Cat & Cloud Podcast artwork

Cat & Cloud Podcast

385 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 700 ratings

Chris Baca and Jared Truby are professional Baristas and are here to introduce the world to Specialty Coffee! From placing in the finals of the United States Barista Championship multiple times, winning regional competitions, to leading training and education for some of the most progressive coffee companies around - these two have learned a ton about coffee and want to share it with you. Tune in for weekly interviews, tutorials, and general mayhem from the brothers from different mothers: Truby & Baca. Learn more at catandcloud.com

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Episodes

Learning by Doing - Allowing yourself the room to grow

March 25, 2024 07:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

We’re throwing it all the way back to 2021 for this weeks episode. This week we are revisiting a freshly quarantined Chris and Jared as they discuss the natural eb and flow of progress. Listen to this weeks episode for some perspective on taking that first step into the unknown and how we learn and grow even in the failures. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podcast, or email us at podcast...

Hopes and Dreams

March 18, 2024 07:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MB

The Cat & Cloud podcast is connecting to the source. In this week's episode, Jared goes full Neo, talking about his experience test roasting for SCA, and shares his insight on intuitive forecasting. We also hear about the dream for a Cat & Cloud Beach Bodega, Chris’s East Coast-inspired limited menu surf shop. And finally, Chris gets to ask Chuck the big question; how do you live your dream? Listen to the full episode to hear Chuck drop some serious wisdom on finding your dream life in what...

Doing The Right Thing - Being true to yourself for your guests and producers

March 11, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.4 MB

Welcome to the very first Cat & Cloud After-Hours Podcast 😎 Chris, Charles, and Jared are staying late tonight to chat about all the different facets of our business and industry. From the coffee buying experience online and in store, to the complicated world of Green Buying… even speculating on what might be our own brand stereotypes. Listen to this week's episode to hear from all three owners and their takes on how remaining true to yourself and your mission benefits both your business a...

Gaining Perspective - How getting away can help you see things differently

March 04, 2024 08:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud Podcast! This week Chris and Jared have each returned from some pretty spectacular visits with our coffee partners, and are hoping on to sharing both their experiences and the insights they’re bringing home with them. Listen to the full episode to hear the guys share their unique experiences in Costa Mesa with the Steelehead team, and Seattle at the La Marzocco espresso museum. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk abou...

Fostering Leadership - Giving your team what they need to grow

February 26, 2024 08:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MB

This week on the podcast is a Rerun from 2021 where Chris Jared and Charles Talk about ways to grow leaders in your company, how hands off or hands on to be, and what they had been discovering as owners of a small business. If you have heard this before or if you are listening for the first time it is a great conversation with a lot of insight. Enjoy! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/pod...

Investing In Your Growth - How community and mentorship help you achieve goals.

February 19, 2024 08:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB

Mr. Miyagi, Yoda, Jaime Escalante - all great mentors that helped those around them improve and become better. On this weeks episode of the podcast Chris asks Chuck about this same idea, as Charles is apart of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). EO is a community of people in similar entrepreneurial roles, who gather together helping one another with perspectives and real experience. For Charles it has been a great resource for him to grow, and receive various perspectives. This idea of...

Your Work Matters - The Importance of Confidence

February 12, 2024 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MB

Well, Chuck didn’t come back this week…. But maybe next week! We’ll hold the space for him. This week on the podcast Jared gives us his full list of dream cafe improvements; from new grinders for improved product management to speakers that play the podcast in the bathrooms. And Chris dives in on how to help people find their opportunities at work, and build the confidence we all need to see our wins every day. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on where to look to find the...

Scoring Yourself - The Importance of Guest Feedback

February 05, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MB

Chuck is back on the podcast (maybe forever??)! This week on the Cat & Cloud podcast the whole ownership team sat down to discuss the importance of guest feedback. In an industry like hospitality, it can be hard to measure the success of guest interactions through all of our cafes, all of the time. But is it more important to hear from the folks who see us every day, or the folks who’ve come in for the first time? Listen to this week's episode to hear their thoughts on setting up and distri...

Transitional Energy

January 29, 2024 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MB

Have you ever been old people tired? It’s rough sometimes. But fatigue or not Chris and Jared are here sharing some thoughts on the year ahead, changes coming to the podcast, even their opinions on moving to New York! Listen to the full episode for some reflections on the Vintage Chris Baca, the downfalls of “transitional time,” and ideal workspaces. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podc...

