Podcast appearances and mentions of prima coffee

Coffee and the coffee shop have an amazing history. From the Ottoman Empire to your favorite 3rd wave coffee bar, there have been many evolutions and critical pints in time that have led us to where we are today. In order to move forward well, we need to be well informed of our industry's past. To help us in this effort we are chatting with coffee historian, Prof. Jonathan Morris Jonathan Morris is a Research Professor in History at the University of Hertfordshire, specializing in the history of coffee. His latest book Coffee: A Global History explains how coffee became popular the world over,  and why tastes in coffee differ all over the world. Jonathan was the European Editor of Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry (2013) and directed the Cappuccino Conquests research project which traced the history of Italian-style coffee from the origins of espresso through to the global coffee shop chains of today. In this episode we are talking with Prof. Morris about some key points in the evolution of the coffee shop that impact us today. We will discuss: The democratic intent of the cafe Eras of the cafe's evolution and why they were significant Alcohol’s connection to the cafe and what is concerning about it today?  The social importance and role of the cafe in society Coffee prices in the shop and politics Differentiating ourselves to the consumer Are we niching down too far?  What things should we be focusing on now as we write this next chapter of cafe history  Links: thecoffeehistorian.com Buy the book on Amazon prof.jonathan.morris@gmail.com   Related Episodes: Your Peers are not Your Customers 090 : Researching the Cafe w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira   Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link!    Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

It's tech time! Equipment breaks, that is just a fact of life. How and why it breaks depends on the way we maintain (or don't maintain) it over the corse of its life. right now there are thousands of bars working on machines that are either about to break or are well on their way because of improper care. Today we are talking with Counter Culture Coffee NYC equipment tech extraordinaire, Melissa Vaiden. The goal of our conversation? To help us avoid an untimely demise for the equipment we depend on.  Melissa Vaiden is a service technician for Counter Culture Coffee in the NYC region. After working as a barista for years, she found a tech internship at Boxcar Coffee that sparked her love for fixing coffee equipment. She speaks on panels sharing her experience as one of the few women working in the technical field. She also is a stage manager for the Coffee Champ's Cup Tasters competition. In this conversation e cover a LOT of information and best practices for your brewers, grinders, espresso machines and filtration. If you follow Melissa's advice here you will be sure to save yourself a world of suffering form needless maintenance issues.  We cover: Preventative maintenance for Espresso, brewer, grinders Why so many businesses get behind in their machine care Mindsets for getting the most from your equipment Budgeting for inevitable costs in machine care Filtration best practices Purchasing the right machine for your business Links: Counter Culture Coffee   Related episodes: Talking Tech w/ Tom Ritz Terry's Top 10: How not to Kill your Espresso Machine Supplying and Selecting Equipment w/ Steve Rhinehart   Got questions, comments, feedback? Want to work with KTTS Consulting? Chris@keystotheshop.com   Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link!    Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Learning about consumer trends and preferences keeps us sharp and relevant. How well our shops do will have a huge impact on everyone in the value stream of coffee and in order to do our best work we need to be paying attention to what the research says as well as doing our own research locally. Thankfully the SCA has been doing intensive consumer and retail research for over a decade and what they have found may shift the way you view your customers and your business. To discuss the data with us today we are talking with the great Peter Giuliano, Chief Research Officer of the SCA and the Director of The Coffee Science Foundation. Peter has been in specialty coffee for over 30 years. In his long and illustrious career he has occupied almost every role both in the retail shop and roastery. You might also know him as being the former Director of Coffee and Co-Owner of Counter Culture Coffee. He has been deeply involved in SCA training programs, serving as Training Committee Chair from 2005-2007 and has been a volunteer for the Coffee Corps and other CQI programs.  Peter has always been a champion for coffee science and is truly thriving in his current role helping connect scientists, economists, sociologist, etc. with the coffee community to produce robust analytics to inform our moves into the future.  In this conversation we will dive into some of their findings from the consumer and retail research and discuss how it applies to what we do in the shop. I hope you enjoy!   You will learn about: The importance of scientific research What "Specialty Adopters" and "Super Specialty" are How people get their taste preferences How to respond to large-scale studies The importance of local research  What does the data show is encouraging and challenging Find out more information here: www.sca.coffee/research  Peter on Twitter Related Episodes: Researching the Cafe w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira Designing the guest Experience w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids & the Importance of Coffee Science The Consumer Revolution w/ Kevin Sinnott   Got questions, comments, feedback? Want to work with KTTS Consulting? Chris@keystotheshop.com   Visit our sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link!      Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service  

