Before you open the doors… honour your space. I always take a second here. No rush. Just me and the setup. Pre-checks done. Everything sitting where it should be. Machine’s dialled in. This is my trade. I’ve done this in all sorts of places… cold mornings, quiet streets, loud kitchens, beach cafés, back corners, setups that weren’t even ready. Different smells. Different sounds. Different energy every time. But this moment? Always the same. Holding space isn’t just something I do for others. It starts with how I look after my own space first. If it feels right in here, it flows out there. Professionalism isn’t loud… it’s in the small things. The checks. The way you move. The respect for the space. Once those doors open, there’s no hiding. People feel you straight away. So yeah… before it all kicks off, I just stand there for a second and take it in. That’s the moment. Coffee’s just the medium.

Get the energy right… everything else follows. They say you can’t pick your family… I beg to differ. In this game, you build your own. Shift by shift. Cup by cup. This little hole in the wall at one of Perth’s busiest beaches… Different backgrounds. Different stories. But when it clicks — it clicks. Energy like this is electric. You feel it the moment you walk in. And trust me… customers feel it too. Skills matter. But energy? That’s what sticks. Create working combinations that work. Not just on paper — in real life. Coffee is the medium. People are the mission. ☕️

Everyone before you has done their part. All doing their best to get it to you. You can see it in the way things are prepared… clean, precise, intentional. Then it gets handed over. This is where it changes. The barista. No noise. No rush. Just you and the moment. This is where you either respect the process… or break it. That’s what I see. That’s what I teach. Slow it down. Feel it. Be present. Because at the end of it all — it lands in your hands. Coffee is the medium. People are the mission. ☕🤎

New staff. New drinks. New energy. That mix of nerves and excitement is real. But here’s what I’ve learned… 👉🏾 Start with more staff than you need. Not forever — just at the beginning. You’re not just making coffee — you’re guiding your customers into your space. Showing them your flow, your rhythm, your way. At the same time… you’re building your team. Give them space to learn, minimise mistakes, and build confidence. 👉🏾 Have a few seasoned staff in there. They set the tone. They steady the room. 👉🏾 Ducks in line early. Clear roles. Simple systems. And this one’s important… 👉🏾 Plan your exit. If you’re there at the start, customers will connect with your energy. But the goal is for them to trust your team — not rely on you. Step in with purpose. Step back with intention. That’s how strong cafés are built. ☕️ Coffee is the medium. ❤️ People are the mission. **Who’s launched a café before? What worked for

This photo was taken at the Mt Lawley Street Market. Long day… long night. Back then I was selling fresh juice — markets, festivals, cafés, IGA and bars. Wherever really. We were one of the first companies introducing cold-pressed juice to Perth. When I walked into cafés people would yell across the room: “The Juice man!” Always a warm welcome. Funny thing was, it was actually easier walking into cafés as a juice rep than a coffee rep. Juice wasn’t a threat. Just another option for the fridge. But here’s something I learned back then. When you know your product, you preach your product. 🙏🏽😁 Most of the juice recipes we sold were ones I put together myself, so I knew them like the back of my hand. Local produce. Meeting the farmers and their families. Understanding the health benefits behind every ingredient. When you know the story behind what you’re offering, you’re not really selling. You’re sharing something you believe in. I also believed juice did something coffee often doesn’t. It invigorated your emotions — not masked them. Coffee is different though. Coffee is emotional. People are deeply connected to their beans, their roaster and their routine. And with coffee, the barista has the final say. The farmer grows it. The roaster develops it. But the barista finishes it. When I was the Juice Man, my job was a little different. My role was to tell the stories. The farmers. Their families. The local produce. But also the passionate juicers back at the factory — washing, pressing and bottling every batch. Because in a way… they were the baristas of juice. The last set of hands before it reached the customer. And that’s what I was really selling. Not just juice. Intention. Coffee is the medium. People are the mission. ☕