For this episode we asked you, our listeners, to send us questions - and to plug your business. You sent thought provoking questions which challenged us -- Valerian and Marcus to think outside the box, share their experiences, and call upon their combined experience to come up with possible answers.  We have tasted and drank a lot of coffee, and listener Katie asks us to name the single best cup of coffee each of us has ever had, in our entire lives. Did we choose one of the award winning geshas we often roast and cup, or some experimental process, or something else entirely?  Tune in and hear our opinions of the optimal location to open a roaster / retail store. Valerian shares an interesting challenge he faced at Green Plantation opening in a beautiful rural setting.  Other listeners asked about ideal roast profiles which leads Marcus to encourage all roasters to become confident cuppers and to be rigorous about tracking their data. Our listen John Bergman from Hacienda Coffee had a very specific question about sample roasting on a fluid bed roasters versus a drum roaster, and our hosts discuss the challenges and possible solutions to roasting on machines that utilize different thermodynamic principles. Marcus and Valerian also discuss how they approach blends and Marcus challenges Valerian to try a new technique. Does it matter if coffees are blended with vastly different physical characteristics? Will a blend taste good if you give up some control in the name of consistency? Is the cupping table the best place for product development and QC, or should you use other brew methods too? We hopee you enjoy hearing from listeners and our feedback. Maybe in the future we’ll answer your question.  

Coffee is ME Podcast

Your questions about coffee roasting, blends, best coffee on the planet and Q Grading answered

Anya and Matt are prime examples of the American dream: they had a dream and they invested all their time, money, and energy to make it a reality. The result has enriched  the L.A. coffee culture and brought a unidog to the bottom of the cup. As a European living in the USA, I have always admired the entrepreneurial spirit of my American friends, and I love the unidog. If you do not know what a unidolg is, don't worry, we talk about it in the podcast. In this episode, we talked about the process of starting a cafe, and Anya and Matt explain why was it important for them to roast their own coffee. Spoiler alert--it was not the cost. I feel very proud that Anya and Matt implemented the roasting model that works so well for my European business, Green Plantation, where we roast two days a week and spend the rest of the time on sales, marketing, or resting. Guess where they learned about it? Yes, it was in this podcast. Anya and Matt love to travel and during these travels, they have developed special relations with farmers in coffee lands, bringing them even closer to their coffee and enabling them to relay the story of each coffee in real depth for their customers. Meeting Anya and Matt was truly amazing and we clicked right away. I'm only sorry that it took me such a long time to bring their wisdom and energy to this podcast. But here it is and I hope you will enjoy listening as much as we did recording it.

We were born in the fire - the story of Café de Leche a café and coffee roaster from L.A. - with Matt & Anya Schodorf

In this podcast I interviewed Darren Spicer of Clutch Coffee Bar, a fast-growing coffee drive-through chain. Drive-throughs are a bit foreign to me. I've never used one and personally I consume coffee differently, but most Americans welcome a good coffee on the long commute to work. I am always intrigued about the unknown, so I was very happy when Darren's path crossed with mine in this podcast episode. Like a good drive-through, Darren is a very composed, efficient and to-the-point fellow. If you are playing with the idea of starting a coffee drive-through, there is plenty of gold for you in this episode. We will discuss the best locations for a successful coffee drive-through, the way to make your coffee service efficient, and the most popular and profitable beverages in your café or coffee drive-through. We also touch on the advantages and disadvantages of a franchise model, and whether a coffee drive-through would work in Europe. Enjoy this episode! CLUTCH COFFEE BAR WEBSITE CLUTCH COFFEE BAR INSTAGRAM CLUTCH COFFEE BAR FACEBOOK

This is how you build a coffee drive through, with Darren Spicer, Clutch Coffee Bar

