Guests: Ben Helt, Specialty Coffee Association
Role: Director, SCA Trainer Program
Based: Kansas City, MO
Online: https://education.sca.coffee/ • @specialtycoffeeassociation
What they drink: Two different drip coffees. He will commit to one, and get a sample of the other.
Listen/Watch on: Spotify • YouTube
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE POD
First and foremost, the SCA is about education.
SCA Coffee Skills program is a training-based certificate, like a diploma. It never expires. It is the same across borders. The programs show an investment in your skillsets. The certificates show that you passed with a baseline of knowledge and skills. The programs are built on job-task analysis. It is applicable in actual coffee operations, not just on paper.
There are no SCA-certified baristas.
As a kid, Ben was introduced to coffee and viewed it as a rite of passage into adulthood. Espresso macchiatos pushed his first specialty experiences into a place that sparked a fire in Ben for specialty coffee. Then, his goal was to build the community he wanted to be part of in Kansas City’s 1st ring. Coffee was a way for him to engage fully.
Referenced: David Schomer founded Espresso Vivace in Seattle, WA. You may remember past guest musician Michael Cepress mentioning their Capitol Hill location as one of his favorite stops. David is considered a coffee pioneer whose cafes popularized latte art in the United States. Ben referenced their use of caffè ristretto or short, concentrated shots of espresso—more coffee, less water.
Defined: Molasses is a type of cane syrup made from reducing sugar cane or beets to the point of caramelization. Blackstrap molasses is a more extreme reduction, whereas the sugary sweetness has been reduced so far. All that is left is a thick, dark sludge that is bitter and salty. More on seriouseats.com.
Ben credits his early cafe employees for providing his first true coffee education. They attempted to build a community-first business, but that didn’t mean the coffee was an afterthought. He had to find the right team members to uplift the coffee effort and provide them with opportunities to learn, even if it wasn’t from him.
After selling his cafe and roaster businesses, Ben took some time to discover his post-business life. With Workbench Coffee Labs, he connected with the SCA education program team.
Soapbox: Many of us wrap our identity up in our work and hobbies. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, and sometimes traumatic. It’s a constant emotional push day after day. Also, you need to get the work done! Even if you’re paying attention to all the business details, there are a lot of unexpected and/or unaccounted-for variables. They often impact you at the most unexpected moment, forcing you to deviate from your plan. Take time to explore your motivations and what keeps you even keel on a regular basis.
Know thyself. What is your preferred method of engagement? Is that the work you’re building for yourself?
In Ben’s experience, getting into an entrepreneurial effort to build community first can be risky. It can be a trap to project your expectations on the community you serve because you may not always feel that same support in return. How will you respond? You may never get the emotional return you expect.
Are you a lonely entrepreneur? Reach out. You have to begin the process of being your own rescue, but no one may randomly notice you are in need. Once you begin to reach out, you’ll find people who want to help.
Our baseline for knowledge about coffee has risen dramatically. It wasn’t that many years ago that knowing more than the coffee’s country of origin was a challenge, even for industry members.
In coffee, a roasting machine only offers a certain capacity for growth, a single barista can only serve so many people. Does the scale of your operation ever help you achieve your goal? Do the math and figure out your ceiling.
PARAPHRASED ADVICE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS
First, don’t do this.
…But, if you do, be aware of the risks. Ben credited The E-myth book for the concept of building your business—even a small one—like a franchise so that you could duplicate it without starting over. As your building, create processes and standards so that you have a foundation for growth. Write them down.
Don’t forget to do the math on your business. Write down your goals. What will make your venture a personal and financial success? If you don’t know the goal, the variables won’t matter. It will end up being easy for you, as an owner, to waste money, money that would have gone into your salary.
Small business is hard. You are competing with corporations who will always be able to beat you on price, on cost, and quantity. What do you offer that will pull a customer away from what they can do?
BEN’S CHARITABLE RECOMMENDATION
Off air, Ben suggested that we look into the Rotary as an organization he supports. I remember the Rotary club members being a fixture at local pancake breakfasts and community gatherings growing up. It originated as a businessmen’s service organization in Chicago in the early 1900s. It was named such because the members would rotate offices for their meetings.
Their goal is to, “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.” They do so as a non-political and non-religious organization.
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