Guest: Kat Melheim
Company: Coffee People ‘Zine / Black & White Roasters / RoasterKat
Role: Founder / Content Creator / Roaster
Based: Raleigh, NC / On the move
Online: @roasterkat • coffeepeople.org • Linkin.Bio
What they drink: A drip, a single shot of espresso with a single shot of espresso with a drop of milk, and a possibly a seasonal…assuming the shop is legit. If not, a drip with as much milk and sugar as it takes!
Some people can’t do just one thing. It isn’t in their nature. I think it is an innate curiosity that drives them to pursue new avenues to express themselves and leave their mark. Kat Melheim is one such person.
She made her way into coffee when she needed a break from her career in social work. She made her way through the ranks. Even though she may have been looking for a job that she could leave behind at the end of the day, what she found was a community, an opportunity, and a passion that burst forth from the doorway behind her.
As the founder of the Coffee People Zine, Kat has created a platform for showcasing the creative and artistic pursuits of other coffee people. In uplifting others, she has continued to fuel her own efforts to engage with coffee in a creative way. It’s inspiring. It’s intimidating. It’s worth taking a look further into our own lives to see when and where we can also uplift others.
“The more art there is in the world, the better.”
• Kat Melheim
The current edition of Coffee People Zine (out now) is “Past.” Kat is accepting submissions for the next edition, “Present,” now. Learn more about submission guidelines here:
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PODCAST
Kat Melheim is a multi-hypenate creative coffee person: Roaster, Content Creator, Influencer, Educator, Origin Trip Guide…the list goes on.
Coffee wasn’t the original path. Kat was a social worker who made her way to coffee later. Often we place productivity on a pedestal and reward those who keep pushing, often to the detriment of their mental and physical selfs. So…take care of yourselves, alright? Drink some good coffee.
Kat’s coffee community was growing, but she also saw past the coffee focus realizing she was surrounded by people with many creative talents. The Coffee People ‘Zine was born of a desire to share and uplift the art of others.
Leaving something behind can be a challenge. You may be on a path, but there is no rule you can’t step off and go another direction.
I don’t think Ai is coming. It is already here.
Kat is going to be leading some Origin Trips for coffee professionals and enthusiasts, alike. “Come with me on an adventure through Colombia's coffee region, from Armenia to Medellín. This area, called the "Coffee Axis" is known for high elevations and even higher quality coffee, and we'll get to experience it first-hand!”
Follow @RoasterKat on the various socials. You’ll learn a lot! Links above. Here’s a video she posted on her YouTube channel about the differences between standard washed and anaerobic coffees.
Vocabulary: Creative Raccooning
Taking on a creative and/or artistic project, only to be distracted by another creative and/or artistic project, but refusing to let go of either of them (and so on) like the raccoons in the book Where the Red Fern Grows who refused to let go of the silver placed in a simple trap, despite it being the only way to free themselves. A creative raccoon also takes on more and more creative projects but refuses to give up any of them, necessitating a wider and wider bandwidth to achieve their creative goals. This can also be to their detriment, but it may lead down a path to fulfillment, as well.
Full disclosure: I made up this definition to try to describe myself years ago
COFFEE SMARTER PRO
Jared Hales at Hacea Coffee Source, joined the Coffee Smarter Podcast to discuss the growing market for specialty Robusta.
ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Steady State coffee was voted the best coffee in San Diego by San Diego Magazine!
At Cozy Canine Coffee, they are celebrating the success of their recent fundraising walk for the San Diego Humane Society’s Walk for Animals by offering 25% off the first month of any coffee subscription.
The inaugural Team Cozy Canine Coffee walk team raised $2,276! Read the blog post here for their experience!
A huge, on-going thank you to all of this show’s industry partners.
Roastar • Zumbar Coffee & Tea • Steady State Roasting • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Green Coffee • Hacea Coffee Source • Crossings Coffee • Sivitz Roasting Machines • Craft 42 Roasters • Me and My Uncle Coffee Roasters • Cozy Canine Coffee
Affiliate marketing: I don’t do a lot of affiliate marketing. This particular product, the Simply Good Coffee Brewer, is one I’ve agreed to promote because I use it almost daily. The original review was written before accepting any sort of affiliate marketing payments. If you click through using our links and end up purchasing a brewer, it will help support R!WC.
Do you want to support the show without subscribing? Help keep us caffeinated by buying us a cup of coffee. Thanks for all your support.
Coffee People: Kat Melheim, Coffee People Zine