. It can be maddening! All of this to get to the point where you can open the doors and finally let people enjoy what you and your team have created. But what happens after you launch? Where do you put all that energy you have been used to spending getting ready? Today we are going to cover several key areas that you need to focus on after you launch your shop in order to create the best chance of success. Even i...
2021-03-0121 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersTraining TMIWe love to talk about coffee! So much so, we often fail to give people the information they need to be successful on the bar. If you have ever gone off on a tangent about extraction science and esoteric processing methods with a new hire (I think we all have) then this episode is for you! Today we will talk about training TMI and how we should be approaching the communication of information if we want baristas to be successful as a result of their time in the training process. Related episodes: ...
2021-01-1409 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersSlowing down your Response TimeOne of the most counterintuitive ways to make progress in the right direction just may be slowing down your decision making and response time. We are bombarded with pressure everyday from all sides to make decisions about a myriad of subjects both large and small. Often we will resort to making quick decisions in the moment that we might regret later. In today's Shift Break we will be talking about why slowing your your response time can create a greater likelihood for good decisions down the road. Related Episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave St...
2020-12-1907 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersGood Baristas aren't born, they're Made"I wish they would just get it!" Does this sound familiar? Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today's episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against a slower one and why letting this attuned go unchecked may be holding your business back. Interested it consulting? Reach out! - Chris@keystotheshop.com Related episodes you should listen to: 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School o...
2020-10-1510 minCoaching for LeadersEmbracing Management and Empathy, with Bonni StachowiakBonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.
Listener Questions
Liz wondered how a manager can empathize with an employee while continuing to uphold the businesses needs.
Chris asked about fostering innovation while maintaining business efficiency.
Colette wanted to know what activity was most...
2020-10-0537 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry LopezThe sheer number of things we need to focus on in small business is overwhelming. Amidst the sea of tips, tricks, and tools we know we "should" utilize there are a few things that are absolute musts. Today we are going to hear from one of the world's leading voices in running a successful small business, Henry Lopez. Henry has over 35 years of diverse business experience, including successful careers in the information technology industry, sales, sales training and business ownership. He is currently the Managing Partner of Levante Business Group (supporting entrepreneurs and small business...
2020-09-151h 02Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders237 : Thoughts on Post-COVID CoffeeThere are a ton of opportunities to create resiliency and a better normal through how we approach out our mindset, leadership, staff, business, and customers. As the COVID crisis is still upon us, the question remains, "What happens after this?" In today's epiodes I am presenting something I presented to the SCA on Post-COVID Coffee and outlining various areas and opportunities we have to improve and come out better than before. Preparation is key and viewing this time as an opportunity is essential. Some of the things we will cover are: Vulnerability and trust Cr...
2020-09-0131 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders235 : 4 Tips for Training your StaffHow do you ensure that what you teach in training is effective for both the employee and the business? Well, there are many different elements but amongst those element are four foundational mindsets and practices that serve to hold everything together. Today we are going to be exploring how focusing on minimum viable skills, patience, real-life training, and tracking/follow-up will completely transform your training program and build better baristas. Related episodes: 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak : Coaching, Leadership, education , and how to communicate your coffee and barista knowledge so it sticks 191 : Retraining y...
2020-08-2519 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop LeadersRebuilding your Staff with Excellence w/ Dave StachowiakAs 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...
2020-08-0253 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeownWhat is essential? Many of us have been forced into a place of asking this question for the sake of survival and are now looking to create a new way forward for ourselves, our businesses, and our families. If we want our work and life to be imbued with purpose, joy, clarity, and thriving then we need to embrace this question not as just a survival tactic but as a normal state of being. We need to become Essentialists. Today I am honored to welcome to the show, Greg McKeown, author of the Wall Street J...
2020-06-231h 08Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew CarrollOh boy is this a critical episode! Which one of us does not want to have more financial security? Especially these days? It is not an understatement to say that the future of your cafe hinges on how well you manage your money now and how well you understand money's role in your business. So many of us are rebuilding from the COVID crisis and in need of guidance on how to create financial resiliency in order to both thrive in the coming recession and be prepared for other normal financial challenges that come our way. Today's ep...
2020-06-151h 06Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail ProphetThe future of retail seems pretty uncertain right now. Many of us are left wondering how things will look at the end of this crisis. What will happen to the physical shop and the customers that frequent it. Whenever we consider the future, it can be pretty murky. Today we get some clarity and direction on what the future holds for our businesses and what we can do to prepare for it. I am very pleased to welcome to the show, Doug Stephens, CEO of Retail Prophet! Doug Stephens is one of the world’s forem...
2020-03-3148 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders207 : Hope in Difficult Times w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Coffee RoastersIn the midst of challenging times, there can still be hope and a way forward. Today we welcome back to the show Kathy Turiano to talk about finding hope in the face of difficulty. Kathy is the Co-Owner of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in Rochester, NY, an award winning Roastery and cafe in Rochester, NY that has consistently set the pace for specialty coffee in their city and beyond. Our initial interview with Kathy was a Founder Friday back in May of 2017 (link below). This interview was also focused on the overcoming difficulty and pivoting the business...
