Barista Magazine

BAM_DEC 2013 -JAN 2014

Barista Magazine is your home for the worldwide community of coffee and the people who make it.

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F OA M: NEW S away from the business and do my own thing. I had been surrounded by [Klatch] for 10 years up until this point, and I needed to do something else. I was away for about three years before I came back and realized that this was something I did love and wanted to be a part of. I started taking on more responsibility and trying to make my mark within the business. Heather: After I won my first USBC [in 2003], I was finishing my junior year in college and was looking at which law schools I would be attending. I had planned on going to law school for as long as I can remember. In the fall I got the chance to go to Costa Rica as a trainer and help them put on their first national barista competition. That was the first time I experienced what this industry could hold for me—and I don't just mean the options of different positions I could hold, I mean a deeper passion. Going to origin for the first time I think changes every coffee professional's life. It is such an important moment to really be able to see the complete seed-to-cup chain. I've never once thought about going back to law school. Sarah: What's the best thing about working with family? Heather: You're working with people who, at the end of the day, have your best interests at heart. You don't mind getting up at 4 a.m. and working 18-hour days because you're creating a better life for yourself and those you love. You can be real and honest and open with your ideas because you're not trying to impress anyone, you're just trying to get the job done the best way possible. I am 20 barista magazine surrounded by people who make me better at my job and I'm always learning from them. My dad is so much more detail oriented than I am when it comes to contracts and numbers; my sister takes all of my ideas to the next level; and my mom keeps me reasonable and stops me from flying off the handle. Holly: You always have someone you trust. Whether you need advice or just someone to vent to, there's always someone around who knows you and actually understands the situation. Plus, being able to celebrate our accomplishments together is pretty special. Sarah: What's the hardest thing about working with family? Holly: Besides everything?! We take our work with us wherever we go, whether that's the dinner table, the car, family functions, and even on vacation. Heather: I can't fire them or change them or replace them. [Laughs] Working with family is tough, there's no sugar coating that. At most family events you can find my sister and I talking in a corner about how someone need additional training, and then my dad and I will be discussing our expansion plans. You can't escape work. But I think what makes it successful for us is it's not work— it's life. And it's the life we all chose and love. Mike: That my children know more than I do, and I'm often too stubborn to learn from them. —Sarah Allen

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