This week on the podcast is a Rerun from 2021 where Chris Jared and Charles Talk about ways to grow leaders in your company, how hands off or hands on to be, and what they had been discovering as owners of a small business. If you have heard this before or if you are listening for the first time it is a great conversation with a lot of insight. Enjoy! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podcast, ...
Feb 26, 2024•42 min
Mr. Miyagi, Yoda, Jaime Escalante - all great mentors that helped those around them improve and become better. On this weeks episode of the podcast Chris asks Chuck about this same idea, as Charles is apart of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). EO is a community of people in similar entrepreneurial roles, who gather together helping one another with perspectives and real experience. For Charles it has been a great resource for him to grow, and receive various perspectives. This idea of commun...
Feb 19, 2024•43 min
Well, Chuck didn’t come back this week…. But maybe next week! We’ll hold the space for him. This week on the podcast Jared gives us his full list of dream cafe improvements; from new grinders for improved product management to speakers that play the podcast in the bathrooms. And Chris dives in on how to help people find their opportunities at work, and build the confidence we all need to see our wins every day. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on where to look to find the twinkl...
Feb 12, 2024•48 min
Chuck is back on the podcast (maybe forever??)! This week on the Cat & Cloud podcast the whole ownership team sat down to discuss the importance of guest feedback. In an industry like hospitality, it can be hard to measure the success of guest interactions through all of our cafes, all of the time. But is it more important to hear from the folks who see us every day, or the folks who’ve come in for the first time? Listen to this week's episode to hear their thoughts on setting up and distributin...
Feb 05, 2024•50 min
Have you ever been old people tired? It’s rough sometimes. But fatigue or not Chris and Jared are here sharing some thoughts on the year ahead, changes coming to the podcast, even their opinions on moving to New York! Listen to the full episode for some reflections on the Vintage Chris Baca, the downfalls of “transitional time,” and ideal workspaces. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podcast, o...
Jan 29, 2024•34 min
The boys are back and bringing high-level looks at the difference between “you” and “your work,” and communicating our values through a feeling rather than the scripted words. Chris shares a bit about his experience diving back in with the marketing team, and Jared reflects on the changes currently in process with our retail leadership teams. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on the progress they’ve made in their departments, and how all that work intersects. Stay tuned till the ...
Jan 22, 2024•34 min
Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud podcast! This week Chris and Jared are keeping things fresh and are hopping on Instagram live to answer the questions that come through from our followers, and the end result is pretty awesome! Y’all sent out a wide variety of questions; from how to progress in your own coffee journeys, to their dream origin trips or cafe cities, and even get into the nitty-gritty of our business structure. We loved having this chance to hear directly from our virtual community an...
Jan 15, 2024•37 min
It’s 2024 y’all! First podcast of the new year, which means it’s time for some self-reflection, and intention setting in the upcoming year. The start of a year is always a good time to look back on all the things we’ve learned, about our business and about our team. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris and Jared discuss, discovering team members hidden talents and passions through interviewing, finding ways to engage curiosity on the day-to-day, and bringing your team in on the process of cr...
Jan 08, 2024•37 min
Let’s talk automation. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared discuss Chris’s recent visit to the La Marzocco innovation gallery tour. La Marzocco has been touring the country with Mahlkonig showing off some of their newest innovations, and one of them has made quite a stir. The E80W Grind by Sync is the latest in automation technology, syncing with your espresso machine so that it can adjust itself to ensure the perfect grind. It has brought up the question of “how much automation is too much...
Jan 01, 2024•37 min
Happy holidays y’all! We’re coming to the end of the year and that means setting new intentions, company goals, and clearing out the grey areas. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared sit down to discuss their roles as Cat & Cloud owners. It can be hard to define your job as an owner of a company, but gaining clarity into your duties, writing out your own job description, and building intentional teams around you will create the solid foundation you need to grow. Listen to this week's episode ...
