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Coffee story #12, Michael Tan
65 Plays2 years ago
Meet Michael Tan, a father, a coffee lover, and a wholesale coffee manager with 14 years of experience under his belt.
Born and bred in Malaysia, he has climbed up and down and up again on the ladder of the coffee business and still hasn’t let anything stop him. There’s no place he’d rather be.
Read Michael's full coffee story here
https://notabarista.org/michael-tan/
Article by Oluwatobifunmi Olaniran
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Transcript
Introduction to Michael Tan's Journey
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Hello there, this is Philip and you're listening to Coffee Stories. From becoming a barista to earn extra income, to starting his own café, to dealing with the pandemic and now training others in the art of coffee management, Michael Tan has seen the ups and downs of the coffee business and still cannot imagine himself anywhere else. This is his coffee story.
Michael's Role in the Coffee Industry
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Michael Tan, a born and bred Malaysian, has been in the coffee industry for 14 years. He currently works as a wholesale coffee manager at JWC Coffee Roastery, a micro coffee roastery in Kuala Lumpur.
From Barista to Café Owner
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He needed a job right out of high school and was told of an opening at Starbucks.
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He took the barista position to earn extra money, but gained even more experience than brewing coffee. He understood the value of community and management.
Defining Success in Coffee
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His idea of success includes having the ability to pay off his commitments, being able to travel the world to experience different coffee cultures, continuously sharing coffee culture with the community, hosting coffee events, training and inspiring new baristas to break through and progress in the coffee industry.
Adapting During the Pandemic
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Just like most of the world, he was affected by the pandemic in 2020.
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Malaysia was in lockdown and customers were no longer visiting coffee shops for coffee. He got help from podcasts and clubhouse chat rooms by other entrepreneurs and leaders from other works of life, which helped him in his communication with clients, giving him what he considers as his proudest achievements in the coffee business. You can read his full story on our website. Want to share your coffee story? Visit our website.