# BOSS BARISTA A newsletter and podcast about a thing you drink everyday. Interviews and articles about big ideas in coffee, the service industry, and collective action. Page: Feed: --- ## [Don't ever make your boss a cake](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/dont-ever-make-your-boss-a-cake) _2025-06-26 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Gone forever? Not sure, but definitely need time to regain focus. ## [A Short Lexicon of Coffee Buzzwords](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/a-short-lexicon-of-coffee-buzzwords) _2025-05-09 · Ashley Rodriguez_ “Sustainable,” “ethical,” and “responsible” are all words used to describe coffee, but what do they mean? Companies use them constantly to denote integrity but what do these words actually mean? ## [A Fundraiser for Gaza Hopes to Wake Up the Coffee Industry](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/a-fundraiser-for-gaza-hopes-to-wake) _2025-04-25 · Ashley Rodriguez_ For 18 months, the coffee industry has remained mostly silent about the ongoing destruction of Gaza. A new fundraiser hopes to raise money—and jolt the industry awake. ## ["How do you take care of your mental health?"](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/how-do-you-take-care-of-your-mental) _2025-04-17 · Ashley Rodriguez_ A student asked me this during a journalism Q&A and I gave an inadequate answer. I haven't stopped thinking about it. ## [How Tariffs and Private Equity Are (Loosely) Connected](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/how-tariffs-and-private-equity-are) _2025-04-10 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Two stories dominated my coffee news cycle this week. I found some interesting resonances between them. ## [Against Interpretation (In Coffee)](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/against-interpretation-in-coffee) _2025-04-03 · Ashley Rodriguez_ How Susan Sontag's seminal essay speaks to the constraints we place on coffee—and what breaking free could look like. ## [Revisiting the Question: Does Coffee Taste the Same as it Did Five Years Ago?](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/revisiting-the-question-does-coffee) _2025-03-27 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Pondering a question I had in 2022 and how, due to climate change, coffee's flavors have morphed over time. ## [Q&A: Peace Sakulclanuwat Wants To Give Thai Coffee the Spotlight](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/q-and-a-peace-sakulclanuwat-wants) _2025-03-20 · Ashley Rodriguez_ The coffee professional won second place at last year’s U.S. Brewers Cup Championships with a Thai coffee blend. Now, she’s on a mission to give Thailand’s coffee scene the attention it deserves. ## [What Everyone Gets Wrong About Unions](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/what-everyone-gets-wrong-about-unions) _2025-03-13 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Too many people still operate under the assumption that unions are only necessary in “bad workplaces.” Here’s why that’s wrong—and why it’s time to leave that limiting framework behind. ## [What if Coffee Cost As Much as Wine?](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/what-if-coffee-cost-as-much-as-wine) _2025-02-27 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Running the numbers reveals an interesting truth about how we value these two beverages—and where the oft-repeated comparisons between them fall flat. ## [Ship software peacefully (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/oA2Qo2a4nAJW) _2025-02-27 · **Sponsored**_ Deploy apps from your repo with auto-config, instant previews, scaling, and monitoring. ## [Is Starbucks Doomed?](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/is-starbucks-doomed) _2025-02-20 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Years ago, I wrote that Starbucks acts like it’s too big to fail. Now, by alienating people across the political spectrum, the multinational may be on course for extinction. ## [Q&A: Kevin Joanisse Only Buys Coffee From Costa Rica and Colombia](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/q-and-a-kevin-joanisse-only-buys) _2025-02-13 · Ashley Rodriguez_ The owner of Lulo Coffee Roasters in Ottawa uses a "slow sourcing" model, keeping his focus on building and growing longstanding partnerships and deepening impact. ## [Eight Years of Boss Barista](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/eight-years-of-boss-barista) _2025-02-06 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Marking a significant milestone for Boss Barista by reflecting on the present moment. ## [Disruptor Olive Oil Is Everywhere—And It Reveals Something About Coffee, Too](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/disruptor-olive-oil-is-everywhereand) _2025-01-30 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Many internet-famous olive oil brands make marketing claims that don’t stand up to scrutiny. Unfortunately, coffee isn’t immune from similar disruptive tactics and pressures. ## [Meet Your Guest: Jimmy Butler](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/meet-your-guest-jimmy-butler) _2025-01-23 · Ashley Rodriguez_ For paying subscribers: My Standart interview with NBA superstar and BIGFACE Coffee founder Jimmy Butler ## [What Does It Mean To Label Coffee As ‘Healthy’?](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/what-does-it-mean-to-label-coffee) _2025-01-16 · Ashley Rodriguez_ The FDA now says coffee can officially be labeled “healthy.” But in an industry already rife with dubious health and ethical claims, what does adding a new word to coffee’s lexicon mean? ## [In 2025, Get Weird With Your Coffee](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/in-2025-get-weird-with-your-coffee) _2025-01-09 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Every January, I give Boss Barista readers a recommendation for how to approach the year ahead. This year, I think we could all stand to get weirder. ## [What Does Feminism Mean to Me? Part Two](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/what-does-feminism-mean-to-me-part-f8c) _2024-12-19 · Ashley Rodriguez_ For paid subscribers, a manifesto on what feminism means to me and how I define freedom. ## [What Does Feminism Mean to Me? Part One](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/what-does-feminism-mean-to-me-part) _2024-12-12 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Boss Barista started with a basic tagline: coffee and feminism. As the platform has evolved, where does feminist ideology fit in? ## [Screen Share With Real Control (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/hQwJ7bXVFvRJ) _2024-12-12 · **Sponsored**_ Collaborative screen sharing with simultaneous remote control — open source, like Screenhero. ## [Wages for Hospitality Work](https://bossbarista.substack.com/p/wages-for-hospitality-work) _2024-12-05 · Ashley Rodriguez_ Why do we expect service workers—some of the lowest-paid workers in our society—to perform their jobs with a smile? What would happen if hospitality was something we paid for instead?