Getting your local coffee community to come together can be a powerful way to build networks, friendships, and careers. This is what today’s guests have made their mission. Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez are long time professional baristas who founded Espresso State of Mind in 2017 to give their fellow baristas a platform to showcase talents, meet one another, and excel in their careers. Besides consulting, content creation, and catering, their main focus is on hosting latte art throw downs. In our discussion today we are going to get an inside look into Espresso State of Mind and walk away motivated by the lessons they have learned, the advice they give for starting something in your own community, and the passion and drive they express for just going out and making your dreams a reality.  Enjoy!  Links: www.espressostateofmind.com Instagram   Related episodes: How to host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepard  Founder Friday w/ Jason Card Mastering Latte Art: Interviews w/ the Best    Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here!   www.prima-coffee.com/keys 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link!      Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service            

That's it! The year is done and to help us ring in the New Year I am re-airing a classic from way back in the day. January 17 2017 is when "Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to being a People First Leader" first aired. Now, three years and 274 episodes later, the message rings just as true and is just as relevant as ever before. If there is anything you need to do to secure a great year for yourself, your staff, and your business it is focusing on how we show up as leaders in the specialty coffee retail space. This episode gives you some great first steps to achieve that.  I hope you have a happy New Year. Thank you sincerely for listening, sharing, and allowing Keys to the Shop to play a part in your coffee journey.  As you seek to unlock new levels this coming year just remember that YOU... are the keys to the shop!   Related Episodes: 100: Why YOU are the Key 013 : Leadership & Managment Master Class w/ Eva Attia 089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday 105 : Leadership & Management Masterclass w/ Maria Cleaveland 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome 028 : Why it's OK to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan The Affirmation Vacuum     Click here to vote for Keys to the Shop for "Best Coffee Podcast" in the 11th Annual Sprudgies!      Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here!   www.prima-coffee.com/keys 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link!      Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service            

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. Colin knows coffee and coffee shops and this move to open his own cafe is quite exciting.  There is a lot covered in this 2 part episode and I hope you get a lot form Colin's experiences as an entrepreneur.  You will learn about: Canary's unique business concept The value of having people help you in the build out Dealing with the city  Learning to let things go The most rewarding parts of starting a coffee bar The challenges of staffing and gauging business needs Self care and time management Why you should over capitalize your business   Links: www.Cararycoffeebar.com Instagram   Related episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 111 : Self-Care 101 002 : Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com   Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here!   5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service        

27 Million. That is the number of people who are trapped in modern day slavery. It is a number that may leave many wondering what they can possibly do in the face of such a daunting statistic. However, today's guest decided that she needed to take action and try to make a difference. Esther Hope-Gibbs is a veteran coffee professional, AST instructor, and the Director and Founder of Manumit Coffee Roasters. Manumit Coffee offers dignity & hope to survivors of modern slavery through training & employment. Their coffee is roasted by men and women who have suffered horrendous exploitation at the hands of traffickers and modern slave traders but are now rebuilding their lives through coffee.  In today's conversation we get to hear the Story of Manumit Coffee and all the positive impact it has had over the last two and a half years since its founding. I am so honored to talk with Esther and love that we get to share this episode about giving people the gift of freedom through coffee on Christmas Eve.  I hope this is inspiring and encouraging!   In this episode you will learn: How Manumit Coffee was born The unique challenges of training a vulnerable community The importance of boundaries  The necessity and benefit of structure How Manumit has facilitated success for survivors How to be prepared to take on work with vulnerable people in your business Links: BUY MANUMIT COFFEE! www.manumitcoffee.co.uk  Instagram   Related Episodes: Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista Solving Teen Homelessness w/ Rugid Grind   Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com   Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here!   5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