Say It Without Saying It

January 22, 2024 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MB

The boys are back and bringing high-level looks at the difference between “you” and “your work,” and communicating our values through a feeling rather than the scripted words. Chris shares a bit about his experience diving back in with the marketing team, and Jared reflects on the changes currently in process with our retail leadership teams. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on the progress they’ve made in their departments, and how all that work intersects. Stay tuned till...

Questions and Answers

January 15, 2024 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34 MB

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud podcast! This week Chris and Jared are keeping things fresh and are hopping on Instagram live to answer the questions that come through from our followers, and the end result is pretty awesome! Y’all sent out a wide variety of questions; from how to progress in your own coffee journeys, to their dream origin trips or cafe cities, and even get into the nitty-gritty of our business structure. We loved having this chance to hear directly from our virtual communi...

Solve For X

January 08, 2024 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MB

It’s 2024 y’all! First podcast of the new year, which means it’s time for some self-reflection, and intention setting in the upcoming year. The start of a year is always a good time to look back on all the things we’ve learned, about our business and about our team. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris and Jared discuss, discovering team members hidden talents and passions through interviewing, finding ways to engage curiosity on the day-to-day, and bringing your team in on the process...

Automagic

January 01, 2024 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

Let’s talk automation. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared discuss Chris’s recent visit to the La Marzocco innovation gallery tour. La Marzocco has been touring the country with Mahlkonig showing off some of their newest innovations, and one of them has made quite a stir. The E80W Grind by Sync is the latest in automation technology, syncing with your espresso machine so that it can adjust itself to ensure the perfect grind. It has brought up the question of “how much automation is ...

Visualize The Win

December 25, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MB

Happy holidays y’all! We’re coming to the end of the year and that means setting new intentions, company goals, and clearing out the grey areas. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared sit down to discuss their roles as Cat & Cloud owners. It can be hard to define your job as an owner of a company, but gaining clarity into your duties, writing out your own job description, and building intentional teams around you will create the solid foundation you need to grow. Listen to this week's epi...

Why Do You Work Here?

December 18, 2023 08:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

The podcast crew is on the move! We are recording from the car this week, and we have a captive interviewee, Marc Gessler. Chris takes this opportunity to ask his favorite question, “Why do you work here?” Whether it’s being able to contribute to and grow the community he grew up in or seeking those moments of connection, Marc shares his passion for working in the service of others. Listen to the full episode to hear Marc's take on why he connects so deeply to his work with Cat & Cloud. D...

Something To Someone – A Conversation with Steven Monti

December 11, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MB

We’ve got a guest on the pod this week! Chris sits down with our good friend and designer of the Dialed Tamper Steven Monti. Steven, the owner of Artpresso Designs, got his start in the coffee industry by trying to solve the problems faced by professional baristas every day and has since created some of our all-time favorite bar tools. This week, the two are hopping on the mic to discuss his creation process and the understanding that you can’t be everything for everyone. Listen to the full...

Putting In The Work

December 04, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MB

We’re nearing the end of 2023 and a new year calls for new challenges, new directions and new ideas. This week Chris and Jared are sharing their what they’re looking forward to in 2024; Jared is excited for both his eyes to work, Chris wants his left knee to stop hurting, and they’re both stoked for the opportunity to let go of what is and work for what could be. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how they’re approaching growth in 2024, and how they’re working to paint a c...

Get Out There

November 27, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

The guys are on their own this week! Chris and Jared sit at the mic to discuss the “Event Experience.” What are we looking to share when we attend expos and what makes being at these events so special? Listen to the full episode to hear some of their experiences on the expo floor, and how refreshing and connective it can be to be surrounded by coffee folks who care about the industry as much as they do. No matter why you go; whether you want to learn, get connected, or just want to be arou...

Roses Are Red, Bottles Are Blue

November 18, 2023 08:00 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MB

We’re taking a lot of left turns today, but we end up in the right direction. This week on the podcast the guys are talking about everything! What they’ve been thankful for through their growth in the industry, an incredible fine dining coffee experience, and how authenticity isn’t just something you practice, but something you feel. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts owning your work, and loving what you do enough to want to share it. Have you tried the newest coffee from ...

