A Day with Batdorf

Batdorf Coffee

This morning, I visited the Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roastery, through an invitation extended by coffee enthusiast and Batdorf social-media master, Jason Dominy. Batdorf and Bronson has built an incredible reputation across the nation, from Olympia, Washington and all across the nation.  Jason, too, has developed quite the reputation, ranking as one of the Top 3 Baristas in this region, and a contender in the upcoming SERBC competition. This company first hit my radar several weeks ago when Ben Blake (@bejabl) recommended I meet Jason while living in Atlanta for Campus MovieFest. Upon Jason's recommendation, I began working from Dancing Goats Coffee in Decatur and immediately fell in love with their brewing methods, coffee knowledge, and clean atmosphere that beats a typical office space any day of the week. (If only I could find an electrical outlet to plug in after a few hours of work.) A taste of their Costa Rican Tarrazu was all I needed to understand that these guys were the real deal. Those thoughts were confirmed moments after tweeting live from Batdorf, as @thechavez revealed that the Dancing Goats blend was his first-ever "real, good coffee" experience.

Batdorf teamed up with Groupon's biggest threat, Scout Mob, to invite Atlanta locals to a morning of coffee talk and a look at the local roastery, a spectacular sold-out opportunity that has left plenty of Atlanta residents eager for a second round of opportunity. Having a barista background, I've always felt like I had a slight edge on most people when it comes to flavor descriptors, coffee regions, and even pairings. But my knowledge is scarce in regards to roasting methods and the process of extracting a coffee bean from the cherry. This mornings session at Batdorf took care of that. I gained a wealth of new knowledge; from wet vs. dry processing, an understanding of the difference between robusta and arabic conditions, to a closer look at the Clever drip method. I even managed to catch up on global economics. Did you know that Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world? Probably so... But now they are the 2nd largest consumer of coffee, next to the USA.

While Jason teased all of us with his personal coffee cup of "buttermilk" through the tour and training, the wait was well worth it. We tested our knowledge and watched as our two-hours with Jason proved meaningful, tasting three different coffees from various regions.  I walked out of the roastery with an exclusive ScoutMob mug, some samples of recently roasted coffee, and an even greater understanding of that mystical power that brings us together as a community. Jason, Batdorf, and many other coffee enthusiasts are simply connecting with their community in an effort to fellowship while educating on the art that we call coffee. An understanding of the methods make a bag of $16.00 coffee one of the most extraordinary experiences one can have in their own home. While it has been years since I made the commitment to coffee with class, I've found an even stronger bond with new brewing methods and the search for the perfect cup. As Jason talked about his many years "in coffee" as a profession, I could only sit and wonder if my high-school dream job was one step closer to a reality. The business model is back out.

Thanks to Jason and Batdorf & Bronson for a wonderful experience and an encouraging opportunity to connect with community members that share similar passions. Be sure to check our Jason's website for some of the best coffee-related you can find on the web, including a great look at the K-Cup Controversy as well as the musings of a fellow food aficionado.

a tasteless pre-roasted coffee bean.

Jason and the legendary roaster, complete with Elvis Presley atop the cooling unit.

2 weeks to go..

There is just under two weeks to go until the big day.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

Just kidding. No one outside of the New England territory cares much about the game. Anyone in the realm of the advertising world is excited for a year of Twitter-heavy reports, user-generated content, and a heavy criticism of the live performances. But, on February 5th, I wrap up my 2nd annual list "to-do" list, as followed here on this website.

The age of 23 has been incredibly good to me. I can't even begin to summarize it. But with the remaining weeks comes a few small tasks which are yet to be completed. See the video below, as Alex-Anna and I wrapped up one of the tougher tasks which carried over from "22" but is finally complete: visit North Carolina.

Alex-Anna and I share a passion for just picking up and doing something spontaneous, something that may not be the most rational of ideas, but is bound to create an opportunity. On the trip, we both learned just how often we have ended up in similar situations because of the "why not!?" mentality.  It's almost to a fault, as we spent over 9 hours driving in a 24 hour time span. But in the end, it always seems to work out and memories are made. 

While in Athens at the game, a question came up at halftime. "What are we going to do tonight?". As the conversation wandered aimlessly, we realized that we had plenty of time, a tank of gas, and a bucket list item to visit North Carolina over my head. The rationale was quite irrational, "well,we're already an hour north, so we might as well keep going", but was enough for us to leave the game in the second half and take off. On the trip, I connected with friends via Facebook and Twitter to find that a college buddy lived in Charlotte and worked a night club in the heart of downtown. In minutes, we had a place to stay, free cover into the nicest club in North Carolina, and plans for our evening... but we were sporting Ole Miss t-shirts and wet sneakers. Since our housing was accounted for and the club required nice clothing/no tennis shoes, it only made sense to stop in Anderson, South Carolina for a short shopping trip. From top to bottom, we bought outfits for the evening and continued to North Carolina. By 1PM, we had made it to NC, but the friends apartment was locked up. We took off downtown in pursuit of a changing room, only to settle upon a Hilton hotel. It was exactly what you see in the movies (or Alias, for you vintage television folks). Two normal people browsing a hotel, buying candy at the gift shop to figure out where the nearest bathrooms are, sneaking around and avoiding eye contact, but coming out in the evening's finest as if nothing had happened.  Hours later, we were back in our comfortable clothes, Moe's in hand, wondering what the heck had just happened.

