Best Chris Deferio Podcasts (2025)

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186. “Mastering Your Hospitality Business” with Chris Deferio 38:55

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13d ago38:55

38:55

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Chris Deferio, founder, owner, and consultant at Keys to the Shop, Podcast + Consulting for Coffee Shops. Chris shares his experiences and valuable tips for customer retention, the unique challenges faced in daily customer interactions, and the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout. Dawn and Chris …

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559: Myths Coffee Shop Owners Believe Part 2 38:54

24m ago38:54

38:54

And the myths just keep on coming! Welcome to part 2 of the series on Myth Coffee Shop Owners Believe. The goal here is to create space and slow down long enough to critically and intentionally examine ideas before we adopt them into the fabric of our cafes. Of course in the frenzied world many of us occupy, having time to think might itself be a r…

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SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality 15:05

4d ago15:05

15:05

Who is it we are serving when we start or work in the coffee shop? If you listen to a lot of the way people talk today, you might think we expect customers to serve our needs more than we pursue meeting the needs of and serving our customers. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the trend of backwards hospitality that has greatly diminishe…

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187. “Amazon FBA vs Other E-Commerce” with Dennis Balonze 32:34

6d ago32:34

32:34

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Dennis Balonze, a small business owner who successfully transitioned to e-commerce. Dennis began his journey in 2001 with a barbershop in New Jersey and later launched an Amazon store in 2010. He shares insights into his innovative approach, creating products designed for barbershops and leveraging Amazon's Fu…

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558: Digital Natives and the Future of Coffee Shops w/Kosta Kallivrousis 55:19

6d ago55:19

55:19

Like Pepsi in 1984, coffee is the "Choice of a New Generation"... but maybe not in the same way as we of older generations are comfortable with. The ways digital natives are consuming coffee today may be unique, but as with all coffee consumers before and after, they are seeking the identity, belonging, utility, and promises associated with coffee …

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557: Founder Friday! w/ Andre Chanco of Yardstick Coffee in the Philippines! 58:24

10d ago58:24

58:24

Once again it is Founder Friday! The world of coffee encompasses vast regions of taste and culture, all united by the communal cup of coffee. In the Philippines there has been an incredible movement of specialty. Yardstick Coffee stands as one of the original specialty coffee roasters and retailers that has built a solid and growing company that co…

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Shift Break! The Problem of Commiseration 9:35

13d ago9:35

9:35

In forums, trade shows, and conversations everywhere, people are talking about their problems, and that's not a bad thing! The problem starts when the talk is not productive and starts to warp reality and damages our ability to work, serve and lead well due to the bitterness commiseration tends to produce. Today on Shift Break we will be talking ab…

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556: Myths Coffee Shop Owners Believe Part 1 27:44

14d ago27:44

27:44

What we believe is often a mixture of what we heard , what we have experienced, and what is convenient for us in the moment. The truth is, we are desperate for certainty and as our desperation grows, our ability to be reasonable and discern goes down. Thats when ideas turn into rules based on nothing more that our desire for getting an answer. Then…

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SHIFT BREAK! Considering the Future You When Making Decisions 10:49

18d ago10:49

10:49

Have you ever made a regrettable decision in the moment that you would have made differently if you had given yourself a bit more time and space to reason it through? I think we have all been there. Many are there right now! Every time we decide something in the present based on desperation, impatience, or fear, the future version of ourselves and …

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185. “Be Water” with Todd Schuchart 44:20

20d ago44:20

44:20

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Todd Schuchart, founder of Razor Ridge Leads. Todd specializes in life insurance marketing. Todd stresses the need for marketers and entrepreneurs to 'be water,' meaning to stay fluid and adaptable in their approach. Dawn and Todd discuss the significance of testing and optimizing marketing efforts, understand…

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555: 3 Ways to be Better Cafe Manager 28:45

21d ago28:45

28:45

Becoming a great manager is as much for other people's benefit as it is for your own. In order to do this you have to see it as a practice that incorporates certain mindsets and habits that contribute to developing you into the kind of person who can guide and develop others Today on the show we will talking about three very important areas that ma…

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Message From Chris: Explaining Key Holder Coaching Groups, Consulting, Coaching, and the Goals of KTTS Services 18:55

24d ago18:55

18:55

Hey everyone! I was sitting at my desk thinking about the various services and means KTTS has created to help coffee shop owners and leaders in the last 8 years. Seems we have grown a lot! From a podcast with 1,000+ episodes and 3 million+ downloads, to consulting and coaching 85+ cafes, training barista teams, speaking around the country multiple …

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SHIFT BREAK! The Right Place for Creativity in the Cafe 14:38

25d ago14:38

14:38

We like to use the word "creativity" when describing ideal traits in coffee shop staff. In some ways, this is admirable and very useful, for a lot of us though, without exploring and establishing the details behind it and how exactly it looks to be creative, we end up with a lot of confusion, inconsistencies, and dropping the ball on quality servic…

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184. “Neurodivergent Leader Strategies” with Christy Lingo 38:11

27d ago38:11

38:11

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Christy Lingo, an executive function and accountability coach and the 'ADHD Mompreneur,' who offers insights and strategies to ease these difficulties. The discussion covers the role of dopamine in ADHD, difficulties with task initiation, procrastination, hyperfocus, and the importance of understanding one's c…

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554: Formal Education vs Real World Experience : Which is Better? 30:25

28d ago30:25

30:25

What is necessary before opening a cafe? Which is better to prepare you for the challenges and opportunities you will be presented with in your career and as an owner of a coffee shop? This question is asked often by people just getting into the industry and also by those who are experienced already but may want to add something to make sure they a…

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SHIFT BREAK! New Managers: Learning Before Changing 10:45

