Stepping out January 19, 2011

If I were to describe myself, bold is not the first adjective that comes to mind. I began dancing at age three but I didn’t perform my first solo until I was seventeen. It took me fourteen years to be able to perform on stage by myself! I loved dancing. I loved competing. In fact I loved the rush of adrenaline when I was standing behind stage waiting to go on, but I loved dancing and competing with the security of others on stage with me.

But this is it—this is the year of boldness for me. So I’ve decided I’m stepping out. Last year a group of us from Joe Bean ventured to Boston to support Ben Turiano in the North East Regional Barista Competition (NERBC). At the NERBC they debuted a new competition—the Cup Tasters Challenge (a cupping competition). My first thought was, “I can do that. It looks fun!” Of course after my first thought came my second thought, “But if I competed, I’d have to stand up and slurp coffee by myself, in front of others.” After much encouragement from my fellow Joe Beanites I decided how to take my first step out—I am going to prepare to compete in a cupping competition. I am going to stand up in front of a group of people and slurp coffee! Why? Because I love to cup coffee! I love taking a big slurp and the coffee just bursting over your tongue! Because I’m good at it.

And, because like I said before, this is the year of boldness for me—I am going to rip off that layer of shyness, that feeling that I’m not talented or knowledgeable enough—though I really am, but I am also doing it for those behind me. For those who are facing this great big world and feeling ill equipped when in fact they have everything they need. To tell them I’ve been there and I did it and you can too.

In my spare time, when I’m not roasting, brewing or slurping coffee, or singing toddler songs, I work with high schoolers. I’ve seen so many of them turn down opportunities because they don’t feel adequate, because they’re afraid of the attention it will give them—even good attention.

Even if I stand up there in front of others and slurp my coffee and don’t do so well, it’s not really about that. It’s about gaining more experience and peeling off another layer that’s just holding me back. It’s about stepping out into life and doing the things I want to do.

If I were to make you coffee what would you like? December 16, 2010

Ahava’s response this morning: “mmmmmmm Rwanda”

That’s my girl!

Ahava Java Generation December 13, 2010

It was November 3^rd, 2004 – my 25^th birthday. I was sitting at my desk at work.

“Good afternoon, The Inn on Broadway.”

“Dena, it’s Kathy. We got it!”

So began my coffee adventure. It is now six years later. I find myself sitting here at my desk again, yet this time there is a beautiful fire engine red 10-kilo Ambex coffee roaster sitting next to me.

My adventure began as co-owner of a café and transformed into co-owner of a coffee roasting company in 2007. Two months after I became a coffee roaster I also became a mom. Initially, my interest in being involved with coffee was motivated by my love of coffee and my love of adventure. But as my role as a coffee roaster and a mom developed, I realized that I had a strong passion to impact the next generation. To help them understand where coffee comes from, how it impacts our everyday life, to value quality, to see the world in a global way and the many other lessons I was learning through coffee.

Notice the onesie - it says, "Coffee drinker in training"!

As my daughter Ahava has grown, I have seen her be impacted by my world of coffee. I am beginning to see that my adventure and my passion are changing my daughter and the way she sees the world. My daughter’s name, Ahava, means “love” in Hebrew so I have nicknamed her generation the “Ahava Java Generation”.

We already see that this upcoming generation loves coffee – many of them have “grown up” in coffee houses but I believe coffee will become more to this next generation than the cappuccino they order at their local coffee house. Their passion will extend from the farmer to the barista. Just as my daughter’s worldview is changing with every new coffee experience she has, so will the Ahava Java Generation’s worldview.

I can see how being around a family business focused on coffee has already brought Ahava some unique experiences. Since she has just turned 3, I can’t help but reminisce about some of those unique aspects.

To name a few:

Finding a green coffee bean clasped in her two month old hand. She spent most days with me at Joe Bean so I guess it’s only natural that she would find a green bean lying around and decide, “I think I’ll hang onto that!”

Attending her first North East Regional Barista Competition at the age of six months.

Receiving a French press as a Christmas present for her 2^nd Christmas. She still “makes coffee” in it on a daily basis! Most other girls play tea party, but not mine!

Learning before the age of three that Rwanda and Guatemala are coffee producing countries! (We are currently working on adding other countries to her repertoire!)

Seeing my daughter have all of these experiences makes me realize she is being trained already to have an appreciation for where things come from – to see this everyday beverage differently – to connect it to a country, a farmer and a roaster. Maybe even to savor the small things of life, like a good cup of coffee, or to recognize the sweetness of community that is built around drinking it together. Who knows how this will all impact my family but I do know she is part of a new coffee generation. We’re a generation who has passion – that realizes there is so much more to this beloved beverage. We’re a generation that appreciates our cup of coffee from the farmer to the aroma before we take our first sip. I love raising my daughter to be a part of this generation – a generation not bound by age, but by a passion.

Even now, as I’m sitting her typing this blog, my daughter is using her French press to make me a cup of Rwanda coffee – not just a cup of coffee, but a cup of Rwandan coffee. I look forward to sharing with you more of my experiences as a coffee roaster and as a mom raising my daughter to be a part of the “Ahava Java Generation!”