18 Days
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As the majority of the country starts to save up for the Holidays, I’ve started saving right along with them, but for a completely different reason: I’m moving to the West Coast.
I’m truly excited about the move. Sure it’s a fresh start in a new city, with new people and new surroundings, but that’s not my main reason for excitement. I’ve never felt truly challenged as a barista before, and I am anticipating this new store and new boss to completely kick my butt when it comes to being challenged. In the past I would challenge myself to get better and better everyday, but I never found myself really pressed to improve my skills from any of my co-workers or bosses in the past. It’s not that they were poor workers, it’s just that there is a difference between a barista and a career barista. There is always something to learn, and in the past helping to challenge, teach and train my fellow baristas was always something that helped to advance my knowledge of the craft, but I never felt challenged back. Although there was pressure, it was not the same as direct attention from someone that cares as much or more about the quality of coffee than you do. I’ve never felt intimidated before, and now I do. It’s a strange feeling to be excited about intimidation. To be overjoyed about being forced to push your limits. I’m actually looking forward to no longer being a standout.
As I move to new shores and a new coast, I’ll have to let go of the coast and coasting that came with this Michigan shore that I have come to love for so long. When I walk into work from now on I’m not going to throw lingo over people’s heads if I start talking about coffee beyond “light roast and dark roast.” I’m moving to a shop where people can pull flavors out of a coffee in the same way I try to. I’m moving to a shop where people challenge themselves to become better everyday, just like I have done for so long.
It will be nice to be in like company.
18 days.
-bry
As the majority of the country starts to save up for the Holidays, I’ve started saving right along with them, but for a completely different reason: I’m moving to the West Coast.
I’m truly excited about the move. Sure it’s a fresh start in a new city, with new people and new surroundings, but that’s not my main reason for excitement. I’ve never felt truly challenged as a barista before, and I am anticipating this new store and new boss to completely kick my butt when it comes to being challenged. In the past I would challenge myself to get better and better everyday, but I never found myself really pressed to improve my skills from any of my co-workers or bosses in the past. It’s not that they were poor workers, it’s just that there is a difference between a barista and a career barista. There is always something to learn, and in the past helping to challenge, teach and train my fellow baristas was always something that helped to advance my knowledge of the craft, but I never felt challenged back. Although there was pressure, it was not the same as direct attention from someone that cares as much or more about the quality of coffee than you do. I’ve never felt intimidated before, and now I do. It’s a strange feeling to be excited about intimidation. To be overjoyed about being forced to push your limits. I’m actually looking forward to no longer being a standout.
As I move to new shores and a new coast, I’ll have to let go of the coast and coasting that came with this Michigan shore that I have come to love for so long. When I walk into work from now on I’m not going to throw lingo over people’s heads if I start talking about coffee beyond “light roast and dark roast.” I’m moving to a shop where people can pull flavors out of a coffee in the same way I try to. I’m moving to a shop where people challenge themselves to become better everyday, just like I have done for so long.
It will be nice to be in like company.
18 days.
-bry
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Robertson on
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Hey Bry,
At the risk of speaking in a bolder than Joe fashion, I am 99.999% positive you could have a job out here before you purchase an airline ticket. I happen to know a shop owner on that is opening a new cafe. Now I can't say for sure he would hire you or not, hey for all I know maybe he already has. I'm sure he would entertain your inqury like the business man I know he is. I know I would if I could. I will be jelous of any shop that gets you first. I saw his progress photos, very nice. I have been in the shop. If I didn't already own a shop it would be a special honor to open that shop with him as a , so to speak, underling junior javajedi. He has conversed with you before and like me encourged you to come out here. I like many others out here am very excited to have you much closer to my shop and my new Italian lady friend , Aurelia. Like I have told you before, I met you a few xmas's ago when you demonstrated your Behmor for me. At that time I knew I was in the presence of a diamond in the rough and not very rough at that.
So excited to hear this I forgot to turn my open signs on. Off I go, and do keep us posted on the details.
Your fellow spro Pro always in training Joe
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Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform.
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on
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I happen to know that same person, and I'm 100% positive that I'll have a job before I get out there because that job is the reason I'm moving out there :0)
-bry
Joseph Robertson said:Hey Bry,
At the risk of speaking in a bolder than Joe fashion, I am 99.999% positive you could have a job out here before you purchase an airline ticket. I happen to know a shop owner on that is opening a new cafe. Now I can't say for sure he would hire you or not, hey for all I know maybe he already has. I'm sure he would entertain your inqury like the business man I know he is. I know I would if I could. I will be jelous of any shop that gets you first. I saw his progress photos, very nice. I have been in the shop. If I didn't already own a shop it would be a special honor to open that shop with him as a , so to speak, underling junior javajedi. He has conversed with you before and like me encourged you to come out here. I like many others out here am very excited to have you much closer to my shop and my new Italian lady friend , Aurelia. Like I have told you before, I met you a few xmas's ago when you demonstrated your Behmor for me. At that time I knew I was in the presence of a diamond in the rough and not very rough at that.
So excited to hear this I forgot to turn my open signs on. Off I go, and do keep us posted on the details.
