Quality Control Specialist

When I took on the role of Quality Control Specialist at Intelligentsia Coffee in 2009, I never imagined how much cupping would be involved.

What I loved about the role was that I was trusted with my opinion on coffees from the get-go. While my reports still broke out individual scores by cupper, my scores were part of the average of the buying team. That kind of trust was vital for my success right away.

In all, we saw nearly 3000 green coffee samples a year. That means I roasted and cupped 3,000 samples per year. That number astounded me. But what was even more astounding than just that figure was the reason they received all of those samples in the first place.

Those samples represented the relationships Intelligentsia had built over years—partnerships with farmers, exporters, and importers who trusted us enough to send their coffees for evaluation. It wasn’t just about finding the best lots; it was about creating a shared understanding of quality and pushing the boundaries of what was possible together. Each sample came with a story, a history of collaboration, and an opportunity to strengthen those bonds.

Through this process, I learned that cupping wasn’t just about finding the perfect cup—it was about alignment. It was about listening to the coffee, yes, but also listening to the people behind it. We weren’t just scoring cups; we were deepening partnerships and working toward shared goals.

That kind of alignment is what sets great coffee programs apart. It’s not just the technical ability to evaluate coffee but the ability to connect those evaluations to relationships and a bigger purpose. Every cupping table became a space for learning and growth—not just for me but for everyone involved in the process.

Looking back, those 3000 samples a year weren’t just a workload—they were a privilege. They were a reminder that trust and collaboration are at the heart of great coffee. And for me, that’s what makes this work endlessly rewarding.

Blood Draw

I had a blood draw today. Oddly, it made me think of organizational theory.

Blood draws don’t stress me out or make me queasy, but they do make me tense up during the actual procedure. Much like the dentist, I find myself staring at the wall intensely and inadvertently clenching my fist, almost becoming balmy.

The phlebologist checked in with me, asking if I was okay. I said yes and then I asked if it seemed like I was not okay. She laughed and said that she usually likes to check-in with patients and that it did seem like I was avoiding looking and staring off to the side. She made me feel comfortable and we talked a little bit more while she pulled the necessary samples.

When she was done, I looked down at my arm and saw that she was pulling the samples from the elbow joint (the normal place where they always pull from), but when I wasn’t looking, it felt like it was in the middle of my forearm.

I told the phlebologist this, she then traced the vein she used down my arm and told me that it’s all connected in there, so it’s not a surprise to her that I felt it down the arm.

The pain point on my arm wasn’t where I thought it was or where the actual needle went into my arm. It was somewhere else, or at least it felt like it was somewhere else. In business it can often feel like your pain point is so obvious, that once you take care of that one area everything will smooth itself out. You spend time, resources, money on fixing the issue only to see the problem still exist. That’s because your departments, processes, etc. are very connected even when they don’t feel like it. Integrating yourself and the different parts of your business is as important as isolating or fixing those pain points. Seeing the veins of your organization and where and how they lead to other departments is essential to being able to uncover where the actual pain is coming from.

Atoms

Atoms are unseeable, we only know they exist because of the trail they leave behind.

What has happened at origin or on coffee farms as a direct result of your work? Buying great coffee and doing so with an ethical backbone don’t have to be competing. Higher premiums, long term commitments, etc. are great, but saying you are making a difference without seeing what is left in the wake of your relationship is just blind faith. We need more than blind faith in our relationships at origin, more check-ins, more time learning about actual pain points from your export, milling, or farmer contacts.

Making a difference isn’t always achievable with direct trade relationships, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting into them.

With the C Market at historic heights, there is no better time to start building long-term relationships with exporters, millers, and farmers. As you start to source more coffee, you need to be able to rely on those relationships and contracts to help predict your business plan for the next 6-12 months. Margins, price increases, marketing costs, are all related to the price of your green coffee after all.

Now shouldn’t be when you panic, now is when you make a plan and develop relationships.

Don’t let the C Market be just a trail of destruction in your business, put more certainty and collaboration in your buying. Whether it is with an importer, exporter, or further down the line.

Happy to chat and help make your game plan.