How long have you been part of the Prana team and how did you start? What's your favourite part of being part of the team?
It's been just over 3 years working for Prana Chai now. I was previously using Prana in a small espresso bar I had in Darlinghurst, NSW. One year the guys needed a hand serving and promoting their product at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. I subsequently flew down from Sydney to get to know the whole team and learn more about the beginnings of Prana. It was wonderful to have spent a weekend with a company and brand that I was also using in my shop. It heightened my appreciation for every product I served in the shop. I openly admit I was a complete coffee snob until that weekend at MICE. It's ironic that it took a coffee expo and working on a chai stand to open my eyes on consumer choice and service. This introduction and team effort over that weekend paved the way for my full time involvement with the brand.
I love being part of a team full of individual personalities across the globe who come together with a common goal to provide great service and a wonderful consistent product.
Do you have any tips for people who are running cafes?
Customer service is of paramount importance to any cafe team. If the team has well aligned customer service goals they will succeed.
If you could go to any country in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why? And, any big goals or plans for the next year?
I love to travel! It is hard to pick the next destination so I am going to pick based on where I can complete the Q-grading course which I have wanted to complete for years! The Q-grading is a comprehensive training in cupping of coffee samples for the purposes of scoring and identifying individual lots against the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) physical and sensory criteria for specialty quality. I am definitely still a coffee nerd. This course is held all over the world but is typically most renowned in Los Angeles. Hopefully I'll complete that goal next year.
3 questions you wish people would ask more:
3 questions you wish people would ask more:
Would you like an espresso?
Can I start?
What did you learn today?
What is the strangest thing about you that most people do not know?
I collect stationary, in particular, mechanical pencils. They never fail
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Tiger. They are incredibly agile and intelligent animals that can react quickly when necessary
