Cat & Cloud Podcast

Cat & Cloud Podcast 
Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/

From Soil to Service Part 1: Inside the World of Green Coffee - Ep# 449
In this episode of the Cat & Cloud Podcast, Chris Baca and Casey Ryan sit down with Director of Coffee Dulce Venancio to explore the journey of coffee “from soil to service.” Dulce shares how her background in agriculture, her connection to producers in Mexico and Central America, and her growth within Cat & Cloud led her into green coffee buying. The conversation dives into how coffee is sourced, how relationships with producers and importers are built, the realities of the global coffee supply chain, and the intentional work behind selecting coffees that reflect Cat & Cloud’s values. Along the way, they discuss cupping, flavor development, competition culture, mentorship, and the importance of consistency, transparency, and community throughout every step of the coffee process.

Chapters
00:00 Soil to Service Series
03:00 What is a Green Buyer
05:02 Origins and Early Trips
06:39 Dulce Backstory and Motivation
08:30 Landing the Green Role
11:21 Imposter Syndrome and Learning
18:17 Money Flow in Coffee Buying
21:13 Mills Exporters Importers Explained
25:36 QC Lab and Flavor Decisions
27:51 Building a Tasting Palate
30:30 Training Your Palate
31:52 Competition Feedback Loops
34:22 Baby Steps Cupping
35:43 Pressure of Green Buying
37:39 When Coffee Gets Rejected
40:22 Direct Trade Versus Importers
42:49 Building the Coffee Menu
46:58 Respect for Producers
50:14 Origin Country Cafe Culture
53:58 Competing and Creative Goals
55:50 Closing and Green Coffee Jingle

Cat & Cloud:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/

Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/

Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions

Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. 

The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. 

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby
Produced by Casey Ryan
May 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast
Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/

Episode Summary
This episode explores what it really takes to build a café from the ground up—starting with a blank slate but bringing hard-earned experience along. The conversation moves from practical decisions like choosing the right neighborhood and building authentic community connections, to deeper reflections on mindset, motivation, and the emotional realities of ownership. Along the way, the hosts break down coffee program philosophy, hiring approaches, and the importance of aligning values with operations. The episode closes with a candid look at the mental load of running a business, offering a grounded perspective on sustainability, self-awareness, and building support systems as things grow.

Chapters 
00:00 – Climbing and a Shout out to Kiera
04:00 – Starting a Café from Scratch
06:30 – Why Location Matters Most
10:30 – Building Community Before Opening
14:30 – Authenticity vs Over-Marketing
18:00 – Feeling Like You’re Doing Everything at Once
22:00 – Defining Values and Systems
26:00 – Designing the Coffee Program
30:00 – Innovation and Brewing Concepts
33:00 – Choosing the Right Roasting Partner
36:00 – Space, Buildout, and Constraints
40:00 – Hiring for Culture and Fit
44:00 – Motivation and Early Ownership Mindset
47:00 – The Mental Load of Ownership
49:30 – Sustainability and Building Support Systems
 

Cat & Cloud:

Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/. é
Webstore www.catandcloud.com/
Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions
Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. 

The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. 

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby
Produced by Casey Ryan
May 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast
Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/

The World of Coffee Reflection: Observations, Stories, and Lots of Love for the Community of Coffee - Ep #447

In this episode, Chris, Casey, and Director of Coffee Marc Gessler, recap World of Coffee San Diego 2026: the caffeine overload, the booth shifts, the reunions, the strange travel moments, and the bigger feeling of being part of the global coffee community. What starts with jokes about over-caffeination turns into a thoughtful reflection on why events like this matter—not just for products or trends, but for connection. The crew talks about Cat & Cloud’s place in the larger coffee ecosystem, the rise of home coffee enthusiasts, the continued importance of hospitality, and how meaningful it is to see people from all corners of the industry gather around a shared passion. It’s part event recap, part coffee culture reflection, and part reminder that this industry is really about people.

