MSMP 115: David Gaines on Making a Social Impact with Coffee and Creating a Company Culture

Joining me today on the Mads Singers Management Podcast is none other than David Gaines. David is the owner and CEO of La Terza Artisan Coffee Roasterie and the co-host of The Third Place Podcast.

Although La Terza has initially been from his friend, David bought the business, and it made him realize what a great cup of coffee was and how big of a difference it was to drink a well-made cup of coffee. While I’m not a fan of coffee, David believes that there is still room for me to change and have a cup of good coffee one day.

While people see coffee as a beverage, David sees it as a vehicle talks about being the third place and how coffee (and his coffee shop) became the third place where people from all walks of life can come together and hang out. This can also be where people can talk about uncomfortable topics or events they have in mind or witnessed personally.

A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. These kinds of businesses usually maximize their profits and benefits to both society and the environment. Social enterprises generally use their profits to fund social programs such as feeding programs, free medical and dental checkups, skills and job training, or something as simple as offering free haircuts or food packages to help people in need. These kinds of businesses usually work together with their community to achieve their goals. 

Whatever problem, no matter how small or big, an employee has at home, they will always carry it with them at work, and this reflects in their performance at work, which can affect the energy and flow of your business.

Although business owners don’t necessarily need to provide everything for their employees, being aware of how your employee is doing and lending a hand can help steer them back in the right direction.

Spend time doing regular team buildings, Myers Briggs tests, and even DiSC assessments to find out how you and your employees can click together.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed some plans, David looks forward to seeing an employee-owned business in the next couple of years, where he and his teams can share the cake. Once you’ve established your ground rules, you will have a company culture where everyone has each other’s backs no matter what comes their way.

Key Learning Points:

1. David reminds us of the golden rule: treat other people how you want to be treated.- 04:35
2. Mads says that business owners should love their competitors because the world is so big and it’s much better to collaborate with the people around you instead of competing.- 09:06
3. Mads says that when we focus on our competitors, we generate negative energy. – 09:27
4. David says that the happier our employees are, the more productive they become.- 11:50 
5. David says that business owners should look at the whole person and how they can help and provide for that person to become more productive and build a company culture. – 14:20
6. David says the more opportunity business owners offer to their employees and seeing them as a whole person, the more we can build a team culture in our business.- 15:08
7. Mads says that when you don’t have happy employees, your business has no value. – 16:01
8. David says that business owners should live and embody the values that they created for their business.- 16:40
9. David shares that business owners should hire for character first rather than skill set.- 26:56
10. Mads adds that he looks at attitude, culture, and personality fit when hiring because skills can be taught. – 28:52

Resources Mentioned:

The Third Place Podcast

Social Enterprise Alliance

Connect with David:

LinkedIn

Email

Website

Facebook

The Radical Business Podcast