Cat & Cloud Podcast

Cat & Cloud

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 

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    From Soil to Service Part 2: Inside the Roastery - Ep# 450

    Cat & Cloud Coffee  www.catandcloud.com/ In Part 2 of the From Soil to Service series, the Cat & Cloud Roastery team pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to roast, organize, and ship tens of thousands of pounds of coffee while still staying connected to craft, quality, and intention. Connor Doyle and Jonson Henry share their very different paths into coffee, the realities of scaling a growing roastery, the science and artistry behind roast profiling, and the challenge of building sustainable systems without losing the soul of the product. The conversation moves from coffee tasting rituals and production workflows to leadership transitions, team culture, and what it means to create coffee experiences for café guests and coffee lovers around the world. This is the First of Two Episodes on Coffee Roasting!  Chapters 00:00 — Welcome Back to From Soil to Service 02:15 — From Teaching, Tech, and the Navy Into Coffee 06:00 — Discovering the Roastery Side of Cat & Cloud 09:30 — The Reality of Roasting 30,000 Pounds of Coffee 13:45 — Staying Connected to Craft at Scale 17:30 — Daily Coffee Tastings and Sensory Training 21:00 — Roasting as Science, Intuition, and Adaptation 25:00 — How Weather and Environment Change Coffee 28:15 — QC, Cupping, and Constant Profile Adjustments 31:45 — Co-Ferments, Flavor Philosophy, and Personal Taste 35:00 — The Organized Chaos of the Roastery Workflow 38:15 — Building Systems That Can Actually Scale 41:00 — Leadership Transition: Johnson to Connor 43:00 — Sustainability, Team Culture, and the Future of the Roastery Cat & Cloud: Webstore www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscription Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first. Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them.  The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.  Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan May 2026

    49 min
  2. From Soil to Service Part 1: Inside the World of Green Coffee - Ep# 449

    MAY 11

    From Soil to Service Part 1: Inside the World of Green Coffee - Ep# 449

    Cat & Cloud Podcast  Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/ From Soil to Service Part 1: Inside the World of Green Coffee - Ep# 449 In this episode of the Cat & Cloud Podcast, Chris Baca and Casey Ryan sit down with Director of Coffee Dulce Venancio to explore the journey of coffee “from soil to service.” Dulce shares how her background in agriculture, her connection to producers in Mexico and Central America, and her growth within Cat & Cloud led her into green coffee buying. The conversation dives into how coffee is sourced, how relationships with producers and importers are built, the realities of the global coffee supply chain, and the intentional work behind selecting coffees that reflect Cat & Cloud’s values. Along the way, they discuss cupping, flavor development, competition culture, mentorship, and the importance of consistency, transparency, and community throughout every step of the coffee process. Chapters 00:00 Soil to Service Series 03:00 What is a Green Buyer 05:02 Origins and Early Trips 06:39 Dulce Backstory and Motivation 08:30 Landing the Green Role 11:21 Imposter Syndrome and Learning 18:17 Money Flow in Coffee Buying 21:13 Mills Exporters Importers Explained 25:36 QC Lab and Flavor Decisions 27:51 Building a Tasting Palate 30:30 Training Your Palate 31:52 Competition Feedback Loops 34:22 Baby Steps Cupping 35:43 Pressure of Green Buying 37:39 When Coffee Gets Rejected 40:22 Direct Trade Versus Importers 42:49 Building the Coffee Menu 46:58 Respect for Producers 50:14 Origin Country Cafe Culture 53:58 Competing and Creative Goals 55:50 Closing and Green Coffee Jingle Cat & Cloud: Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first. Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them.  The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.  Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan May 2026

    1 hr
  3. Build a Café - Ep# 448

    MAY 4

    Build a Café - Ep# 448

    Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/ Episode Summary This episode explores what it really takes to build a café from the ground up—starting with a blank slate but bringing hard-earned experience along. The conversation moves from practical decisions like choosing the right neighborhood and building authentic community connections, to deeper reflections on mindset, motivation, and the emotional realities of ownership. Along the way, the hosts break down coffee program philosophy, hiring approaches, and the importance of aligning values with operations. The episode closes with a candid look at the mental load of running a business, offering a grounded perspective on sustainability, self-awareness, and building support systems as things grow. Chapters  00:00 – Climbing and a Shout out to Kiera 04:00 – Starting a Café from Scratch 06:30 – Why Location Matters Most 10:30 – Building Community Before Opening 14:30 – Authenticity vs Over-Marketing 18:00 – Feeling Like You’re Doing Everything at Once 22:00 – Defining Values and Systems 26:00 – Designing the Coffee Program 30:00 – Innovation and Brewing Concepts 33:00 – Choosing the Right Roasting Partner 36:00 – Space, Buildout, and Constraints 40:00 – Hiring for Culture and Fit 44:00 – Motivation and Early Ownership Mindset 47:00 – The Mental Load of Ownership 49:30 – Sustainability and Building Support Systems  Cat & Cloud: Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/. é Webstore www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first. Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them.  The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.  Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan May 2026

    51 min
  • 3 Episodes

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
    3
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cat & Cloud Podcast
  • Show Website
    Cat & Cloud Podcast

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