Roast! West Coast

Roast! West Coast

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Roast! West Coast
Roast! West Coast
What I Learned From Bill Kennedy
The Bean Journal

What I Learned From Bill Kennedy

Advice culled from an hour long conversation with Bill Kennedy, San Franciscan Roaster Co.

Mar 03, 2023
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Roast! West Coast
Roast! West Coast
What I Learned From Bill Kennedy
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The following bits and pieces of advice and wisdom for entrepreneurs, coffee people, and, frankly, everyone were culled from Bill’s guest appearance on the R!WC Coffee People podcast. These (mostly) paraphrased statements appear below in the order that you’ll encounter them during the podcast. Out now!

A shoulders up photo of Bill Kennedy, a white man with a Santa-like white beard, rimless glasses and kind eyes under a black baseball cap.
  • Timing is important. “Time after time, things happened just at the right time for us.”

  • Repetitive action can be a type of therapy—for example, coffee roasting.

  • Make sure you believe in what you’re doing, have grit, perseverance, and endurance. You have to believe.

  • Seek council when things are tough. 

  • Money isn’t always the solution. Sometimes not having the money forces you to find a smarter solution.

  • Surround yourself with a great team and build a cohesive team as you grow. That will help during the hard times.

  • Joy at work translates into quality. It is an American ideal to have pride in craftsmanship.

  • “You either get it done, or you get it done.” I can only hear this in Wilford Brimley’s voice. Relayed from an employee’s uncle, if I recall correctly.

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