With 23 years experience Oliver Stormshak has worked in all aspects of the industry including barista, manager, roaster, production, and green coffee buyer. He is passionate about improving lives around the world through quality coffee, equatable trading, and global transparency. In 2010, with Sam Schroeder Oliver purchased Olympia Coffee Roasting. Together they’ve grown the brand to 5 locations through Seattle.

Show notes…

Favorite Success Quote or Mantra.

“Focus on doing good in the world. Business should exist to do good in the world.”

In this episode with Oliver Stormshak, we discuss: 

• What it was about being a barista that sucked Oliver in.
• What Oliver learned about creating systems while working Starbucks.
• Leading with too much passion and not enough compassion.
• Demystifying complicated and intimidating things to make it more approachable.
• What discipline looks.
• If you hire someone to do a job and to make a change in your business, let them do the job. 
• Constant improvement in what you do.
• Knowing that you can’t change an organizations passion, values, and vision. You’re better off trying to find an organization that has passions, values, and visions that align with your own.
• Why Oliver chose to buy Olympia Coffee roasting VS compete with it.
• Making it a core value to only do business with those who have the same core values.
• Creating the infrastructure before growing so you have something to grow into.
• Only hiring people who share your values. 
• Taking the focus off of yourself and putting it on everyone else your business touches.

Today’s Sponsor

Soundtrackyourbrand.comSoundtrack Business lets you play 250 music channels guaranteed to fit any type of business. An easy-to-use dashboard lets you find great music, control all your locations and schedule your sound.

RU500.net

Go to RU500.net to act on a special offer for all Restaurant Unstoppable listeners. Nick Fosberg. is guaranteeing $500 in new sales for every $100 you spend on advertising. For Every $100 You Invest In Advertising, Nick Will Guarantee You A Minimum Of $500 Back In NEW Sales, Or Your Money Back Guaranteed!

Knowledge bombs

1. Which “it factor” habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?

   • Determination.

2. What is your biggest weakness?

   • Fear of failure.

3. What’s one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?

   • Determination.

4. What’s a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?

   • Staffing.
   • They’re combating this challenge by always looking for ways to improve them benefits package

5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.

   • Empathy.

6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?

   • Connect on a personal level with your guest.

7. What’s one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 

   • Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques

8. Share an online resource or tool.

   • Sprudge.

9. What’s one piece of technology you’ve adopted in your restaurant and how has it influence operations?

   • Instagram.

10. If you got the news that you’d be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?

    1. Lead with your heart
    2. Be remembered as a great employee
    3. Be remembered for great quality.

Contact Info

@olympiacoffee

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.

Huge thanks to Oliver Stormshak for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I’m able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I’ve made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you’re finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

The post 524: Creating Values Worth Standing By with Oliver Stormshak appeared first on Restaurant Unstoppable.