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PODCAST

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

A coffee podcast providing coffee shop owners and leaders, with insights, inspiration, and the tools you need to grow and advance your coffee business or coffee career. We learn from experts both in and outside the coffee industry as they deliver specific, practical, and actionable advice about ownership, optimization, profitability, barista work, employee culture, management, scaling, leadership, personal development, and anything else that will help you achieve success in the coffee shop.

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All Episodes

42:38

629: Founder Friday! Stephanie Jones of Mrs. Jones...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/10/02

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

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09:10

SHIFT BREAK! Don't Build Compromise Into Your Business

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/10/01

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

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26:37

628: Start With Reasonable Hospitality

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/10/01

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

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11:43

SHIFT BREAK! The Danger of Fast-Track Training

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/25

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

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20:18

627: Why You Need to Work IN Your Business

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/23

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

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09:58

SHIFT BREAK! Vibes Are a Cheap Replacement For Meaning

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/19

I hear the word "vibes" used as a stand in for a lot of different things. Most often it is used to describe a somewhat ambiguous sense of good feelings or peace of mind around a culture or a person. The idea is great, but the issue is that without having specific and meaningful definitions of what brings those vibes to fruition, we end up with more problems than good times. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how you can avoid making critical decisions around hiring, work, and the

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35:25

626: Why You Are Not Getting Ahead in Your Career

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/16

We all have ambitions and hopes for our career but time passes and we don't see any progress. It would be a mistake to chalk this up to fate instead of a lack of progress that comes from a lack of intentional actions as well as our underlying beliefs. Today we are going to explore what some of those beliefs and actions look like to help you unlock the potential of your career and make meaningful advancements. KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS! Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of

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09:12

SHIFT BREAK! It's Got To Hurt If It's To Heal! : The...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/10

All too often we are likely to stick with the comfortable and known dysfunction or the habitual neglect of important areas of our business, than to take the uncomfortable but needed step of fixing and bringing life into those areas. In fact, I believe avoidance of taking action on those areas in need of attention is the first step in business failure. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about embracing the pain associated with bringing attention, resource, and life back into areas that have

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42:03

625: 5 Ways To Make Your Coffee Taste Better

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/07

The quality of your coffee is one of the main reasons people choose your cafe vs another. It is the baseline expectation customers have for a specialty coffee shop and today, in spite of our abundant resources and access to information and tools, we are still far from consistently meeting, let alone exceeding, those expectations. On the show today we will cover 5 ways your cafe can make your coffee and your whole menu taste better. I do believe we have claimed victory too soon and have conflated

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09:29

SHIFT BREAK! It's The Way You Say It: Tips For...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/07

You may have the best advice and information, but then your delivery can often fall flat or even have the opposite effect. This is very common in the cafe leadership environment where things are busy and our emotions feed into how we speak. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how to start paying attention to and adjusting the spirit behind the words you speak and how to make practical adjustments so what you say will be effective. KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS APPLY TO THE 2026 KHCG

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47:14

624: Founder Friday! w/ Lindsay Wredge of 321 Coffee...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/05

One of the coolest things about coffee is how it can be used as a catalyst for change. Today we are going to be talking with someone who has built one of the best examples of how a business with a vision can make real progress for inclusion. We are talking with Lindsay Wredge, Co-founder of 321 Coffee in Raleigh, NC! 321 Coffee is a coffee shop and roaster built on inclusion. Based in Raleigh, NC, 321 currently employs over 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They

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28:59

623: Coffee Content Overload! What Matters Most When...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/09/02

Today we have an impossibly vast range of resources and content about anything you need to learn or know about coffee and coffee shops. What a time to be alive! The issue that comes with these accessible and abundant resources is the issue of learning but never applying or growing. We have become people who seek information as the end in itself, not the means to an end On this episode I am going to give you some perspective on why we tend to collect content but very rarely apply it, and talk

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11:39

SHIFT BREAK! Don't Give Your Staff Invisible Targets

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/28

If we want our staff to succeed, we have to give them clear target to aim for. Unfortunately shocking number of cafes have what I would describe as invisible targets that only appear once the arrow is released. No wonder managers and other staff feel that winning at work is a rigged game. In today's Shift Break we will talk about the importance of providing clear targets, and how to build momentum and confidence in your staff as they grow in their ability to hit them. KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS

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12:32

What are the Key Holder Coaching Groups?

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/26

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,

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55:02

622: Lifting Up Coffee Farmers w/ Ben Carlson of Long...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/25

In coffee we can often question the impact of our efforts. Over time though, small consistent steps in the right direction can not only carry you over many miles, it can transform you and those for whom you are working. What may seem like plodding work now, is the foundation for what will be built in the future. Today we are talking with someone whose work has taken several turns over the years. All of which were in the direction of uplifting farmers with whatever means were at hand. Today the

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12:33

SHIFT BREAK! What It Means To Have Integrity In Our Work

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/20

Integrity is hard to identify unless you are actively looking for and working on it. But what is "it"? Well, in some ways it is consistency, but that is not enough. Integrity is more than production of the same thing the same way, it is more related to the mindset and spirit behind that consistency. In coffee, we have a lot of room to improve our consistency, because we are lacking in how seriously we take integrity. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about what integrity means and where it

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48:44

621: Managment, Supply Chain, and Building Great...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/18

In order to provide excellence in the cafe, we need to focus on people. Building, caring for, and managing a team is the cornerstone of any great cafe. The potential of your coffee and hospitality depends on this! Today we are going to be talking with someone who has lead and managed at the highest levels of coffee. With her passion for logistics, people-first leadership, and team development, she has delivered consistent quality for staff and guests alike. I am thrilled to welcome to the show,

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09:49

SHIFT BREAK! Challenge and Affirmation: Why You Need...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/14

If we know anything it is that striking a balance in our communication is very difficult. It often feels like we are neglecting affirmation for fear of not addressing issues, or we neglect addressing issues and challenging our staff because we worry about how they will take it. So we stick to simply working a lot and mostly doing both poorly. No more! Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why you and your staff need challenge and affirmation to both be real and regular practices in the daily

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53:49

620: Creating Spaces For Joyful Hospitality w/ Mo...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/10

As we continue to see specialty coffee shops grow and expand into the furthest reaches of the globe, one thing remains an enduring value to customers. That feeling of belonging. A sense that the hospitality and the good will of those providing it are genuine makes every cup taste sweet and the memory of the experience even sweeter. Perhaps no professional in recent years better embodies these values than today's guest, Monique (Mo) Maravilla! Mo is a Filipino entrepreneur, coffee roaster, educator,

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43:01

Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest Chicago 2026! w/...

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders ·

2026/08/10

Every Coffee Fest we sit down with presenters and speakers to talk about their field of expertise and learn from their experience in coffee. This time we had a wonderful time talking with three professionals at Coffee Fest Chicago! We start with Lan Ho, Founder of Fat Miilk Vietnamese coffee bar in Chicago! Lan Ho is the founder and CEO of Fat Miilk, a Chicago-based Vietnamese coffee company redefining the role of Robusta in modern coffee. Through a platform spanning direct sourcing, roasting,

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