Comfy Like Kobe

November 13, 2023 08:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MB

How do you see the Forest beyond the Trees? In an organization like ours, there is a lot of balancing that needs to happen every day, the abundance of daily tasks necessary to run the cafe, and, the over-arching mission that we are working to achieve at all times. How do we keep it all in mind, and more importantly how do we as leadership help the newest members of our team learn to hold it all? This week on the podcast, the guys sit down to discuss how we educate our team on both the requi...

I'm A People Person

November 06, 2023 08:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MB

What is the job of the owner? As a company grows it becomes more natural for owners to step away from the day to day work, but how does that happen? What would a job listing for the person to take over charge of the thing that you’ve poured yourself into growing? The role of an owner or a CEO is to see the patterns that are often overlooked by others. An effective leader needs to be able to track changes in customer needs, and be able to see from the perspective of the guest experience. Lis...

Taste of Victory

October 30, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

This week we have a very special guest… First place winner of the Cup Tasters Prelim and our very own Green Coffee Coordinator, Dulce!! So this week we brought Dulce to the mic to walk us all through the breakdown of a Cup Tasters competition and her experience going through that process. Listen to the full episode to hear about Dulce's history with Cat & Cloud, what it was like to connect with the specialty coffee community in such a focused setting, and what inspired the head-first dive i...

This Is The Way

October 23, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MB

We rolled out some pretty exciting new developments for the Cat & Cloud team last week. From a new handbook, to road maps to growth, our retail teams are now fully set up to be the pros we know they are. This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael sit down to share the motivations behind the redesign of our employee handbook and the creation of the Cat & Cloud passport. We believe that our mission and values should touch every aspect of our business, and we hope that these new tools w...

A Matter of Perspective

October 16, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MB

Jared went to Australia! This week on the podcast Michael and Jared sit down to review his experience with the coffee industry on his recent visit to Australia. Listen to the full episode to hear his thoughts on their espresso-focused coffee culture, the types of coffees they use, and even a few thoughts on how their economic structure affects the industry culture! If you’re interested in becoming a Cat & Cloud Partner email us at [email protected]! Do you have a question you’ve ...

A Mater of Perspective

October 16, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MB

Jared went to Australia! This week on the podcast Michael and Jared sit down to review his experience with the coffee industry on his recent visit to Australia. Listen to the full episode to hear his thoughts on their espresso-focused coffee culture, the types of coffees they use, and even a few thoughts on how their economic structure affects the industry culture! If you’re interested in becoming a Cat & Cloud Partner email us at [email protected]! Do you have a question you’ve ...

Malaria G.O.A.T.

October 09, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MB

Welcome to ChuckTalk! This week on the podcast Chris and Michael are joined by Cat & Cloud’s third owner Charles Jack! Have you ever wondered about Cat & Cloud’s elusive third owner? Maybe you want to know how he got his start in coffee, how he met Chris and Jared, or why he left his Wall Street career to work with TechnoServe and live in South Sudan? Well Chuck is on the mic this week to answer all of those burning questions. Listen to the full episode to hear about his life, career an...

The Lost Coffee of South Sudan

October 09, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MB

Welcome to ChuckTalk! This week on the podcast Chris and Michael are joined by Cat & Cloud’s third owner Charles Jack! Have you ever wondered about Cat & Cloud’s elusive third owner? Maybe you want to know how he got his start in coffee, how he met Chris and Jared, or why he left his Wall Street career to work with TechnoServe and live in South Sudan? Well Chuck is on the mic this week to answer all of those burning questions. Listen to the full episode to hear about his life, career an...

Partner Program

October 02, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

Did you know that Cat & Cloud has a partner program? This week on the podcast Chris and Michael are joined by Director of Coffee Marc Gessler to chat about our wholesale program! The guys sit down to discuss why we try and build such close relationships with our coffee partners, and the intricacies of adapting what we offer to the needs of each business. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how we find our partners and set them up to have the best experience with our coffee....

Path Of Least Resistance

September 25, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

What is the lifetime value of a customer? What is the importance of providing guests with “delightful” experiences? Hospitality extends farther than making people feel welcome, it’s about meeting guests where they’re at and doing what you can to get them stoked. This week Chris and Michael are sitting down to talk about how you can keep people coming back to your business time and time again. Every interaction is an investment in your guest, and the more you’re able to make someone feel tak...