Chapters 
00:00 Over-Caffeinated at World of Coffee

04:00 Morning Coffee, Energy, and Showing Up

08:00 First Expo Memories and Changing Goals

13:00 Casey’s First World of Coffee Experience

18:00 Memorable Conversations and Cat & Cloud Connections

23:00 Booth Life, Dialing In, and Serving at Expo

29:00 Hospitality as the Bigger Conversation

34:00 How World of Coffee Has Changed

39:00 Home Coffee Enthusiasts and Prosumer Gear

45:00 Big Trends, Big Setups, and Coffee as a Hobby

50:00 Team Energy, Partners, and Community

55:00 Weird Travel Moments and San Diego Stories


Cat & Cloud:

Webstore www.catandcloud.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/
Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions
Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Links –
The Truth! Colombia Truji y Angelita Thermal Shock Natural https://catandcloud.com/products/colombia-truji-y-angelita-thermal-shock-natural

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. 

The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. 

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby
Produced by Casey Ryan
April 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast
Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/
Coffee and a Danish Barista Champion, Christopher Hoff - Ep #446

Summary:
In this episode, Jared and Casey sit down with Danish Barista Champion Christopher Hoff, a top-six finisher at the World Barista Championships, to talk about competition, coffee, and the deeper story behind both. Christopher shares how his world routine centered on the coffee variety Wush Wush, a tropical and complex coffee that became a metaphor for his own journey of trying to become something he wasn’t before learning to compete from a more grounded, authentic place. The conversation moves from signature drinks and competition strategy into bigger reflections on storytelling, hospitality, personal growth, and how coffee professionals can invite people into new experiences instead of gatekeeping them. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging episode about craft, identity, and what it means to share something meaningful through coffee. Cat & Cloud celebrates this relationship to the world community of coffee and our desire to connect with friends from around the globe.

Chapters
00:00 Welcoming Christopher Hoff to Cat & Cloud
03:20 What Barista Competition Actually Looks Like
09:10 Breaking Down the Signature Drink
13:00 Wush Wush and the Coffee Behind the Routine
20:00 The Three Principles and the Meaning of the Presentation
26:00 Competition Pressure, Overthinking, and Performing Authentically
32:00 Discovering Coffee Through Cat & Cloud and Coffee Collective
38:00 Denmark vs. California Coffee Culture
42:00 Hospitality, Encouraging Taste, and Bringing People In
45:00 The Community of Coffee

Cat & Cloud:

Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/
Webstore www.catandcloud.com/
Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions
Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Links –
The Truth! Colombia Truji y Angelita Thermal Shock Natural https://catandcloud.com/products/colombia-truji-y-angelita-thermal-shock-natural

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. 

The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. 

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby
Produced by Casey Ryan
April 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast
Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com
Taking Care of the Pack w/Leah Wolff in HR - Ep #445

Summary:
In this episode, the team sits down with Head of HR Leah Wolff to explore what it really looks like to build people, culture, and leadership inside a growing coffee company. Leah shares her journey from starting as a concierge during the pandemic to stepping into an executive leadership role, offering a candid look at how growth happens through ownership, feedback, and continuous learning. The conversation digs into the difference between traditional HR and a more human, culture-driven approach—covering hiring, training, communication, and the realities of managing a transient workforce. Along the way, they unpack how strong values, intentional onboarding, and honest conversations can shape not just better employees, but better people.

Chapters:
00:00 Meet Leah Wolf and Casey Ryan
04:30 Leah’s Journey from Concierge to Head of HR
10:00 Knowing When You’re Ready to Lead
15:30 Feedback, Directness, and Learning to Communicate
21:00 Orientation, Training, and Setting the Tone
27:00 Hiring for Values and Cultural Fit
33:00 The Challenge of Staffing a Cafe Business
39:00 How Cat & Cloud Built Better HR Systems
45:00 Advice for Small Business Owners Hiring Their Team
51:00 Team Chemistry, Standards, and Accountability
57:00 Why Clear Expectations Matter
1:01:30 Gratitudes and Final Thoughts

Cat & Cloud:

Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/
Webstore www.catandcloud.com/
Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions
Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Links –
The Truth! Colombia Truji y Angelita Thermal Shock Natural
https://catandcloud.com/products/colombia-truji-y-angelita-thermal-shock-natural

Jared Truby Interview
https://youtu.be/KaTFcHxjumk?si=wlTAbJ7ZCvZleM7B

Jared Truby Zine
https://www.flipsnack.com/965BBFD6AED/letter-to-young-coffee-owners-issue-with-jared-truby

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. 

The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. 

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby
Produced by Casey Ryan
April 2026