Have I told you that my first solid food was tofu? That was the first of many foods my parents introduced me to as a kid. I didn’t eat much off the kids menu - I just shared whatever my parents were eating. And since they were studying Chinese, we ate a lot of Chinese food, often at dinners where the primary language was Chinese.

At the time I’m not so sure I appreciate the opportunity to taste geoduck, or scallops stuffed into cucumbers, or szechuan peppers. But my parents at the time applied a very simple rule, and it’s one I still use to this day - try everything at least once.

When I first teach Baristas about bar cleanliness I use an expression: “clean is clean. Dirty is not clean.” First reaction? Everyone laughs. Clearly I’m stating the obvious right?

It’s seems like the season is upon us: the time to shop for new jobs in coffee. There – the secret’s out!

There are a few seasons each year in coffee, one right around expo, and another in the fall, just before holiday shopping season, that people seem ready for a change at work. This time can be a struggle, personally and professionally, for both employers and employees.

You’ve probably heard this advice before – “The best way to get ahead is to do the best possible job at the job you’re in”.

Well…

There are five pretty straightforward standards, that are just that – standards. Or maybe I should say baseline measurements. As in, if these things aren’t done, I’m not staying in your space. If these aren’t done, this is where your team needs to focus its practice!

The following is an exercise that uses some of the questions I ask that help process why a deviation exists between written ideas and your team's daily actions. Hopefully it will help you better understand your company’s identity and next steps to align with or change what it is now. The first step is admitting you may not be exactly who you say you are.

Ok. So you’ve done the things. You’ve worked with your manager. You’ve tried to advance internally. Or your dream position doesn’t exist within your current company – or it’ll take 20 more years to get there.

You’ve done everything you can do. It’s time. Let’s move on. Here’s how.

Last week I joined Chris Deferio for Episode 15 of his new podcast The Keys to the Shop. It's a follow-up to Episode 14, so I highly recommend giving both a listen, especially in this transitional/job-hunting time.

Or, should I say, pay attention to all the things you taste.

OMG This! Might write a longer post soon, but just wanted to get this out there! Another great talk by Nick Cho on learnfulness, careers, and the future of specialty coffee. 

So this post is one about a tough topic: money. Specifically, personal finance. Which, is a funny thing in this world of specialty coffee. While we talk about the global economy all the time, personal banking? Not so much.

I've learned that those of you taking the time to visit are most interested in one thing: Career development. So, that's where I am going to start.

We chatted nostalgia, service, trends, and why I don't always feel like I belong in coffee. It's also a nice run-down of the goals I'm putting into place with my new project, and how it'll help our community (& hopefully you!). I hope you'll give it a listen!