MAP IT FORWARD Middle East

EP 1020 Part 5 of 5 | Why “Specialty Coffee” Is Failing as a Value Proposition (Isabela Raposeiras)

Advertising Sponsor Need help with your business? Email us: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?subject=Looking%20for%20a%20business%20consultant] to learn more. Episode Description This is episode 5 of a 5-part series with Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab Brazil. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’ve been discussing leadership, hospitality, workplace culture, and the future of coffee businesses. In this final episode, host Lee Safar and Isabela ask a difficult but important question: Why is “specialty coffee” failing as a value proposition? This conversation challenges many of the systems, assumptions, and power structures that have shaped the global specialty coffee industry over the last two decades. Lee and Isabela explore whether the modern specialty coffee movement has drifted away from its original intention of creating a more equitable and values-driven coffee supply chain, and whether it has instead recreated many of the same extractionist behaviors it originally claimed to oppose. The discussion looks at who gets to define “quality coffee,” why producing countries are increasingly challenging Western-centric definitions of specialty coffee, and how organizations like the SCA and CVA continue shaping industry standards without adequately including the voices of producers and producing countries. Isabela also argues that “specialty coffee” is not simply a product category, it’s a cultural and political concept, and that unless the industry becomes more inclusive, more self-aware, and more willing to redistribute power, it risks losing credibility altogether. This is one of the most direct, provocative, and important conversations we’ve had on the podcast in a long time. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab here: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ [https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/] https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ [https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/] If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht [https://mapitforward.coffee]tps://mapitforward.coffee [https://mapitforward.coffee/workshops] Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist [https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist] Patreon: https: [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward]//www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/] Contact: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?]

EP 1019 Part 4 of 5 | Why Old Leadership Models Are Failing (Isabela Raposeiras)

Advertising Sponsor If you find value in what we do at Map It Forward and would like to work with us or support the business, here are a few ways to get involved: • Work with us as your business advisors — support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?subject=Interested%20in%20MIF%20Business%20Advisory%20Services&bcc=lee%40mapitforward.org] • Advertise on the podcast — support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?subject=I%27m%20interested%20in%20advertising%20on%20the%20podcast&bcc=lee%40mapitforward.org] • Join our Patreon community — https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward] • Subscribe to our YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward [https://www.youtube.com/mapitforward] • Or share this episode with someone who would benefit from it Episode Description This is episode 4 of a 5-part series with Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab Brazil. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing what’s changing about leading coffee businesses and why many of the assumptions that built specialty coffee may no longer be serving the industry, or the people working inside it. In this episode, host Lee Safar and Isabela explore what’s fundamentally changed about leading people in hospitality and coffee businesses over the last decade. The conversation examines how younger generations entering the workforce are asking different questions about work, identity, balance, dignity, and leadership, and why many older leadership models are struggling to adapt. Lee and Isabela discuss the emotional labor of leadership, why businesses can no longer rely on fear, pressure, or hierarchy to retain staff, and how the economic and social realities facing younger workers are reshaping expectations around employment altogether. Isabela also shares why empathy, communication, and flexibility are becoming essential leadership skills in hospitality, and why many businesses are still resisting the reality that workplace culture now matters just as much as pay. This episode is a thoughtful conversation about leadership evolution, generational change, emotional responsibility, and the future of work in coffee businesses. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab here: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ [https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/] https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ [https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/] If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht [https://mapitforward.coffee]tps://mapitforward.coffee [https://mapitforward.coffee/workshops] Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist [https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist] Patreon: https: [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward]//www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/] Contact: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?]