Has it been a while since you last trained the staff and practices are outdated or ineffective? As a business grows the need for raising the standards in the shop becomes an absolute necessity.  The new year is approaching and if you seek to bring in a new level of quality to you operation then making the right steps in implementing  these changes is key to determining whether they stick in the long term and your business stays relevant and competitive.  Today we get to talk about the 3 phases of successfully taking on retraining in the shop and some of the pitfalls to avoid in the process.  You will learn about :  Taking ownership over status quo The value of knowing the details Organizing and planning Setting up the training sessions The right mindset to have in this project Creating new normal Related episodes: Changing things in the Cafe What you must Know about Employee Culture   Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here! 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

Writing the schedule is one of the hardest things a manager has to take on. It is also one of the primary ways to care for the staff and the success of the cafe. It determines labor cost, quality of service, consistency of standards and more. If there is one thing that I focus on a lot with my consulting clients it is scheduling well.  Today we will be discussing 6 tips that will aid you in the schedule writing process and save you and your staff from getting caught in the cycle of feeling perpetually unprepared, behind, and stressed out. Links: Working from your Strengths One-on-ones Hiring, Culture, and the Future of Your Shop  Founder Friday w/Casey and Jeremy Miller of The Mud House   Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here! 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

In just 7 years, Onyx Coffee Lab has become one of the industry's most recognizable, respected, and progressive coffee companies. Whether you know them from their championship performances on the barista, brewers, or roasting competition stage - their multiple Good Food Awards and Golden Bean coffees - or their effort in transparency and exquisite retail shops, Onyx Coffee Lab is an inspiration in presentation AND in substance to the global community of specialty coffee.  Today we get to talk with one of the founders of this awesome company, Jon Allen, and dive into the details of how he and his wife, Andrea Allen, built, grew, and operate this business.  I am thrilled to have been able to talk with Jon and to present this very insightful conversation to you all!  Enjoy be sure to check the links below to learn more!    In this episode you will learn about their: Vision and business philosophy Early and current expansion  Discovery of strengths and weakness Delegation and appointing of leadership Development of their roasting program Approaches to hospitality Who they are aiming to serve as their primary audience  Hiring practices Marketing and branding   Links: Onyx Coffee Lab Onyx on Instagram Interview of Andrea Allen reflecting on her 2018 performance on "Legacy" What your Roaster wants you to Know w/ Mark Michaelson, Onyx Coffee Lab.    Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com   Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here!   5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys  

Opening a pop-shop is one of a number of great ways to get started in specialty coffee retail. It is a lower start up cost, you get to test the concept, and you get to know your community (and they, you) in the process. Today's guest, Nikki Outlaw, has just wrapped up her first year running her pop-up coffee shop, Anecho Coffee.  In this conversation we get to hear about her journey into opening Anecho, her experiences in this first year, what she has learned about business, operations, and herself along the way.  I hope you are encouraged by Nikki's story and the dedication she has to improving the business and providing great hospitality experiences to those Anecho serves.  Enjoy!    Links: Anecho Coffee Instagram Related Episodes: 115: Finding Success in Mobile Coffee  174: Saying yes to Business Opportunities 55: Personal Growth and Development w/ Jared Turby of Cat and Cloud    Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting services? Let's talk Chris@keystotheshop.com Get on the Keys to the Shop email list and get the transcripts, bonus audio, and extra resources! Click Here! 5% off your purchases at Prima Coffee form now until January 31st! Just use the code "HOLIDAY5" when you visit this link! www.prima-coffee.com/keys   Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?  www.pacificfoods.com/food-service    

We will always have our emotions with us at work. In the fast-paced customer facing work of coffee retail we can cycle through a whole host of emotions in just one shift and not all of them are helpful to the situations we find ourselves in. One way we have tried to deal with it is by denying our emotions and detaching. Today's guest is going to challenge us to become emotion scientists and embrace the emotions we have at work to harness them for both great business outcomes and our over-all health as we engage in daily emotional labor.  I am so pleased to welcome to the show, Andrea Hoban! Andrea is Co-Founder and head of learning at Oji Life Lab, and has more than twenty years of experience in leading large teams and building business. She is a certified executive coach and leadership development practitioner who has helped hundreds of professionals learn to harness their emotions to achieve their goals. At Oji, she is reimagining the way we learn skills like emotional intelligence to directly impact the quality of our lives.         I believe this episode is one of the most important ones you can listen to. Emotional intelligence has such a profound impact on not only our careers and personal lives, but on those we lead and the people we serve. If we want strong people, teams, and businesses then harnessing our emotions at work is the first step in that direction.   In this episode you will learn about: The correlation between emotions and achieving business outcomes How the leaders emotions impact the company How to use negative me potions for good Mood regulation Increasing self-awareness Noticing blindspots and biases Healthy approaches to emotional labor and much more! Links: www.ojilifelab.com Andrea Hoban on LinkedIn   Related Episodes: Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli Self Care 101 Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Joe Sanok     Need reliable equipment and even more reliable service? Check out our sponsor, Prima Coffee!  www.prima-coffee.com    