Last year my business partner William Murad and I offered our coffee roasting company, Unleashed Coffee, for sale over this podcast. You know me by now, I live for experiments like this. I was curious whether this podcast was influential enough to sell a company. Spoiler alert! The answer is YES.  For this episode I interviewed the new owner - Kelly Abbott. The deal is done, and in the first part of the interview I was curious to look behind the curtain from when we were negotiating the sale of Unleashed Coffee. I think this part is super useful for anyone who is planning to buy or sell a small business: you can learn from our strategies, wins and missteps in the process.  In the other part of this episode, I wanted to find out what happened after we sold the company to Kelly, what were her first steps and what are her future plans with the company.  On this podcast we have featured a lot of great coffee business origin stories; most of these companies are doing amazing things in the industry and inspire us all. Our goal is always to show our companies’ projects in the best light and to focus on success. But the truth is, sometimes doing business is hard, frustrating and overwhelming. Kelly and I opened up about this taboo topic in the entrepreneur's world.  Have you ever wondered whether your product is too cheap? Is it better to offer a more expensive product and subsidized free shipping, or a cheaper product and let the customer pay for shipping? Kelly was inspired by the Amazon Prime model and made her own discovery in this field. We talk about this decision on the podcast.  Enjoy the show!  PS: Please ignore my bad math in the intro of the podcast. We are doing the 7th season of this podcast, not the 6th! Thank you for all your support!

Kelly bought herself a coffee company and this is how it went down...

In this podcast I welcome back Marcus Young from Boot Coffee. This is an episode where we discuss the most common questions we get from our consulting clients. No, you do not have to pay a dime for this, but a review on Apple Podcasts is welcome.  Thanks. We start the podcast with a discussion about designing a roast profile. Is there such a thing as a correct approach? How many roast profiles should a roasting company have?  Then I put a gun to Marcus's (and my head) and force us to come up with only one roast profile for a new startup. How would it look and why? Only one way to find out: click that Play button. When starting a coffee roasting business, you most likely will have a limited budget and will have to compromise on the quantity of green coffee you can purchase. Each of us came up with three types of coffees we would want to launch with. Spoiler alert: one of them is a decaf. What? Yes, decaf. Why? Find out in this episode of the podcast. Should a coffee roasting startup buy their coffee through direct trade or use an importer? If you go with an importer, Marcus (a former green coffee trader himself) will give you a few tips on how to develop relationships with importers.  Finally, in this episode we revisit the ideal size of a coffee roaster. Finally we agreed on something with Marcus! :) We hope you will have as much fun listening to this podcast as we had recording it.  We have officially launched Black Friday deals, hence this is the Black Friday edition. Until December 1st, 2020 you can enjoy one of these deals. Use coupon code: coffeeisme  

The best roast profiles, green coffees and roaster size for a coffee roasting startup - Black Friday Edition

In this podcast I talked with Lee Pike from the International Women's Coffee Alliance, about the role of women in the industry and what the IWCA does to help improve the life of women coffee producers. The IWCA is a global network of self-driven chapters focused on achieving sustainable livelihoods in their communities. Each chapter sets and pursues its own goals, guided by the IWCA Code of Conduct. All are united by the IWCA mission: to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives and to recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry. We also touched on sensitive topics, including why the Coffee Is Me podcast does not have more women on the show, why our industry is male dominated and whether the lots produced by women farmers have any specific recognizable taste profile. I was also interested to know if there are benefits to roasting companies marketing their coffee as coming from a woman producer.

Empowering Women in Coffee with Lee Pike - International Women's Coffee Alliance

I met Frankie at one of the Q Grader courses at Boot Coffee.  She was 12 and taking part in cupping with us. In this episode I am talking with Frankie Volkema about her brand, Joven Coffee. Frankie's mission is to introduce consumers to young coffee producers. Her goal is to help these producers stay in the coffee industry and to create a sustainable future for them.   Frankie shares some insights on being a teenager entrepreneur, and gives some ideas for other aspiring young entrepreneurs.  Frankie and I also talk about her Q Grader course and exam. I was impressed that she passed these rigorous tests and I was curious what tips she might have on how to pass your Q grader exam. Enjoy the episode. For links mentioned in this episode please visit : Coffee Is ME.