Gold Star Experience

September 18, 2023 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

Does coffee have a place in the slow food industry? What would that even look like? This week on the podcast the guys discuss what it means to provide a highly specialized experience, and the challenges that cafes would face fighting the high volume nature of the coffee industry. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how cafes can provide a little bit of the slow food experience every day through hospitality, enthusiasm, and knowledge. Let us know your thoughts on a slow bar ...

Waystar Royco

September 11, 2023 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MB

We’re getting sample roasted. This week on the podcast the guys sit down to go over some of the challenges that come along with cafe succession planning and the work experiences that inspired them to build Cat & Cloud with a positive company culture. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how to face the unknowns of your business while remaining open to the adventure, and how to break the negative work cycle that keeps most of us from doing what we love, and finding positivity...

Spark It Up

September 04, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MB

Where do you find your inspiration for things? Do you go to the same place to find what you are looking for, or do you find inspiration striking when you least expect it? This week Wiser tries to ask Chris and Jared where they find their inspiration, and it goes about how you would expect. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on the podcast? Visit our website catandcloud.com/podcast, or email us at [email protected] and tell us what i...

The Enemy of My Enemy is Me

August 28, 2023 07:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MB

It’s surprising how much the law of improv can apply to other parts of our lives. Collaborating on teams becomes a real challenge when you’re not meeting each other in a “yes, and” space. Work is not always perfectly aligned all the time, but it’s our ability to show up, approach roadblocks with optimism, and believe something is possible even if there is no proof of it. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris, Jared and Michael discuss the importance of clear communication, adaptability a...

Michelangelo Was A Hot Boy

August 21, 2023 07:00 - 37 minutes - 34 MB

This week the guys sit down to discuss Delorean prices, how coffee culture has changed, and what, if anything, in the culture should be held sacred. Listen to the full episode to hear Chris, Jared and Michael discuss the process of creating our current coffee and cafe culture, all of the ways it’s had to change to get to this point, and how to continue to adapt as pieces of that culture change. Listen to the full episode to get the rundown on how you could utilize the concept in your own c...

The Seven

August 14, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MB

What are the 7 Steps of Service? We reference it pretty often when talking about daily life in the cafes but how do they work and what are the actual steps? This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael dive deep on fundamentals of Cat & Clouds “7 Steps of Service.” These steps were designed to simplify some of the complexities of hospitality for our new hires. They are the building blocks to our ability to connect with our guests, soften their landing in the cafe, and provide a meaning...

Impact

August 07, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

We all spend a majority of our lives working. It’s a necessity, and impacts your life whether you intend it to or not. Not everyone likes every part of their job all the time, but how do you zoom out and turn the thing you “have to do” into a best case scenario? This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael sit down to discuss how to remain motivated in your work and take advantage on every opportunity you may have to learn more. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on the ...

Gone Fishing

July 31, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

This week on the podcast we are checking our work. Last week we posted on our Threads account asking y’all to send in your questions for us and y’all did not hold back! So this week on the podcast Michael, Chris, and Jared are reviewing the questions you sent in and the answers we gave. Listen to the full episode to get Jared’s surprisingly thorough breakdown on proper fishing technique, how to play forward even when you don’t have all the answers, and how to create the perfect mix of human...

Put Me In Coach

July 24, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MB

This week on the podcast Michael and Jared are joined by another new voice on the Podcast, Director of Coffee Marc Gessler! The guys are hopping on the mic to talk about barista competitions, shameless plugs and Marc’s experience of finding artistry through his work with coffee. We’re diving into coffee competitions! We are thrilled that our Director of Coffee Marc and our Green Coffee Coordinator Dulce are going to be breaking us in to the competitive world of coffee for the first time thi...

From Hondo With Love

July 17, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MB

We have a new guest on the pod this week, our Roastery Team Leader Andre! This week Michael, Jared and Andre sit down to review our recent origin trip to Honduras. Origin trips are a really important part of our culture of connection, getting to meet the people and see the communities that our coffee comes from has a huge impact on the way we share our coffee with you. Listen to the full episode to hear Andre’s experience on his first Origin trip, and how that experience has changed the way...

