Cat & Cloud Podcast

Cat & Cloud
  • 4.9 (702)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Chris Baca and Jared Truby are professional Baristas and are here to introduce the world to Specialty Coffee! From placing in the finals of the United States Barista Championship multiple times, winning regional competitions, to leading training and education for some of the most progressive coffee companies around - these two have learned a ton about coffee and want to share it with you. Tune in for weekly interviews, tutorials, and general mayhem from the brothers from different mothers: Truby & Baca. Learn more at catandcloud.com 

  1. Sep 28

    10 Years of Cat & Cloud (+ an Announcement from Chris)

    On September 30th, 2016 we opened the doors of our first cafe and roastery on Portola street, Santa Cruz. Ten years later, we're still here, thanks to the enduring love and support our community has shown us. In this birthday special, we sit with Chris, Jared, and Charles to reflect on everything from road trips to Santa Barbara with green coffee in the trunk before the brick & mortar days, to the 16-month permitting journey and sealing the floor the night before inspection, to what we got right & wrong over the years, and how our mission & values have always been at the core of who we are. In addition to the ten year anniversary, Chris has an announcement: he's stepping away from day-to-day operations at Cat & Cloud, and the change takes effect on our birthday. While he's keeping ownership and moving into an advisory role, this also means that this will be his last podcast as a regular host. Chris takes a minute to say thank you to everyone who's listened, visited, and supported us along the way. You can follow Chris's next chapter on Instagram and YouTube at @realchrisbaca. Chris's departure from the podcast also highlights some exciting news: we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Cloud Podcast. We'll be introducing new segments, fresh industry voices, and candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture, and leadership development.  We'll be taking a short hiatus while we're heads down, new episodes to launch Winter 2026.

  2. Sep 21

    Leadership Excellence @ Disney Institute 2026

    Disneyland has been a long-time inspiration for us at Cat & Cloud in terms of their inspiring ability to completely immerse their guests in an experience. To compound this: they consistently do it at scale. This is something that a lot of small businesses struggle to maintain as they grow and owners are forced to take a step back from the front of house. This is what has brought us back, year over year, to the Disney Institute, professional workshops taught by Disney spanning leadership, culture, and service. On this episode, Chris, Jared, and Marc chat about their takeaways from attending the workshop this September: the aversion to feeling like you're being "sold" an experience vs. providing a "genuine" one, Disney's approach to evaluating successful experiences that don't have monetary data associated with them, and Chris & Jared's thoughts about the course having done it several times in the past.

  3. Sep 14

    [Encore] The C Market: Where coffee prices come from

    Originally aired March 10, 2025 Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive. This week: We're pulling a Chris Baca and Charles Jack (Chuck) conversation from last year discussing the C Market. Chuck covers what the C Market is, why coffee prices are at an all time high, and his thoughts on why and how to get away from a market based approach to setting prices.  Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

  4. Sep 7

    [Encore] Jorge Madrigal | Origin and Expertise

    Originally aired March 11, 2024 Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive. This week: what does it look like from a team member's perspective to experience a coffee origin trip? Jorge Madrigal, one of the most cross-trained members on the team, details his trip to Colombia. Along the way, Chris and Jorge touch on a recurring theme of what expertise and care look like at every step in the system, and how it all ties in to putting relationships and experience first. Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

  5. Aug 31

    [Encore] Doing the Right Thing

    Originally aired March 11, 2024 Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive. This week: Doing the Right Thing, a Cat & Cloud After-hours episode. Jared, Chris, and Charles get into a wide range of topics spanning the business, with a single through-line: what does it actually mean to do right by people? Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

  6. Aug 24

    [Encore] The Seven Steps of Service: How we train hospitality fundamentals

    Originally aired January 25, 2025 Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive. This week: The Seven Steps of Service. What are they? What are they for? And why are they so straightforward? Learn why these fundamentals shape how we train hospitality in our cafes, and why leaning into the spirit of a system this simple can transform guest experience. Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

  7. Aug 17

    Camp Coffee Shop 2026: Jared's Takeaways

    Summer camp but for coffee professionals! Learn about what Jared & Charles were up to this week at Camp Coffee Shop, a brand new retreat hosted by Barista Magazine all about building community in the coffee industry. This was four days of coffee workshops and skill-building sessions, unplugged in nature, with everyone from new business owners to coffee industry veterans. Jared gives us the industry veteran perspective. He covers a summary of the talk he gave, Building a Cafe People Love to Work In, impressions of panels and workshops he attended from other long-time industry friends, and how it compares to the vibes of a larger trade show like SCA's World of Coffee. Learn more about Camp Coffee Shop: https://www.campcoffeeshop.com/

  8. Aug 10

    From Tech Industry to Coffee Industry: Meet Misha

    This week Chris & Jared get carried away in conversation with a newer member of the Cat & Cloud team. Misha Holtz— who's been ramping up in the marketing team at Cat & Cloud for the last three months— gets pulled onto the mic without warning and grilled about her path from founding software engineer to leading our digital platforms and marketing work. Turns out her Cat & Cloud story started way before her start date. She was a barista at Verve Coffee back in the mid-late 2010s, crossed paths with Cat & Cloud and the founding team on opening day and then consistently throughout the early years, and went on to spend seven-plus years building software remotely in Santa Cruz— espresso in hand every single morning. They talk about what pulled her out of tech, what Cat & Cloud and SCA in San Diego look like through fresh eyes, and the parallels and differences between two industries that attract different crowds for different reasons. A candid conversation about what it actually feels like to take the leap from a career you're great at into one that's been present all along.

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4.9
out of 5
702 Ratings

About

Chris Baca and Jared Truby are professional Baristas and are here to introduce the world to Specialty Coffee! From placing in the finals of the United States Barista Championship multiple times, winning regional competitions, to leading training and education for some of the most progressive coffee companies around - these two have learned a ton about coffee and want to share it with you. Tune in for weekly interviews, tutorials, and general mayhem from the brothers from different mothers: Truby & Baca. Learn more at catandcloud.com 

Information

  • Creator
    Cat & Cloud
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    468
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cat & Cloud Podcast
  • Show Website
    Cat & Cloud Podcast

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