The design of your shop communicates the level of care you have for your customer and the community. Crafting the details of your space to evoke a sense of connection to place and a feeling of hospitality that matches the quality is absolutely critical. Today we are going to learn about the specific physical and social dynamics that guests look for in a coffee shop with special guest, Dr. Lisa Waxman!  Dr. Lisa Waxman, Ph.D. is an award winning professor and chair of the Interior Architecture + Design department at Florida State University. Her research includes topics related to the design of spaces that foster community, sustainable design, and design for special populations. She also serves on the board of directors for the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). Dr. Waxman has many scholarly and creative works to her name but we will be focused on one particular study "The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical factors Influencing Place Attachment"  In this study we learn of the 5 design considerations that customers most appreciate as well as specific social dynamics that all together influence whether or not a customer will feel a special attachment to the shop, which in turn inspires return business!  We dive into this study in today's interview and hit on several other great points to consider when you approach the design of your space.  I am truly excited for this episode and the impact it can have on the landscape of specialty coffee retail.   LINKS: "The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical factors Influencing Place Attachment"  Article: https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/coffee-shops-build-employee-loyalty-according-to-science.html Dr. Waxman's Full Bio     Please take time to visit our sponsors! WWW.PRIMA-COFFEE.COM www.pacificfoods.com        

This week we had the opportunity to speak with Steve of Prima Coffee in Louisville, KY. We discuss the importance of understanding the industry you are a part of as well as creating meaningful digital content that will relate to your customer base. If you would like to learn more about what Prima Coffee can offer as well as follow along with all they are doing, Check them out on Youtube & their Website. If you would like to learn more about Indie Coffee Roasters, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. 

Matt sits down with workmates Alex and Doug to sip on another Boxcar roast and also talk about pizza boxes as coffee filters. - If you're not in Boulder go to www.boxcarcoffeeroasters.com to buy tastes coffee seeds. Head to Statesofcoffee.com to sign up to be notified when we launch our cafe listings. Also in the pod's opinion, the best way to buy filters is through Prima Coffee here: https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/hario/vcf-02-100w

As shifts go, the closing shift is normally not a covent one. We can suffer from boredom, lack of motivation, disillusionment, isolation, and end up feeling bitter toward our day-time counterparts who get to work more in the thick of the coffeehouse culture plus make better tips! Been there done that. I happen to find a certain beauty and nobility in a closing shift that makes me cherish the experience even in the midst of the hardships that come with it. So what if we could take another look at the closing shift and reframe it in a way that the close an honor rather than a punishment? Today we discuss the both the issues and the virtues of the closing shift and give managers and baristas practical solutions, steps, and tools to reframe the mindset around it and achieve a higher level of excellence and satisfaction.  Thank you for listening and Enjoy!   Related Episodes: Episode 46 : Death by Comparison Episode 56 : The Sleepwalking Barista  Episode 31 : Essential Advice for New Baristas   Contact me:Chris@keystotheshop.com Remember to rate, review, and subscribe!    THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! WWW.PRIMA-COFFEE.COM WWW.PACIFICFOODS.COM  

