Coffee Podcast By Cat & Cloud

This week, we dive into why learning from others is one of the fastest ways to grow. From drawing lessons out of brands like Disney to observing how peers structure their systems, it’s about finding insights that reveal blind spots and adapting them into something true to your own vision. The real value isn’t in copying but in connecting those ideas to your own culture and goals. Whether it’s another coffee shop, a global brand, or even a friend’s workflow, growth comes from taking what resonates and making it authentically yours.

This week, Chuck and I dig into the recent Philz Coffee sale. We break down how venture capital and private equity deals actually work, why common stockholders often walk away with nothing, and the difference between preferred and common shares. We talk about how control shifts once big investors enter the picture, the influence of a board, and how decision-making can drift from a company’s original vision. We also explore the missed opportunity for Philz to take care of employees who invested their own money, even without a legal requirement to do so. From coffee companies as “brand pieces” for investment firms, to the challenges of scaling retail, we compare this sale to deals like Blue Bottle’s. It’s a conversation about money, ownership, and the choices that shape a company’s legacy.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode — from mentorship and leadership growth to why having a group around you can be so helpful for personal and professional development. There’s also some fun in the mix, like breaking down the NBA salary cap and what it tells us about building sustainable teams, whether in sports or in business. We also rant a bit about mobile ordering and what it’s doing to the coffee experience. And we dream big — talking about storytelling, making documentaries, and chasing the kind of ideas that don’t always make sense on paper, but just feel right.

This episode’s more like a stream of consciousness as we go through all the open tabs in our brain than a polished takeaway. We talk about experimenting with roast curves, the balance between juicy acidity and sweetness, and the challenge of making something expressive yet approachable. We touch on espresso ratios, brewing methods, and how taste perception can be wildly different depending on so many variables. We round out the conversation by getting into the Best Friends Club — our hope to expand it beyond our walls without being the gatekeepers. It’s an exciting open tab for us, and we’re dreaming big. Casual Friday energy all the way. We’re tired, inspired, and figuring it out in real time.

This episode is a full-on field trip as we recap our visit to the Big Face Coffee pop-up in San Francisco. The coffee was solid, the energy was high, and the whole experience sparked a bigger conversation about the promise a brand makes, pop-ups, and the fine line between vibes and substance — and what it really means to create something that’s truly connected to people, not just putting on a show. We touch on what makes a brand experience feel consistent, and how the message you tell in one place has to hold up everywhere else. We talk about where Big Face nailed it, where it felt a little thin, and what it takes to really deliver something people can believe in. Come hang with us — it’s a good time.

Come along with us on a ride in this episode as we experience the world of Cup of Excellence coffee auctions for the first time. We were chasing a special lot from our Best Friends Club producer, Nelín Guzman, as his coffee took 5th place in his category for all of Honduras. We talk through how these auctions work, why countries like Honduras now use new categories, and how even with categories, varieties like Parainema still command a high price. We also dig into what it means to bring coffees of this caliber back to our guests — using them in competitions and adding them to our menu in a limited quantity. For us, it wasn't about winning the auction – there was a small chance of that happening anyway – but more so about what doors being a part of the COE opens for us in the future. And hey, you need to start somewhere. It was a wild time of an early morning, side bets, and high energy. Buckle up.

This week we talk about the shifting landscape of coffee certifications — particularly the recent changes to the Q grader system. With the program moving under CQI, many coffee professionals are now being told their existing certifications no longer count, and that they’ll need to retest under a new system. This sparks a conversation about what certifications really mean in practice. Do they actually make someone better at sourcing or tasting coffee, or are they more about recognition and status within the industry? For seasoned professionals with years of experience, the answer isn't always clear — especially when their day-to-day work remains unchanged by these official titles. We talk about how learned skills typically come not from structured certifications, but from real-world practice. While certifications can offer a shared language and pathway for new professionals, we question whether they should be gatekeepers for credibility. In the end, staying sharp and doing meaningful work comes down to passio

This week, we hang out with Ben Richardson of Sydney’s Made of Many roastery and Brighter cafe, and get into what it really means to build culture in coffee. Ben shares how his journey started not just from wanting to roast great coffee, but from seeing a lack of genuine culture and career paths in many roasteries. He explains how focusing on real relationships and long-term commitment — rather than just chasing perfection or high scores — leads to deeper impact and a more meaningful business overall. We also touch on the philosophy behind Brighter cafe, which intentionally avoids social media marketing and instead thrives on word-of-mouth and authentic community connections. It’s a long, fun conversation, giving more perspective to who makes up the coffee industry, and how we have so much in common.

Just Say No – Telling guests what they don't want to hear by Cat & Cloud

Questions Quick Fire – So much info in not a lot of time by Cat & Cloud

Identifying What You Want – Growing your beliefs as your company grows by Cat & Cloud

This week on the podcast is part 2 of the event we hosted with Cafe Imports at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Association Expo. In this episode the audience asks the panelist questions that most impact their day to day interaction with the coffee supply chain. Covering topics like communicating the cost of coffee to guest, how roasters come to the prices they set, and how roasters can work together to ensure producers have a place to tell the amazing coffees that they grow. There is a lot to digest no matter what part of the coffee world yo come from. Again, huge thanks to all the panelists who joined us and shared their expertise—and a special shoutout to Cafe Imports for organizing the event and inviting us to be a part of it. 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 podcast@catandcloud.com and tell us what it is, and maybe your question will be the one we answer next week! Links – Connec

This week on the podcast, we’re sharing the event we hosted with Cafe Imports at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Association Expo. The event brought together panelists from across the green buying side of the coffee industry to explore the complexities of this essential part of the supply chain. This portion of the conversation focuses on the C market, tariffs, and their impact on all aspects of the industry. Panelists share strategies like price averaging and direct trade contracts as tools for navigating a volatile market—highlighting the real-world effects on producers and roasters, from maintaining quality to managing risk and security in an unpredictable system. Huge thanks to all the panelists who joined us and shared their expertise—and a special shoutout to Cafe Imports for organizing the event and inviting us to be a part of it. 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 podcast@catandc

Road to Owner – Chucks journey to help start Cat & Cloud by Cat & Cloud

What to Sell When You're Selling – How to think about wholesale by Cat & Cloud

Spaces Make Places – Chatting about how a space looks and why it draws people in by Cat & Cloud

Eyes On the Prize – How showing up today helps you tomorrow by Cat & Cloud

It's Not So Black and White – Big money in small business by Cat & Cloud

The Guests That Arn't Your Guest – Showing hospitality to everyone you encounter by Cat & Cloud

The week we follow up with everyone’s favorite new topic, Tariffs. Specifically how this impact is similar to the record high of the C-Market from a month ago. Ultimately the conversation leads to how a change in consumer habits are what will ultimately make the change. Links from the show: Our new coffees – https://catandcloud.com/collections/featured-coffee The Hike: A Short Story About Connection – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvPcDv3pU7k RSVP to the Source: A Green Buying Panel happening at SCA in Huston Texas. www.eventbrite.com/e/source-a-gree…f=oddtdtcreator