1M ago10:45

10:45

When a new manager is placed in a cafe, they often will try to change a lot of things in a bid to justify their role and/or create what they believe is the positive change they have long wanted to see as a barista. While both are understandable, neither one should be the first thing a manager takes on as they become established. Today on Shift Brea…

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RoR #37 : Tariffs, Relationships, and Resiliency for Roasters | A Conversation w/ Steve Green of Mill City Roasters 48:40

1M ago48:40

48:40

These are challenging times for roasters. With the topics of green prices and tariffs dominating the airwaves and minds of owners, everyone is looking for the best way to respond to what seems like an existential threat to their business if left unaddressed. The truth is that the businesses that do the best in these times not only respond well in t…

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183. “Business Marketing Archetypes” with Brian Gregory 40:54

1M ago40:54

40:54

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Brian Gregory, Creator of The YES! TEST, Copywriter, Speaker, Author, Podcaster. They delve into consumer perception and the emotional factors that drive purchasing decisions. Brian introduces the 'Yes Test,' a tool developed over seven years to help small businesses identify their most effective emotional mar…

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553: Career Success, Hospitality, and Cafe Culture w/ Akaash Saini, La Marzocco 57:57

1M ago57:57

57:57

How we grow in the coffee industry will determine how we lead and how we influence those around us. Our guest today has developed a career that has allowed him to not only grow himself into one with a broad and practical perspective on the industry, but to also help others grow their cafes and themselves. I am thrilled to get to chat with, Akaash S…

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552: Founder Friday w/ Kristen Redfield and Jenna Currier of Goldie's Coffee Roasters in Anchorage, Alaska! 47:01

1M ago47:01

47:01

It's Founder Friday! I am very happy to welcome to the show the founders of Goldies Coffee Roasters Kristen Redfield and Jenna Currier! Kristen Redfield is a life-long Alaskan growing up in North Kenai, Alaska. In 2010 she began her coffee career as a barista just before graduating from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelors of Art in …

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SHIFT BREAK! Should You Remodel or Renew Your Cafe? 8:52

1M ago8:52

8:52

If we change anything in the cafe, it will more likely be something related to the optics, branding, or remodeling the physical cafe in order to get that feeling like we have become different and this will usher in more motivation, excitement, better quality and hospitality etc. Sadly, no amount of paint, gear,, or remodeling can address the core i…

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SPECIAL! Live from Portland Coffee Fest 2025! w/ Laila Ghambari, Ryan Jie Jaing, Emily Smith, and Sebastián Villamizar 1:20:29

1M ago1:20:29

1:20:29

Hey everyone and welcome to another Coffee Fest live series. this time from Portland, OR 2025! We get to talk with four wonderful professionals on a host of topics from business operations, green coffee sourcing - to coffee farming and roasting at origin, as well as crafting great signature drinks! In order of appearance we have Laila Ghambari of G…

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182. “Art and Science of Customer Retention” with Adam Ortman 35:29

1M ago35:29

35:29

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Adam Ortman, CEO + Founder of Kinetic319, Author, Consumer Psychologist. They delve into the art and science of customer retention, and discuss essential strategies businesses should implement to keep their clients happy and loyal. They also explore innovative loyalty programs and the significance of maintaini…

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551: Encore: Designing the Guest Experience w/ Doctor Lisa Waxman! 53:38

1M ago53:38

53:38

Designing the experience is pretty much all we focus on. From the colors, textures, sounds, layouts - to the drinks themselves, people's experience is something that is born from design. If we want it to be a good one, we need to put in specific effort across many different areas. One of the areas today' encore episode guest focuses on is the build…

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SHIFT BREAK! Better Than Bad is Not Good 9:53

2M ago9:53

9:53

Your decisions in the business related to hiring, quality, operations etc need to be based on what is actually good for the business and the people you work with and for now. Trouble is that we often are stuck at a low level of expectation and accept less than appropriate and right fits because we are defining everything against bad examples from t…

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181. “Building Strong Family Legacies” with Anne Bauer 39:10

2M ago39:10

39:10

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Anne Bauer, a family business consultant, and coach. Anne shares her personal journey of joining and eventually running her sixth-generation family business. She discusses common challenges in family businesses, such as balancing legacy and innovation, clear communication, and generational transitions. Dawn an…

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550: Replace These Distractions and Watch Your Cafe Grow! 43:27

2M ago43:27

43:27

I don't think there has been a time in the history of coffee shops where we have been so distracted by things that promise to bring value but turn out to be simply distractions. Noise vs signal, image vs substance, and so forth. In my year of coffee I have seen plenty of cafes burn out from pursuing and building their businesses according to these …

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180. “Red Customers and Blue Customers” with Chris Peterson 41:42

2M ago41:42

41:42

Send us a text Dawn Kennedy talks with Chris Peterson, co-founder of Lifemind.ai and author of 'Red and Blue Customers,' discusses the importance of understanding the political leanings and worldviews of consumers in marketing. They explore how liberal and conservative values influence purchasing decisions, media consumption, and brand trust. Dawn …

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549: The Power of Great Consistent Work Over Time 29:17

2M ago29:17

29:17

How do you know if you are doing a good job? Who are you looking to serve and how do you measure success? For many of us the proof of our doing great work lies in the validation of our industry before it we are happy with the praise and fulfillment of those we serve through the shop. Truth is, great work, done in secret or anonymity, makes a big di…

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SHIFT BREAK! What Should Coffee Cost a Customer? 12:16

2M ago12:16

12:16

Investment is what creates value. There are many other investments beyond the financial that customer must make in the coffee experience that make the act of going to get coffee worth it. In today's Shift Break we will be talking about the necessary costs customers must bear and why they are not inconveniences we should be trying to get rid of, but…