Panel: Jaim Zuber Erica Sadun Gui Rambo Special Guest: Leo Dion In today’s episode, the iPhreaks panel talk to Leo Dion about MicroConf and writing apps for Apple Watch. Leo has been a developer for almost two decades and six years ago he created his own company called BrightDigit. He mostly focuses his time and energy to the Apple space and enjoys developing apps for the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Watch. They talk about what happens at MicroConf, what he is working on now, tips for starting a meetup, and more! In particular, we dive pretty deep on: Leo intro BrightDigit MicroConf What happens at MicroConf? Startups for the Rest of Us Podcast Listening to your customers for what they need What are you working on? The technologies that people are interested in now What is an info product? Getting into a regular habit of writing Do you have tips for running a meet up? The “ideal” meetup Meetups that push you forward in your developing career Creating content marketing Leo’s Exercise App What kinds of coaching would benefit from Apple technology? New Apple Watch functionality Getting info from your devices without looking at a screen Augmented Reality without images We love stats! And much, much more! Links: MicroConf BrightDigit Startups for the Rest of Us Podcast @leogdion leogdion.name   Sponsors: FreshBooks Loot Crate Picks: Jaim Content Marketing Example - Prima Coffee Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder Erica Fitbit Aria Gui Siri Shortcuts Leo The Qualities of Great Design

Panel: Jaim Zuber Erica Sadun Gui Rambo Special Guest: Leo Dion In today’s episode, the iPhreaks panel talk to Leo Dion about MicroConf and writing apps for Apple Watch. Leo has been a developer for almost two decades and six years ago he created his own company called BrightDigit. He mostly focuses his time and energy to the Apple space and enjoys developing apps for the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Watch. They talk about what happens at MicroConf, what he is working on now, tips for starting a meetup, and more! In particular, we dive pretty deep on: Leo intro BrightDigit MicroConf What happens at MicroConf? Startups for the Rest of Us Podcast Listening to your customers for what they need What are you working on? The technologies that people are interested in now What is an info product? Getting into a regular habit of writing Do you have tips for running a meet up? The “ideal” meetup Meetups that push you forward in your developing career Creating content marketing Leo’s Exercise App What kinds of coaching would benefit from Apple technology? New Apple Watch functionality Getting info from your devices without looking at a screen Augmented Reality without images We love stats! And much, much more! Links: MicroConf BrightDigit Startups for the Rest of Us Podcast @leogdion leogdion.name   Sponsors: FreshBooks Loot Crate Picks: Jaim Content Marketing Example - Prima Coffee Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder Erica Fitbit Aria Gui Siri Shortcuts Leo The Qualities of Great Design

There are many hands that contribute to specialty coffee ecosystem. In addition to farmers, green coffee importers and roasters supplying our shops we all rely on specialty coffee equipment suppliers to get the gear we need to make great coffee. Just like sourcing great coffee, the best suppliers are very particular with what they stock and offer. Today to explore that process further we get to talk with Steve Reinhart, Brand Manager for our sponsor on Keys to the Shop, Prima Coffee.  Steve talks with us about his journey into coffee, and his role in product curation and testing. We also get to learn the history of Prima Coffee and how empathy drives their company culture. Lastly Steve tells us what he believes are the top three things that we should be considering before purchasing equipment. Wise words there for sure. Enjoy!           LINKS: www.prima-coffee.com INSTAGRAM TWITTER     

This week we get to chat with 2014 World Barista Champion from Japan, Hide Izaki! We talk about his path to the WBC, the distinctive traits of the Japanese coffee culture, what has he learned and experienced in his travels , the importance of failure, what is his #1 piece of advice to baristas, and how we can build our industry by listening t the consumer.  It was such an honor to have Hide on the show and I know you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did!  LINKS   Hide's Consulting: Samurai Coffee Experience  The Coffee Man Film / Hide was WBC Champion, Sasa Setic's Coach and is featured in the film  Behind the Scenes of Coffee Man film w/Hide  Hide's 2013 WBC presentation Hide's 2014 winning WBC presentation    Cafe's Mentioned: Tim Wendelboe Fritz Coffee Company ...Also here Coava Coffee   Visit Our Sponsor, PRIMA COFFEE!