Dec 25, 2023•35 min
The podcast crew is on the move! We are recording from the car this week, and we have a captive interviewee, Marc Gessler. Chris takes this opportunity to ask his favorite question, “Why do you work here?” Whether it’s being able to contribute to and grow the community he grew up in or seeking those moments of connection, Marc shares his passion for working in the service of others. Listen to the full episode to hear Marc's take on why he connects so deeply to his work with Cat & Cloud. Do you h...
Dec 18, 2023•31 min
We’ve got a guest on the pod this week! Chris sits down with our good friend and designer of the Dialed Tamper Steven Monti. Steven, the owner of Artpresso Designs, got his start in the coffee industry by trying to solve the problems faced by professional baristas every day and has since created some of our all-time favorite bar tools. This week, the two are hopping on the mic to discuss his creation process and the understanding that you can’t be everything for everyone. Listen to the full epis...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min
We’re nearing the end of 2023 and a new year calls for new challenges, new directions and new ideas. This week Chris and Jared are sharing their what they’re looking forward to in 2024; Jared is excited for both his eyes to work, Chris wants his left knee to stop hurting, and they’re both stoked for the opportunity to let go of what is and work for what could be. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how they’re approaching growth in 2024, and how they’re working to paint a clear ...
Dec 04, 2023•34 min
The guys are on their own this week! Chris and Jared sit at the mic to discuss the “Event Experience.” What are we looking to share when we attend expos and what makes being at these events so special? Listen to the full episode to hear some of their experiences on the expo floor, and how refreshing and connective it can be to be surrounded by coffee folks who care about the industry as much as they do. No matter why you go; whether you want to learn, get connected, or just want to be around the...
Nov 27, 2023•34 min
We’re taking a lot of left turns today, but we end up in the right direction. This week on the podcast the guys are talking about everything! What they’ve been thankful for through their growth in the industry, an incredible fine dining coffee experience, and how authenticity isn’t just something you practice, but something you feel. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts owning your work, and loving what you do enough to want to share it. Have you tried the newest coffee from Benjami...
Nov 18, 2023•41 min
How do you see the Forest beyond the Trees? In an organization like ours, there is a lot of balancing that needs to happen every day, the abundance of daily tasks necessary to run the cafe, and, the over-arching mission that we are working to achieve at all times. How do we keep it all in mind, and more importantly how do we as leadership help the newest members of our team learn to hold it all? This week on the podcast, the guys sit down to discuss how we educate our team on both the requiremen...
Nov 13, 2023•37 min
What is the job of the owner? As a company grows it becomes more natural for owners to step away from the day to day work, but how does that happen? What would a job listing for the person to take over charge of the thing that you’ve poured yourself into growing? The role of an owner or a CEO is to see the patterns that are often overlooked by others. An effective leader needs to be able to track changes in customer needs, and be able to see from the perspective of the guest experience. Listen t...
Nov 06, 2023•37 min
This week we have a very special guest… First place winner of the Cup Tasters Prelim and our very own Green Coffee Coordinator, Dulce!! So this week we brought Dulce to the mic to walk us all through the breakdown of a Cup Tasters competition and her experience going through that process. Listen to the full episode to hear about Dulce's history with Cat & Cloud, what it was like to connect with the specialty coffee community in such a focused setting, and what inspired the head-first dive into t...
Oct 30, 2023•34 min
We rolled out some pretty exciting new developments for the Cat & Cloud team last week. From a new handbook, to road maps to growth, our retail teams are now fully set up to be the pros we know they are. This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael sit down to share the motivations behind the redesign of our employee handbook and the creation of the Cat & Cloud passport. We believe that our mission and values should touch every aspect of our business, and we hope that these new tools will h...
Oct 23, 2023•30 min
Jared went to Australia! This week on the podcast Michael and Jared sit down to review his experience with the coffee industry on his recent visit to Australia. Listen to the full episode to hear his thoughts on their espresso-focused coffee culture, the types of coffees they use, and even a few thoughts on how their economic structure affects the industry culture! If you’re interested in becoming a Cat & Cloud Partner email us at [email protected]! Do you have a question you’ve been dyi...
