Coffee People: Meg Le Vu, BLK City Coffee
Stay a hobbyist or go pro? Meg Le Vu makes a decision.
Coffee People: Meg Le Vu, BLK City Coffee
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Guest: Meg Le Vu, BLK City Coffee
Role: Hobbyist Coffee Roaster & Content Creator
Based: Chino Hills, CA
Online: @BLKCITYCOFFEEROASTERS on YouTube • @BLKCityCoffee on Instagram
What they order: Whole Bean Coffee
When does a hobby become a business? I can’t be sure, but I think the decision is heavily influenced by the need to fund said hobby! There is something courageous about saying No! This thing, this thing is for me. Take it or leave it.
Meg Le Vu reached that stage where she was considering the merits of going pro as a coffee roaster and ultimately made the decision to remain a hobbyist. I’d offer up the term semi-pro because she is selling coffee under the banner of BLK City Coffee, but the time spent improving her skills is for her. We just happen to be able to follow along as she shares her journey on her vlog.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Be nice to your wedding photographers! It is a long day. They’re really hungry. You’re probably being a bit insane.
- Creating content for the BLK City Coffee YouTube channel is actually easier for Meg than roasting the coffee. Sharing her experience online was initially an attempt to fill a gap that she couldn’t find while she was beginning her coffee roasting learning journey.
I find it really fascinating that Meg doesn’t seek to control or curtail the perception of her on the channel. She has changed as both a roaster and a human since the first vlog release. Her channel reflects that. - Coffee roasting isn’t just about coffee roasting. It is an opportunity for self-expression.
- Be curious and discover the coffees that you love.
- Sometimes, we can feel a design or an idea, but we need someone else to bring it out, to present it to us, at which point there is a sense of recognition. We can say, Yeah, that! That’s me. That’s this. That represents the ideals, the effort, and the goal of what I’m trying to do.
- Finding the intersection where your passion and financial success overlap is a challenge. The system in which we all live often requires financial consideration first and attention to what it is I would like to be doing second. Breaking free from that form of decision-making is pretty liberating.
- Hacea Coffee Source offers a lot of educational opportunities. Their cupping class inspired Meg to continue down the rabbit hole but also helped her build trust with their green coffee sourcing process. Check out all of Hacea’s coffee classes here: https://haceacoffee.com/collections/education
- Hopefully, life is long.
- Coffee is always changing. We’re always changing too. That is terrifying and exciting and the reality of life.
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BARISTAS RULE THE WORLD!
We have a new column on R!WC featuring those magicians who are making our morning cups of coffee. Check out the first two featured Baristas and be sure to bookmark the page. New Baristas will be added weekly for the foreseeable future.
Baristas Rule The World: Kaiti Blom
Who: Kaiti Blom (she/they) What: Head of Education at DOMA Coffee Roasting Where: Post Falls, ID Years in the industry: 18 (yikes!) Fav Ninja Turtle: Leonardo Connect: @kaiticorene on Instagram & check out www.domacoffee.com
Baristas Rule The World: Arturo Mandujano Jr.
Who: Arturo Mandujano Jr. (he/him) What: Education Lead at MoonGoat Coffee Where: Orange County, California Years in the industry: 8 Fav Ninja Turtle: Michaelangelo Connect: @arturomandujanojr on Instagram or check out the Community Orchestra: @ocofoc
Ryan Woldt
R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS
We spent the weekend serving coffee at the San Diego Mountain Biking Associations annual Trailfest fundraiser with Coffee Cycle Roasting. Shout out to our new friends Marco and Dani who won the Guess the Bean Contest.
Full disclosure: I spent as much time on the other side of the table drinking coffee, as I did serving. Thanks, Chris for letting me hang out!
A huge, on-going thank you to all of this show’s industry partners. Click these links!
Roastar • Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters • Hacea Coffee Source • Crossings Coffee • Acento Coffee Roasters • Sivitz Roasting Machines
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