Your fellow spro Pro always in training Joe
--
Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform.
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Ahhh, now that's what I'm talking about. I'm glad I did not say too much because even M likes some anonymity. I think. In this business it's probably best not to have any anonymity at all. In fact I heard through the green bean grapevine M is going to build a float for the next Vancouver Parade, his dream spro machine, the Speedster ;) , ;). I thought his new shop would be world class now I know it will be. Congrats. let me be the first on BE to say that. Hey compared to your skills on the handle side of his spro beauties I would be hired to buff glasses. I'm looking forward to a steaming lesson or two Bry. Oh, and don't worry about me puffing you up larger than life, no one in this region reads these posts. <];^).
I toast my first shots of the day to the next level of your Java journey. 18 Days, my calendar is marked.
Best Regards,
joseph
Bryan Wray said:I happen to know that same person, and I'm 100% positive that I'll have a job before I get out there because that job is the reason I'm moving out there :0)
-bry
Joseph Robertson said:Hey Bry,
At the risk of speaking in a bolder than Joe fashion, I am 99.999% positive you could have a job out here before you purchase an airline ticket. I happen to know a shop owner on that is opening a new cafe. Now I can't say for sure he would hire you or not, hey for all I know maybe he already has. I'm sure he would entertain your inqury like the business man I know he is. I know I would if I could. I will be jelous of any shop that gets you first. I saw his progress photos, very nice. I have been in the shop. If I didn't already own a shop it would be a special honor to open that shop with him as a , so to speak, underling junior javajedi. He has conversed with you before and like me encourged you to come out here. I like many others out here am very excited to have you much closer to my shop and my new Italian lady friend , Aurelia. Like I have told you before, I met you a few xmas's ago when you demonstrated your Behmor for me. At that time I knew I was in the presence of a diamond in the rough and not very rough at that.
So excited to hear this I forgot to turn my open signs on. Off I go, and do keep us posted on the details.
Your fellow spro Pro always in training Joe
--
Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform.
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Permalink Reply by Fraser Jamieson on
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Bryan, excellent news!
Being a career barista is a totally different experience from thinking of it as a stepping stone job.
You can work your whole life and never run out of new things to learn.
I'm in my mid 50s and still get stoked thinking about new things to try.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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Bry's not coming on board as a career barista per se but rather as a coffee professional. For starters he'll also be my roast apprentice (continuing on the numerous years he's already been home roasting and limited {and sometimes insanely not so limited} home roasting for cafe's he's worked for), be involved in both planning and facilitating regular customer education events of many kinds I've wanted to do but haven't had enough time to implement, as well as working barista, Roastery Cafe mgr and trainer.
For starters:-) Then's there'll be work to be done over the next few years of site locating, planning and opening North & East County cafes #3 & 4. Plus highly probably relocation of downtown cafe #1 in the next two years to a much larger facility couple blocks away, on main arterial right before work comute Fwy entrance, to include (already site plan approved) drive-thru.
Once all that's done (and who knows what else) there be time and resources for those darned Origin trips that'll have to be made on a routine basis:-)
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ohh, those darn origin trips can be a pain. ;)
miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:Bry's not coming on board as a career barista per se but rather as a coffee professional. For starters he'll also be my roast apprentice (continuing on the numerous years he's already been home roasting and limited {and sometimes insanely not so limited} home roasting for cafe's he's worked for), be involved in both planning and facilitating regular customer education events of many kinds I've wanted to do but haven't had enough time to implement, as well as working barista, Roastery Cafe mgr and trainer.
For starters:-) Then's there'll be work to be done over the next few years of site locating, planning and opening North & East County cafes #3 & 4. Plus highly probably relocation of downtown cafe #1 in the next two years to a much larger facility couple blocks away, on main arterial right before work comute Fwy entrance, to include (already site plan approved) drive-thru.
Once all that's done (and who knows what else) there be time and resources for those darned Origin trips that'll have to be made on a routine basis:-)
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Permalink Reply by Jason Dominy on
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best wishes to you in your new endeavor!
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Permalink Reply by Jason Shipley on
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Congratulations I hope you have a great adventure!
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Bry, by now you have done you home work to know that miKe is on the cutting edge when it comes to coffee in Vancouver Washington. In no time he will be the driving force to contend with. Not that I would ever consider anything like contending or compitition. If anything I would join forces with miKe. He knows coffee and he knows what and where he is going with it. His passion is to envy, his coffee is to savor, and his friendship if one gets that far is for life. It is a special thing to call him a mentor. I wish you the best experience of your life Bryan, in many ways I envy you. I know I will see you guys often and I hope to see you at miKe's "Morning After" Grand Opening Party. Free spro all day I hear.
Cheers,
Joseph
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Curtis on
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No longer a frontiersman eh? ;-]
Exciting Bryan! Best wishes!
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Maybe not a Frontiersman in one sense but to come out west used to mean one would have to be a frontiersman to even think about it.
Joseph
Stephen Curtis said:No longer a frontiersman eh? ;-]
Exciting Bryan! Best wishes!
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