EP 1018 Part 3 of 5 | What Actually Matters When Leading People? (Isabela Raposeiras)

Advertising Sponsor Want to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward [https://patreon.com/mapitforward] to join the community by signing up to the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. Episode Description This is episode 3 of a 5-part series with Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab Brazil. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing what’s changing about leading coffee businesses and why many of the systems, assumptions, and structures that built specialty coffee may no longer be serving the industry, or the people working in it. In this episode, host Lee Safar, and Isabela explore what the real priorities should be when leading people in coffee businesses today. The conversation challenges many of the traditional leadership models still dominating hospitality and café culture, particularly the belief that pressure, hierarchy, and burnout are simply part of building successful businesses. Lee and Isabela discuss the responsibility leaders have to create psychologically safe workplaces, why emotional intelligence matters more than ever, and how many business owners still underestimate the impact leadership behavior has on staff retention, communication, and workplace culture. Isabela also shares how Coffee Lab has approached leadership differently, why dignity and respect must be central to managing teams, and why younger generations entering the workforce are demanding something very different from previous generations. This episode is a direct conversation about leadership, workplace culture, emotional responsibility, and the future of hospitality businesses. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab here: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ [https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/] https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ [https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/] If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht [https://mapitforward.coffee]tps://mapitforward.coffee [https://mapitforward.coffee/workshops] Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist [https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist] Patreon: https: [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward]//www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/] Contact: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?]

EP 1017 Part 2 of 5 | Are Coffee Businesses Stuck in the Past? (Isabela Raposeiras)

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Map It Forward Podcast Advertising. Interested in advertising on this podcast. Email support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?subject=I%27m%20interested%20in%20Advertising%20on%20the%20MIF%20podcast]to learn more. Episode Description This is episode 2 of a 5-part series with Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab Brazil. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing what’s changing about leading coffee businesses and why many of the systems, assumptions, and structures that built specialty coffee may no longer be serving the industry. In this episode, host Lee Safar and Isabela explore whether the coffee industry is still building businesses based on outdated ideas of success, leadership, and café culture. The conversation looks at how many coffee businesses continue to copy business models, café experiences, and operational structures from decades ago without questioning whether those systems still make sense for today’s consumers, workforce, and economy. Lee and Isabela discuss the tension between tradition and innovation, why so many café businesses continue chasing the same formulas despite increasing instability, and how fear, ego, and industry conformity prevent many operators from adapting. Isabela also explains why newer coffee-producing and consuming countries are beginning to challenge the traditional Western idea of what a coffee business should look like, and why that shift may ultimately redefine the future of quality coffee globally. This episode is a direct conversation about innovation, leadership, culture, and whether the coffee industry is brave enough to evolve. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab here: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ [https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/] https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ [https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/] If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht [https://mapitforward.coffee]tps://mapitforward.coffee [https://mapitforward.coffee/workshops] Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist [https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist] Patreon: https: [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward]//www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/] Contact: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?]

EP 1016 Part 1 of 5 | Why Specialty Coffee Keeps Alienating Consumers (Isabela Raposeiras)

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/] WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 [https://wa.me/353877871523] Episode Description This is episode 1 of a 5-part series with Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab Brazil. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing what’s changing about leading coffee businesses and why many of the systems, language, and assumptions that built specialty coffee may no longer be serving the industry—or the consumer. In this episode, podcast host Lee Safar and Isabela explore what the coffee industry is getting wrong about managing quality coffee businesses around the world. The conversation challenges one of the biggest assumptions in coffee: that consumers simply “don’t understand quality coffee.” Isabela argues that the problem may not be the consumer at all, it may be the industry’s inability to communicate value in ways that feel welcoming, inclusive, and relevant. Lee and Isabela discuss how specialty coffee has often created environments that unintentionally alienate consumers through arrogance, overcomplication, and judgment-based culture. They explore why many cafés still prioritize proving expertise over creating connection, and how this disconnect is contributing to consumers walking away from specialty coffee experiences. Isabela also explains why she no longer likes using the term “specialty coffee,” preferring instead to focus on “quality coffee” and hospitality-led experiences that invite consumers into coffee rather than making them feel excluded from it. This episode is a direct and thoughtful conversation about ego, hospitality, consumer behavior, and why coffee businesses may need to rethink the way they define and communicate quality moving forward. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab here: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ [https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/] https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ [https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/] If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. In the next episode, we explore how global geopolitics is impacting food supply chains. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht [https://mapitforward.coffee]tps://mapitforward.coffee [https://mapitforward.coffee/workshops] Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist [https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist] Patreon: https: [https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward]//www.patreon.com/mapitforward [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ [https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/] Contact: support@mapitforward.org [support@mapitforward.org?]