Oct 16, 2023•32 min
Welcome to ChuckTalk! This week on the podcast Chris and Michael are joined by Cat & Cloud’s third owner Charles Jack! Have you ever wondered about Cat & Cloud’s elusive third owner? Maybe you want to know how he got his start in coffee, how he met Chris and Jared, or why he left his Wall Street career to work with TechnoServe and live in South Sudan? Well Chuck is on the mic this week to answer all of those burning questions. Listen to the full episode to hear about his life, career and all the...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Did you know that Cat & Cloud has a partner program? This week on the podcast Chris and Michael are joined by Director of Coffee Marc Gessler to chat about our wholesale program! The guys sit down to discuss why we try and build such close relationships with our coffee partners, and the intricacies of adapting what we offer to the needs of each business. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how we find our partners and set them up to have the best experience with our coffee. If y...
Oct 02, 2023•31 min
What is the lifetime value of a customer? What is the importance of providing guests with “delightful” experiences? Hospitality extends farther than making people feel welcome, it’s about meeting guests where they’re at and doing what you can to get them stoked. This week Chris and Michael are sitting down to talk about how you can keep people coming back to your business time and time again. Every interaction is an investment in your guest, and the more you’re able to make someone feel taken ca...
Sep 25, 2023•40 min
Does coffee have a place in the slow food industry? What would that even look like? This week on the podcast the guys discuss what it means to provide a highly specialized experience, and the challenges that cafes would face fighting the high volume nature of the coffee industry. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how cafes can provide a little bit of the slow food experience every day through hospitality, enthusiasm, and knowledge. Let us know your thoughts on a slow bar coffe...
Sep 18, 2023•42 min
We’re getting sample roasted. This week on the podcast the guys sit down to go over some of the challenges that come along with cafe succession planning and the work experiences that inspired them to build Cat & Cloud with a positive company culture. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how to face the unknowns of your business while remaining open to the adventure, and how to break the negative work cycle that keeps most of us from doing what we love, and finding positivity in w...
Sep 11, 2023•23 min
Where do you find your inspiration for things? Do you go to the same place to find what you are looking for, or do you find inspiration striking when you least expect it? This week Wiser tries to ask Chris and Jared where they find their inspiration, and it goes about how you would expect. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podcast, or email us at [email protected] and tell us what it is, ...
Sep 04, 2023•26 min
It’s surprising how much the law of improv can apply to other parts of our lives. Collaborating on teams becomes a real challenge when you’re not meeting each other in a “yes, and” space. Work is not always perfectly aligned all the time, but it’s our ability to show up, approach roadblocks with optimism, and believe something is possible even if there is no proof of it. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris, Jared and Michael discuss the importance of clear communication, adaptability and 36...
Aug 28, 2023•37 min
This week the guys sit down to discuss Delorean prices, how coffee culture has changed, and what, if anything, in the culture should be held sacred. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris, Jared and Michael discuss the process of creating our current coffee and cafe culture, all of the ways it’s had to change to get to this point, and how to continue to adapt as pieces of that culture change. Listen to the full episode to get the rundown on how you could utilize the concept in your own cafe! D...
Aug 21, 2023•37 min
What are the 7 Steps of Service? We reference it pretty often when talking about daily life in the cafes but how do they work and what are the actual steps? This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael dive deep on fundamentals of Cat & Clouds “7 Steps of Service.” These steps were designed to simplify some of the complexities of hospitality for our new hires. They are the building blocks to our ability to connect with our guests, soften their landing in the cafe, and provide a meaningful e...
Aug 14, 2023•29 min
We all spend a majority of our lives working. It’s a necessity, and impacts your life whether you intend it to or not. Not everyone likes every part of their job all the time, but how do you zoom out and turn the thing you “have to do” into a best case scenario? This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael sit down to discuss how to remain motivated in your work and take advantage on every opportunity you may have to learn more. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on the impac...
Aug 07, 2023•45 min