Here's the story via Instagram

Brunch in Athens, GA (no thought of North Carolina here)

Ole Miss vs. UGA (where the idea turned into reality)

We had a few of these moments...(addicted)

Charlotte, NC

Sunday brunch with Kyle, grits for the first time

road trippers. we made it.

traditional pose

heading back to GA

truth

Goals, Dreams, and Doing

As the new year begins, I drive by countless gyms and fitness centers filled with resolution-seeking individuals who are finally making changes that they've "wanted" for a long time now. How many Facebook status' or Tweets have you seen that say:

"This is my year"

"2012 is mine for the taking"

"It's going to be my year"

I have the universe on my side"

All of this resolution talk has me wondering why we have to wait for the start of something new, like a year, to make all these changes? Does the month of January create some sort of mental adrenaline rush that we naturally reach, in hopes that all of our wildest dreams come true? I highly doubt that there is a cosmic force behind January, but I admire that people do take the time to consider their future.

I recently read a 2002 scholarly paper from two men, Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, as it is featured in a Zig Ziglar's Legendary Goals Program, a book that challenges readers to set their goals, know why they want to achieve the goals, and then continuously remind themselves of their intentions.

Essentially:
1. Goals direct attention and effort toward goal-relevant activities and a way from goal-irrelevant activities
2. Goals have an energizing function. Goals create effort.
3. Goals affect persistence. Goals prolong effort.
4. Goals rally us to bring task-relevant knowledge and strategies to the problem at hand.

While I am not a fan of the New Years Resolutions, simply because they rarely last beyond February, I am such a fan of creating monthly/ semi-annual/ annual goals or annual bucket lists. Coming up in February, I will hold myself accountable to the "24 Things Before Turning 24", a list that has traveled with me throughout this year of my life. While I still have several large items to complete (Travel to North Carolina, drive a stick shift, take a homeless person out to eat), I can proudly thank the list for encouraging me to some major things like skydiving, fasting, and writing a thank-you note to a creative.

• What are you waiting on? If it's not your birthday, then I challenge you to start now, dividing the time that you have left before your birthday by your age (if you turn 24 in 6 months, then list 12 items by then and start fresh on the birthday). 
• If you made New Years resolutions, set an accountability check on your phone calendar, computer, or personal planner for every 2 months. 
• Find out who else is seeking the changes you wish to be a part of, and use our ability to connect to create a tribe of passionate people. (see Seth Godin)
• Award yourself for your hard work and ability to stay true, but don't be counteractive (If your resolution is to avoid fried food, don't drive to KFC to celebrate your achievements).

Notes from "Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation- A 35 Year Odyssey"

coffee in 3 words

My friend and former colleague, Ben Blake (@bejabl) asked me and a few others, 

"If you could say 3 words about coffee, what would you say?"

While I responded rather quickly, I realized there is so much to this daily indulgence of mine. I was able to come up with three strong words, but felt the need for further conversation.

Culture: the coffee lifestyle is a unique one, to say the least. Perhaps the neatest thing is the segmentation of coffee culture into unique tribes. Generally speaking, you've got coffee drinkers vs.non-coffee drinkers. From there, you have fans of Folgers, Keurig crazies, and home roasters. Within the world of coffee you have vast amounts of diversity, brought together by the simple love of java. I entered into this culture as a child, sipping on my father's black coffee on winter hunting trips. After an embarrassing season in Frappucino world, I discovered the french press. Becoming a Starbucks barista rocked my palate and I learned about the many variables and factors that make a cup of coffee what it is. Today, I still feel as though I am a child of the coffee process, but continue to learn more each and every day.

Community: Coffeehouses, shops, and cafes are my most frequent stops while working and traveling. The environment that it creates is sometimes unexplainable. Drinking a cup of coffee is about the people you are around, the environment that brings you in, and the way that it can unite an entire community. Undoubtedly, my best conversations, business meetings, and opportunities to learn came with a cup in hand. And that environment wouldn't mean anything without the scents of roasted coffee beans, low lighting, and a community of coffee drinkers.

Expression: For those who explore into the depths of the process,  coffee is undoubtedly an art. Regions around the world are known for different types of beans. Once you have a roasted bean, there are many factors to be considered like acidity, body, and flavor. Even beyond that comes the brewing methods, brewing, drip, espresso, press, siphon, etc). You can tell a lot about a person simply by what's in their cup.  Much like a sports fan wears their team jersey with pride, a coffee-lover takes great joy in their personal preference and desire for "their perfect cup".

If you could say 3 word about coffee, what would you say?