Agree To Disagree

July 10, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MB

How do we handle disagreements as an organization and as a team? How can you approach compromises with an open mind, and especially as an owner how do you navigate the feeling that the business is a direct tie to who you are as a person? This week on the podcast Chris, Jared and Michael sit down again to talk about some of the hard conversations that have to happen when you’re running a business. Not everyone on your team is going to agree all the time, and that’s okay. Listen to this weeks...

Behind The Curtain

July 03, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MB

On this week's episode, we are giving you a peek behind the curtain! Chris, Jared, and Michael sit down to discuss all the thoughts and considerations that go into creating the podcast. How do you create compelling podcast questions, that are interesting to the guys and our listeners? And what is the best experience we can provide to our audience? Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us talk about it on th...

Not Just A Chapek

June 26, 2023 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MB

As an owner and even once you start getting into leadership it can be hard to remain connected to your teams. Your day to day work starts to look really different from the day to day work of the folks on the floor. How do continue to support your teams on the “frontline” while still focusing on what you need to get done? Listen to this weeks episode to get the guys thoughts on how to build reliable and self sufficient company structures! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? D...

A Mental Warmup

June 19, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

We’re shaking things up again this week and having Michael back on for round two! On this week's episode, just Chris and Michael sit down to discuss how to make it through the complex and uncomfortable changes that can come from growth and personnel changes. Listen to this week's podcast to hear their thoughts on how to be resilient, and the importance of “yes, and”ing hard situations! Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? D...

Push the Boundaries

June 12, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

We have a guest star on this week's podcast! On this week's episode, Chis and Jared are joined by Cat & Cloud’s marketing team lead and the voice you hear at the end of every episode, Michael! The three sit down to answer some of the questions y’all have asked about transitioning into leadership, having the hard conversations when asking for more responsibility, and how to fully show up in your work even when life outside gets tough. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts! Check...

Diamond Dogs

June 05, 2023 16:34 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MB

Growing and nurturing business relationships can seem challenging at first, but they’re just like all other relationships in your life. They need open and honest communication and trust on both sides that promises will be fulfilled. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared sit down to discuss what you need to build a strong B2B connection and what mistakes could possibly harm them. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts! Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you...

Step and Repeat

May 29, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MB

Pushing forward imperfectly will always give you a better result than waiting until you have everything you think you need to progress. This week on the podcast Chris and Jared tackle questions of motivation and how to make do with what you have. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how to show up even when you don’t want to, and avoid the “I wish I had more” trap. Check out todays podcast sponsors: Holy Kakow: https://holykakow.com/ Cat & Cloud Coffee subscription: https:...

Feedback Loop

May 22, 2023 07:00 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MB

Feedback can feel like a loaded word. It has an awkward, negative and intimidating connotation that can make it an easy thing to want to avoid, but it doesn’t have to! On this weeks episode Chris and Jared sit down to share their experiences with and advice for giving constructive feedback and building a culture where feedback is not only expected but encouraged peer to peer. It’s okay to fail while learning, as long as you can accept the feedback that’ll help you grow! Listen to the full ...

Inside & Out

May 15, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB

Delegation of tasks is a difficult skill to gain, but incredibly important in running a company. How do you reach a point where you are able to step away from everything that needs to get done so that you can focus on just the things that are energizing to you? On this week's podcast, Chris and Jared sit down to discuss how the physical space can be wild sometimes. It can be hard to see all the work that gets done when everyone is working separately on different aspects of the business. So ...

Respect the Priority

May 08, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MB

How do you set priorities at work and decide what gets pushed back and what needs to be completed immediately? This week on the podcast Chris and Jared discuss how to apply our concept of “Guest, Coffee, Cafe” to any environment and how to “respect” the priority even when you get overwhelmed. Listen to the full episode to get their take! Check out todays podcast sponsors: Cat & Cloud Coffee subscription: https://catandcloud.com/products/subscription Do you have a question you’ve been dyi...

Maximum Effort

May 01, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MB

What do you do when you’ve put your all into something and it still doesn’t work out? This week on the podcast Chris and Jared discuss the difference between effort and impact, and what to do when you feel like you’re giving it your all but not succeeding. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how to identify the things in your job that fuel you and how to ask for support on the things that drain you. Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask us? Do you wanna hear us ...

Guests

Alex Banayan
2 Episodes
Dave Asprey
1 Episode
Guy Kawasaki
1 Episode
Jonathan Raymond
1 Episode

Twitter Mentions

@jaltucher 1 Episode