"What began as just a crazy idea transpired into a reality". The words of Chris Bode co-founder of Unorthodox Roasters
In the beginning, November 2020
After attending a Bodylushious online Christmas soaping workshop, Chris reached out with an interest in collaborating. So here we are. We now share the joys of one another's businesses with our (mostly online) worlds and inject a little virtual love one another's way. It brings me sooooo much joy to collaborate with people and businesses where there is a 'click'. And it only seemed right to 'jump on the momentum' and invite Chris to be the guest blogger for this month, on the topic of LOVE!
I love the story of how this business started. Chris's passion for his work is brilliant. So brilliant that on reading you may even feel inspired to take the plunge into something you feel passionate about but haven't had the gutz to take action on. Could this be your moment?
Now we roast coffee for a living. We put all our effort into continuous improvement of our cafes and products. We create an atmosphere that keeps people coming back for more.
You have a great business, what do you do personally to keep yourself engaged and interested in what you do?
Thank you very much! I suppose it’s a passion for coffee that keeps me engaged and interested in what we do here at Unorthodox Roasters. That said, no two days are ever the same - there’s always so much to do, but it’s all so varied! One day I might be roasting all day, the next I could be helping new clients set up their own Cafe or writing or recording content for the social media and website. Lots of different things, lots of coffee to drink - things are always kept interesting.
What would you say are the most important things to stay on top of when it comes to delivering great customer service?
In terms of customer service related to speciality coffee I would say being friendly and
approachable is incredibly important. Coffee can often have a reputation for snobbery and I sometimes get the impression that customers are worried about saying the wrong thing because of this. The bottom line of it all is that we are here to help people get the most enjoyable cup of coffee they can have (however they consume it). There are no right or wrong questions and if people want to know more about coffee - we would be more than happy to assist.
That said, I believe that the single most important thing to stay on top of when delivering great customer service is communication with the customer. Things happen and sometimes it’s difficult to adjust but customers deserve and (I believe) want a clear and open line of dialogue. We’ve all been in a situation where we are told we are next in the queue or that our food will be arriving shortly and it doesn’t happen like that. Personally, I have always preferred when people are honest with me and I don’t think I am alone in that.
Your journey on the way to establishing Unorthodox Roasters involved an amazing trip to South America. It seems like you had a 'hunch' and you followed it. What would you say to someone reading this who has a hunch and isn't sure how to go about following it?
If you feel it’s right, don’t think too much and just go for it. Planning is great but sometimes it can really take away from any sense of excitement. Some of my best experiences in life have been when I have acted spontaneously and resolved issues as they have arisen. Don’t get me wrong, pre-planning can be great, but can it can very easily become crippling. When you reflect on these situations you often find that you’ve spent ages planning something and
almost no time at all actually doing it.
What makes your heart sing & lights you up in life?
Travel and exploration. It doesn’t necessarily have to be travelling to far flung, exotic coffee plantations though, anywhere new, and different whether that be 10 minutes from my home or 7,000 miles away will do. New environments, new places and further afield, new cultures, foods and languages that sort of thing make me tick.
Please share 1 random thing about you
I can complete a Rubix cube in 11 seconds!
"If you feel it’s right, don’t think too much and just go for it. Planning is great but sometimes it can really take away from any sense of excitement".
You're a busy person. How do you take and make time for yourself?
There is often a temptation to avoid making that time for yourself but you have to be quite strict. The team at Unorthodox is absolutely incredible so I have utmost confidence that I can delegate work out to any team member and they will handle it as well as, if not better than me :)
What do you love about being you?
I am happy within myself and I love my work (it feels like hanging out with friends more than work). It’s difficult to describe but I suppose the best way to sum it up would be that I no longer get that feeling of dread on a Sunday evening knowing that it’s back to work the next morning.
What are your thoughts on self-love and self-care? Do you think it matters?
I think that both self-love and self-care are incredibly important especially given current circumstances (with lockdown). The past year has impacted everyone but I think it has made a lot of people reevaluate things like their work-life balance.
Have you heard of the 5 love languages? If so, what is yours?
Mine is Quality Time.
How fun was that! Its one of the most amazing things about my work, I love getting to know folk and finding out their stories, what makes them tick and maybe even pick up a few new ideas for my business along the way.
Do yourself a favour today and head over to Unorthodox Roasters to find out a bit more about what they do. If you're into the 'COOL FACTOR' they have it covered, proper and good! They're also on Facey and Instagram so if you're a 'scroller' and you love slick yet real socials well you're not going to be disappointed.
Happiest of weekends all
xx Bron