Natalie Hodgkinson (she/her) is the founder of Boss and Brew - a barista training academy that does integral work in Cardiff, Wales, using specialty coffee as a vehicle to boost young people’s confidence and self-esteem, raise their aspirations and support them in expanding their networks to set them up with the skills they need to enter the world of work.

Prior to entering the coffee industry, Natalie was a maths teacher. Since opening her own coffee business, she felt that she could make positive change and impact on issues she saw within her own community in Cardiff, drawing from many of her own frustrations with the traditional education system and advocating for the importance of tailoring training to the individual.

This conversation explores a plethora of issues surrounding barriers to entry in the coffee industry; including the issues within recruitment processes in coffee, the immense pressure on young people to know what is right for them so early on and how to negate intimidation and accessibility at coffee events.

Theme song by Good News.

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Grace Talbot (she/her) has come a long way in her coffee career since her bookselling barista days at Cafe W (the coffee shop concept within Waterstones). From being offered a position she didn't apply for at the coffee roasters Girls Who Grind, to re-shaping how we think about coffee festivals at Cup North, Grace's career has gone from strength to strength, despite multiple hurdles that threatened to stand in the way. Today, she's absolutely smashing it as Sales Manager at Mió, and very recently emceed the World Barista Championships.

In this conversation we delve into a multitude of themes, from accessibility at coffee events to the power of people and the extreme importance of encouragement for progression, from imposter syndrome to re-baking the pie and making space for as many people as possible.

Theme song by Good News.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.