Becoming Q Grader at 12 and Starting a Coffee Brand at 14 with Frankie Volkema - Joven Coffee

Tim is not new in the business world, he built and sold a few successful ventures. When he moved to Grand Rapids, MI, he decided to skip the line and buy his next venture instead of doing the startup hustle.  In this podcast Tim elaborates on why he decided to buy in rather than start up, and whether it was a good idea. He  also gives us valuable tips about how to find and evaluate a company if you’re  thinking to purchase your own. Topics in this show include:  How and why to buy a coffee company Which sales channels do work for Schuil Coffee Flavored coffee. New trend or ghost from the past? What is the magical pricing for grocery stores How to sell your coffee with Trade subscription service Is working with distributors worth it?  Is renting time on your coffee roasters smart? Finally this episode, has a big announcement regarding Unleashed Coffee. If you plan to start a coffee roasting company, you should definitely not miss that part.   Thank you for listening and I hope you will enjoy this episode.   Valerian  

Buying Coffee Brands with Tim Volkema - Schuil Coffee & Sparrows Coffee

My guest in this episode is Stephen Ezell. Stephen is my old buddy, who together with Jonathan Shepard started Sequential Coffee. Jonathan is the business brain and Stephen is the coffee brain of this operation. It is a dream combo for every coffee nerd out there. Lucky Stephen! In this episode, we talked about the first steps and challenges when starting a coffee roasting operation. Sequential Coffee sells online using Shopify, but also retails in grocery stores, and they recently even started a kiosk. Which of these were good decisions? We also discussed how Covid has influenced their operation and the opportunities this crazy time can offer.  Want to start to work in the coffee industry but don’t know where to start?  Stephen revealed his tips for careers in the industry where you can make a decent living wage. We hope you will enjoy this episode.   Find Sequential Coffee:  website instagram facebook

A New Coffee Startup is Born with Stephen Ezell - Sequential Coffee

I am not sure whether it is Joey's fascinating story or the current global situation, but this episode got a bit personal.    Joey first started trading in “commodities” as a drug user and later dealer.  Today he is the CEO of Cafe Kreyol  -- a direct trade coffee importing and roasting company based in Manassas, Virginia.  His path was not straight, but finding God and purpose in his life led him out of the darkness.   Cafe Kreyol has a strong foot in the In this episode I meant to be funny with A question about how his drug smuggling experience helped with direct trade.    That question ended up on the cutting room floor, but we did talk about having a social mission and how it can or can't help with your business, and about coffee farming in Haiti; we discussed different coffee roasters we have used, Joe's wins and losses while building his brand, and finally we returned to a discussion about the universe, soil, and human ego.

Crossing the Line to Work with Haitian farmers - Cafe Kreyol - Joseph Stazzone

Mitchell Popadziuk managed to fall into a perfect team. He is the business mastermind, his brother Tristan brings the coffee passion, and their mother Kelly is the soul of sales and marketing. I am jealous! In a good way ... :) [CxT] is a very young but dynamically growing company which, despite to the fact that Mitch is a podcast listener, fell into the same trap that we at Green Plantation coffee did: underestimating their growth. They initially invested in a US Roaster Corp 5kg roaster which they outgrew very fast. Now they roast on a Loring Falcon. Mitch and I also discussed their sales channels and I shared my experience selling on Amazon, Ebay and Spinn Marketplace. This is the first episode where the guest asked me a question and boy, did I have fun with it! We talked a bit about the idea of electric heating elements in drum roasters and also about use of influencers and Tik Tok for coffee sales.

Building family coffee business with Mitchell Popadziuk - [CxT] Coffee Company

Nick Walton is a rebel... was a rebel. He grew up on a milk farm, but his revolutionary attitude towards his parents drove his dad to say "enough! Time to grow up!" Nick's coffee story starts with sleeping in a car while homeless. Was this the push he needed to take life seriously, which finds its conclusion in a mysteriously-named coffee roasting company Flag and Wire? I will let him tell the story. As fascinating Nick's story is, our conversation is not only about him. We dig in into concrete strategies and tips for every coffee entrepreneur. We start with advice on naming your company. Nick and his wife hired a naming consultant. I wanted to know how that worked for them, was it worth it? Nick shares his very interesting take on passion in the coffee industry, and how his custom-built air roaster irritated other coffee professionals. We also discuss our experiences with different channels when it comes to selling coffee. Where are they getting results, wholesale, grocery stores, a web shop? Finally we gave some love to a few wine producers. Since we recorded the podcast remotely early in the day, we did not pop any wine this time, but we discussed our favorite wine makers. My suggestion was from Rachel Ryan - Sierra Foothills Chardonnay, and Nick suggested wine makers like Eyrie Vineyards, A to Z, Brooks Wines. You can find Flag And Wire: Website Instagram Facebook

