Hope you were paying attention in your high school French class -- we bring you an episode of Boss Barista entirely IN FRENCH! The great folks from Cafée let us hang and record a panel with women from all over the coffee scene in Paris, and we're thrilled to share the happenings of a coffee scene abroad. Remember, this episode is entirely IN FRENCH and we hope to bring you episodes in different languages soon!
Read MoreJasper and Ashley head to Denver, Colo., for the third annual Cherry Roast, a coffee competition aimed at being inclusive and making coffee competitions accessible. We report live on the event and interview past winners, current competitors, and others in the Denver coffee who are making changes and pushing forward.
Read MoreFrom the World Barista Championships in South Korea, Ashley responds.
Read MoreWe respond to the SCA's Deferred Candidacy Policy. Back in San Francisco, Jasper weighs in. #boycottSCA
Read MoreBoss Barista was born out of a conversation between Jasper and Ashley. Today, we revisit that conversation and delve deeper. Jasper talks about her name change and her background, and Ashley discusses her identity and talks an upsetting amount about Tinder.
Read MoreA leader isn't simply the person in charge--it's the person who takes responsibility for their staff and ensures their success. In this episode, Jasper and Ashley talk about leaders in the cafe and why people seem to ignore their responsibility to their baristas. LEADERSHIP IS A PRACTICED SKILL YOU CAN DO IT BETTER. Photo featuring Jen Apodaca showing folks how to roast at a #shestheroaster event.
Read MoreGentrification is ugly and real. In this episode, we talk about Boyle Heights, how gentrification hurts neighborhoods, and the language behind gentrification -- ever heard someone say, 'There was nothing here a few years ago?' Yes there was, it just didn't cater to your white, middle-class sensibilities. Honor neighborhoods, learn history, respect residents.
Read MoreDani Goot doesn't care what you call her—as long as its uncomfortable for you. Dani is the Head of Coffee Strategy and Business Development for Bellwether Coffee in Berkeley, Calif., and talks to us about staying true to himself and how to grow in coffee. Confused by the use of him/her pronouns? Good—Dani wants you to challenge your perceptions of gender identity and asks you to open your mind and ask questions.
Read MoreThis week has been crazy. Jasper talks about the incident at Roasters Retreat and the firing of a trans worker at Function Coffee Labs. We want to hear your thoughts on this, so please send emails and respond.
Read MoreIf you want someone to give you a no bullshit answer, Liz Dean is the one to ask. She's hired and managed hundreds of people in her former role as Director of Retail for Irving Farm, and she's got tons of real talk and stories to share about hiring and being a good leader. If you're a leader, and your staff isn't performing to the standards you've set, then guess what? IT'S YOUR FAULT GET IT TOGETHER.
You should also stay til the end because Ashley tries to sing and it's terrible.
Read MoreOk, so. You have some privilege. What do you do with it? What does it mean? And what happens when someone calls you out? Jasper and Ashley talk defensiveness, how to listen to others, and why are folks in coffee ready to play devil's advocate? This was a hard episode for us to record.
Read MoreYou know when there's two characters on a TV show and you watch in anticipation, endlessly wondering will they or won't they? What does that have to do with tipping? In this episode we theorize about tipping and why certain people tip more, why certain people get tipped more, and we ask: should we get rid of tips?
Read MoreRJ Joseph is a roaster at Counter Culture Coffee and writer who contributes to Barista Magazine and manages a blog called Queer Cup. In this episode, we discuss roasting, the fire that call-out culture has come under on #coffeetwitter, and how to make awesome memes. ERMAGERD THIS IS OUR 20TH EPISODE!!!!!!!
Read MoreKami McCallie is a quality control specialist for Palace Coffee in Amarillo, Texas. She shares with us her experiences with sexism in a small, conservative town, how customers have crossed the line, and how she keeps her head above water.
Read MoreJasper and Ashley issue important apologies and calculate the exact number of periods they've had behind the bar. SUPPORT YOUR BLEEDING BARISTAS BY PROVIDING TAMPONS AND PAINKILLERS!
Read MoreLisa Knisely saw all the problems in our field before anyone else saw them. An instructor of Food, Social Identity and Justice at the Portland Underground Graduate School, Lisa wrote a poignant article in 2013 about how male dominated barista competitions are for Bitch Magazine, and she's here to talk to us about care labor, the masculinization of expertise, and how our social identity influences our understanding of gender and race in the cafe.
Read MoreIn this episode, we reflect on some recent Twitter drama and talk about how to SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE. We recognize the efforts of some GDAMN heroes and try to ask the question, 'Why do people get so upset when they listen to another person share their experiences?' We introduce the cold brew theory: when you take an issue of gender/race/marginalization and replace the issue with the word cold brew and suddenly everyone gives a shit. Also, we get real vulnerable.
Read MoreJasper and Ashley talk internet trolls, the power of Slack, the race to the bottom people play when they feel they are being called out, and the things you never say when you debate discrimination. HERE'S A QUICK LIST: 'my penis,' 'dear,' 'sweetie,' 'well, I have a daughter SOOO...'
Read MoreBarista Competition. It happened. And we talk with Becky Reeves of BARISTA and WINCC about the things we saw--coaching, expensive coffees, and a lack of diversity AGAIN. We ask questions about what our champions should do and what we hope to see from the competitions committee in the future.
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