We are in a Consumer Revolution! The home barista - coffee brewer- coffee drinker makes up 70% of coffee consumed in the U.S. and has access to a lot of great information, training materials, resources, and gear to help them get a truly great cup of coffee. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of misinformation and bad gear out there making it hard for consumers to consistently get the best we have to offer in specialty coffee.  Never fear! Today we talk with the founder of the world's first consumer coffee festival "Coffee Con", and author of  "The Art and Craft of Coffee" Kevin Sinnott!  Kevin has made it his job for over 2 decades to bridge the gap between the consumer and specialty coffee through writing about coffee, reviewing and recommending gear to the home enthusiast, and now bringing pros and consumer together at his ground breaking event, Coffee Con.  We talk about how Kevin came to be an ambassador to the coffee enthusiast, the perspective of the consumer, and how we who work as professionals can better serve them in or shops. LINKS: WWW.COFFEE-CON.COM IG: @Coffeeconevent Kevin's Book: The Art and Craft of Coffee www.georgehowellcoffee.com Related KTTS Episodes:  Episode 19: 10 Reasons to Love the Customer  Episode 30: Matching Your Service to Your Quality w/ Casey Underkofler    VISIT OUR SPONSOR FOR GREAT GEAR! WWW.PRIMA-COFFEE.COM    

We discus where the show is and where it's headed. John wonders about when the right time is to change careers. Daniel thinks it's important to check your entitlement. Then Daniel has some personal finance tips, and John buys a SodaStream! Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts - @fits_and_starts Daniel - @dcoulbourne John - @johnrudolphdrex Links: - [Fits and Starts: 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals](http://fitsandstarts.fm/8-maslows-hierarchy-of-goals "Fits and Starts: 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals") - [Mindfulness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness "Mindfulness - Wikipedia") - [Fits and Starts: 2: Ducks in a Row](http://fitsandstarts.fm/ducks-in-a-row "Fits and Starts: 2: Ducks in a Row") - [Product manager - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_manager "Product manager - Wikipedia") - [Two Asset Allocation Rules You Need To Follow At Any Age](https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/04/23/two-rules-of-asset-allocation-to-follow-at-any-age/#42ae92965ea8 "Two Asset Allocation Rules You Need To Follow At Any Age") - [Sam's Club - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam%27s_Club "Sam's Club - Wikipedia") - [ASMR - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response "ASMR - Wikipedia") - [Personal finance - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finance "Personal finance - Wikipedia") - [IRA vs. 401(k): Where Should You Invest Your Money? - NerdWallet](https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/ira-vs-401k-retirement-accounts/ "IRA vs. 401(k): Where Should You Invest Your Money? - NerdWallet") - [Dave Ramsey Homepage | DaveRamsey.com](https://www.daveramsey.com/ "Dave Ramsey Homepage | DaveRamsey.com") - [SodaStream](https://www.sodastreamusa.com/ "SodaStream") - [Look Inside Apple's Stunningly Modern Cafe - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/look-inside-apples-stunningly-modern-cafe-2014-10 "Look Inside Apple's Stunningly Modern Cafe - Business Insider") - [Fits and Starts: 6: Too Proud to Touch the Monolith](http://fitsandstarts.fm/too-proud-to-touch-the-monolith "Fits and Starts: 6: Too Proud to Touch the Monolith") - [The Aerobie® AeroPress® Coffee Maker](https://aerobie.com/product/aeropress/ "The Aerobie® AeroPress® Coffee Maker") - [Hario V60 Coffee Dripper Size 02 | Prima Coffee](https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/hario/v60-02 "Hario V60 Coffee Dripper Size 02 | Prima Coffee") - [Pour over vs. French press : Coffee](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/3eadu5/pour_over_vs_french_press/ "Pour over vs. French press : Coffee")

We're happy to welcome Steve Rhinehart, brand lead for Prima Coffee, back to the show for a discussion about crafting the perfect pumpkin spice syrup and what you need to know to get started with making espresso at home.

We're pleased to have Steve Rhinehart, the brand lead for Prima Coffee, back again this week in Part 2 of our discussion about getting started with manual brewing. We're talking about grinders, scales, kettles and other devices you might want to pick up, at varying price points, to get started in manual brewing at home.

We're pleased to have Steve Rhinehart, the brand lead for Prima Coffee, joining us on the show to talk about getting started with manual brewing. We begin this 2-part series by covering some of our favorite recommended manual brewing devices to folks getting started. Next week we'll continue the discussion with Steve talking about the variety of other products at varying price points someone might need in addition to a brewing device.