The rebel heart of Flag and Wire Coffee

We are back with a great new podcast featuring a really cool new innovation in coffee roasting - the Bellwether Coffee Roasting Machine. Bellwether has developed a new type of small-batch electric commercial coffee roaster. It doesn’t require ventilation, a gas line, or even a contractor or complicated permit to install. It features tablet based roasting software, and the company has a green coffee sourcing division that allows companies to get up and running quickly with customized roast profiles for each of the coffees in their inventory. Does this sound too good to be true? It may have been designed and built by coffee people, but we were uncertain of the efficacy, practicality, ability to produce delicious coffee, and the cost benefits of such a device. We wondered, do we really need a new roaster? Well, we’ve tasted the coffee and can confidently claim it produces a delicious roast. After seeing the operation, we were equally impressed by what they’ve produced. Join Valerian and Marcus as we discuss this new technology with Arno Holschuh, Bellwether’s Chief Coffee Officer and one of the early innovators of the Bellwether Roaster

Is this coffee roaster the future of coffee roasting? With Arno Holschuh from Bellwether

We are back with part 2 of our discussion with Umeko Motoyoshi, coffee entrepreneur, social media expert, educator, and author. In this episode we continue last week’s discussion with the author of The @wastingcoffee Guide To Not Wasting Coffee and purveyor of the Umeshiso Cupping Spoons. This week we share the results of a super fun and enlightening consumer experiment Valerian, Marcus, and Melissa conducted at the Boot Coffee Campus booth at the San Francisco Coffee Festival and hear Umeko’s take on the experiment and how consumers approach coffee differently from coffee professionals. Umeko also shares some of her secret sauce for social media success. With over 13,000 followers, she knows how to engage social media users! Listen in and learn how being genuine and showing yourself is one way to build a brand. We ask Umeko how influencers, specifically micro influencers, can build a brand; and explore how you can build and reinforce trust in your brand through your social media presence (or risk losing trust).  Learn more about The @Wastingcoffee Guide to Not Wasting Coffee and some of the ways Umeko sees our industry normalizing waste and devaluing coffee and the work of everyone involved. It’s an important discussion that she’s tackling head on!

$500 Gesha vs $10 Brazilian Coffee and Instagram Marketing Tips with Umeko Motoyoshi

This week we talk with Q grader, author, educator, entrepreneur Umeko Motoyoshi. This is part 1 of a two part episode with Umeko, the creator of the Umeshiso rainbow cupping spoon and author of The @wastingcoffee Guide To Not Wasting Coffee. We discuss how making the cupping and tasting environment more inclusive and accessible can draw customers into the discussion of flavor and taste. Umeko discusses how we should bring ourselves into the cupping room, how taste and flavor perception and experiences are deeply personal, and that it’s okay if we don’t all share the same experience of a coffee. The conversations ranges from Q Grading and the goal objectivity, the way the SCA cupping form informs our experiences and the influence of our upbringings. We loved hosting Umeko and her throughtfulness. Join us as we share impressions of La Mula geisha from Panama, an incredible robusta Marcus discovered on a recent trip to Brazil from Cafe Fazenda Venturim, and two of Valerian’s coffees - one from Green Plantation in Slovakia and the other from Unleashed Coffee in the US. We will soon post the rest of the discussion in part two where talk about social media, building a brand, and other entrepreneurial topics.

Umeko Motoyoshi - The Personality of Coffee Tasting. Is it a Real Thing?

Podcast for coffee professionals and enthusiasts. Valerian interviews emerging and established coffee professionals who are ready to reveal their secrets so you can use them to improve the quality of your coffee and boost your coffee business. Valerian works on online coffee education projects from his home in Northern California. Originally he is from Central Europe where he co-owns a third wave coffee roasting company called Green Plantation.

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Coffee is ME Podcast

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