The Boss Barista Newsletter Strikes Back
Deep breaths and organized schedules
Boss Barista will be—starting right now!—a weekly newsletter and podcast series about workplace equity and employee empowerment in coffee and beyond. If you’re not already subscribed, welcome! I’m glad you found your way here. Before you go, sign up, will ya? Here’s a cute little button to make it easy:
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It’s been a few months since the last Boss Barista newsletter went out. 100% of my absence is down to the fact that writing just didn’t feel very important for large swaths of this year.
I mean that in two different ways. One is that writing seemed to pale in significance to the state of the world around us, and the pressing need to address racial equity and work towards societal change—you can read Boss Barista’s commitment to social justice here.
The second is that I felt stuck. Depression sucked me in like a sharp inhalation. I spent weeks feeling like my breath had become erratic, uncontrolled, almost absent—that I hadn’t even realized I’d forgotten to breathe until air suddenly flooded in. For a while, all I could focus on was the feeling of that air rushing into my lungs.
I’ve long prided myself on being generally unflappable. I care deeply about things, but I never really felt like anything negative could stop me. I’ve always had faith I could at least keep going, keep putting one foot in front of the other.
These last eight months have proven otherwise.
When I first started this newsletter, I planned to post stories once a week. I didn’t even think about my eponymous podcast, and rarely did I connect my writing work to my podcasting work. In a way, I was running two different platforms with different stories, linked only in name and general subject matter. In brief: I was making a lot of work for myself.
I’m going to structure this newsletter in a way that provides some order, and also connects the interviews I do on the podcast to larger themes and big ideas shared by previous guests on the show. Here’s what the updated schedule will look like:
TUESDAYS: Podcast days! If you’re not subscribed to my podcast, Boss Barista, now’s your chance. I’ll also share the episodes in short email blasts, where I’ll discuss some of the major talking points from each guest, plus links to their work and social media so you can follow along.
THURSDAYS: Article days! Each week, you’ll get a story in your inbox with a hot topic like “Is Loyalty Real?” (it’s not) or “How Much Should You Ask for When Getting a Raise?” (more than you think) or “Why Are We Afraid of Unions?” (power). Some of the articles might have standalone topics, and some might tie into the weekly podcast episode. Here’s an archive of previous Boss Barista pieces.
SATURDAYS: Saturdays are fun! These mail-outs will include a mix of articles and things on the internet that I like. There are so many impressive food writers and podcasters pushing the boundaries of their platforms and telling the types of stories I admire, and I want to share the work that’s inspired me. These will be semi-regular rather than strictly weekly.
I’m both thrilled and humbled to be here, sitting in front of my computer with the energy and drive to write again. My breathing feels returned to normal, rhythmic, and controlled. I’m ready to go.