2020-03-171h 02Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders204 : Founder Friday! w/ Jeff Taylor of PT's Coffee and Bird Rock CoffeeIt's Founder Friday! I am thrilled to be able to feature a conversation with an old friend and coffee OG, Jeff Taylor. Jeff is the Co-Founder and CEO of the legendary PT's Coffee Roasters in Topeka, KS and the Owner/ President of Bird Rock Coffee in San Diego, CA. In todays episode we dive into Jeff's 27 year journey from founding a small shop called PT's with his business partner Fred Polzin to now being at the helm of an amazing team of coffee professionals that run 10 cafes and two wholesale roasting company’s in 3 states.
2020-02-281h 24Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders193 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Whitcomb of Canary Coffee Bar (Before & After Episode!)It's Founder Friday! Today we get to sit down not once, but twice with Colin Whitcomb of the newly opened Canary Coffee Bar in Milwaukee, WI. In this episode we talk with Colin a couple months before Canary opened and then 3 months after to get a detailed look inside the planning and running of a new business Along with being an amazingly nice guy, Colin has been in coffee for 14 years having worked in some of the nations tope coffee bars. He is also a BGA Executive Counsel member and a long time barista competitor. C...
2019-12-271h 23Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave StachowiakRunning a successful business is all about the quality of your decisions. Whether large or small, each one plays a part in shaping the company and either strengthening or compromising it. To help give us a frame-work and foundation for making quality decisions we welcome back to the show, Dave Stachowiak. Dave is the host and founder of Coaching for Leaders, a top-rated management podcast downloaded 10 million times. With more than 15 years of leadership at Dale Carnegie and a thriving, global leadership academy, he helps leaders discover practical wisdom, build meaningful relationships, and create movement for genuine r...
2019-11-041h 01Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina ConsultingWe all know that training is one of the most critical skills to master in the professional coffee world. Entire careers are made or broken by the influence of a great or a terrible training experience. It stands to reason then that we would go out of our way to find the best examples of training done right and learn from their sucCess in helping others grow their skills. Today that is exactly what we are doing as we talk with the amazing, Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting. Emma is a SCA AST Barista S...
2019-09-301h 05Coaching for LeadersEmployee Retention in Small Business, with Chris DeferioChris Deferio: Keys to the Shop
Chris Deferio is a cafe quality specialist who has dedicated 20 years of his life to working in and studying specialty coffee retail. He is also the creator and host of the industry leading podcast, Keys to the Shop, which gives listeners insights, inspiration, and tools to grow as specialty coffee professionals.
Chris previously appeared on the show to help us get more perspective on managing part-time staff. In this conversation, Chris and I explore some of the practical steps that small business owners and general managers can take in order to support employee retention.
...
2019-06-1737 minCoaching for LeadersHow to Co-Manage With Peers and More Questions, with Bonni StachowiakBonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions.
Listener Questions
Evelyn asked if you need to be a caretaker first before moving to become a rainmaker.
Samantha wondered if you should always try to save someone who has elected to leave.
Tammy wanted to know our advice for managing...
2019-02-0429 minCoaching for LeadersThe Benefit of Being a Rookie, with Liz WisemanLiz Wiseman: Rookie Smarts
Liz Wiseman is listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and named as one of the top 10 leadership thinkers in the world and recipient of the 2016 ATD Champion of Talent Award. She is the author of three best-selling books, including Multipliers* and Rookie Smarts*.
Key Points
When we’re outside of our area of expertise, we have a leaner’s advantage that helps us think outside the box.
When veterans look at tough situations, they look inside. Rookies look to the outside, which often makes them more flexible and creative.
It’s more critical to be able to access w...
2018-03-1239 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders069 : Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes : Purpose of consumer classes, typical class types, and 7 guidelines to keep in mind to get your coffee classes off to the right startWe all want to educate the consumer. Education has gotten a bad rap due to some of our awkward attempts to force information on people in less than ideal times and settings. Enter the consumer coffee class. In this episode we talk about why putting together a class for your customers is the perfect way to create a more informed consumer, a more loyal customer, and a more energized staff. All this while increasing cafe sales through more confident whole bean purchasing. Also we will talk about 7 guidelines to focus on to make sure your classes are s...
2018-01-2335 minKeys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders064 : A Look Back at the Lessons of 2017 : 10 things we learned this year that helped shape our careers and grow us as baristas, managers, trainers, and leaders in coffeeWell 2017 is pretty much in the bag and it has been a year filled with great guests, great topics, insights, information, inspiration, and tools to help us grow. In this episode we go over some of the best lessons learned this year. It is all arranged according to the arc of a coffee career. Starting with lessons for beginning baristas, getting promoted, moving on, being a great boss, serving your people and the customer well, training, and our impact on the coffee farm. It has been fantastic to see what a wide range of subjects we've been a...
2017-12-2646 minCoaching for LeadersHow to Lead Part-Time Staff, with Chris DeferioChris Deferio: Keys to the Shop
Chris Deferio is the host of Keys to the Shop, a podcast that helps coffee service professionals to advance their careers by discovering more about barista work, management, leadership, and the operational knowledge to run a coffee shop.
Chris has decades of experience managing teams of part-time staff in a high turnover industry. In this episode, he shares the most practical tips his team has discovered for helping leaders be most effective with part-time employees.
Key Points
You can only go so far with positive feedback, you should also seek feedback on how you...
2017-03-2043 min