I’ve been thinking quite a bit about healthy forests.

Now, what in the pomelo am I talking about and what’s it got to do with World of Coffee (WOC)? Just hang with me and we’ll get somewhere together.

See, healthy forests have a diverse tapestry of flora and fauna. There’s a mix of tiny new shoots popping through the soil, saplings, yearlings, and trees older than the two of us combined and multiplied by 3. The point is, we often are distracted by shiny new things that spring up out of nowhere and capture our industry’s awareness in a moment. But did they really just spring up out of nowhere?

One of the big challenges with running a consulting firm is that there’s often ambiguity in what a consulting firm even does, how / if they get result for their clients, and moreover, who a firm serves.

At the risk of this being overwhelmingly self-serving, I do think it is helpful to articulate what we do, how we help, and who we help.

Before I go any further, I should note that my goal has always been for Pomelo to be a co-conspirator in the success of the roasters who engage me, as well as to the folks who may just be observing in the distance through the insights and learnings I share.

First up, we have renting time on your roaster. Often, roasters purchase roasters that significantly exceed their current or projected capacity and need. As a result, the roaster is left sitting idle more often than not. We both know that if your roaster isn’t spinning, it’s depreciating and costing you money instead of making you money.