Barista | Nutritionist

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A BARISTA? I wouldn’t say I chose to be a Barista; it came about because of limited opportunities after I finished my studies. But I grew to love it and I have zero regrets about what I do.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU UNDERGO? I did a short barista training course at Origin Coffee in Cape Town.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY The day usually starts with a morning rush, as customers stop by to quickly pick up our breakfast and bagel special before they head off to work. We also get orders from Uber Eats and OrderIn throughout the day. In the afternoon, we mostly get orders for our main menu meals, but as they say, coffee knows no weather, so it is a favourite in the afternoon too. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? Making good coffee, pushing sales and offering the best service every day. Seeing customers happy is what brings joy to me. Being a barista has given me lots of friends – my motto is: “Beyond coffee towards making everyone family at the bakery”.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE? Working under pressure gives me a whole lot of stress and I make more mistakes. So, I’ve trained myself to multitask and work fast and smart. When I’m working under pressure, sometimes my temper gets tested, but I always manage my anger – thankfully, a skill I acquired back in Varsity.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER? Being mentioned by various clients and them making referrals to their families and relatives to come to Dolce and request their coffees to be specifically made by me. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS? I’d like to start a business that involves working with people and growing to be a giant in the service industry through providing high quality products and services.

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED TO BEING A BARISTA? Yes, you need to be punctual, patient, calm and more of an extrovert than an introvert – you’ll be dealing with people and you have to entertain them while they’re waiting for their coffee. My goal is for people to come to the bakery because they enjoy talking to me, not just to get good coffee. I see that as an important factor; there are plenty of places that sell good coffee, but who’s making the coffee? It’s important to be unique in terms of how you treat your clients and interact with them. DANIEL MUDYIWA BARISTA

DOLCE BAKERY

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Being a barista is something that people take lightly, but it’s one of the best and most interesting jobs for learning about people and the world. To those starting this journey, you have to stay focused and never be afraid of failing, because making mistakes and finding solutions to correct them is what makes people successful.

YOUR JOB IN FOUR WORDS Making coffee brings family!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS PROFESSION? My love for seeing people experiencing good health and happiness, after witnessing them suffering through ill health and disease.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU DO? I did a Clinical Nutrition Diploma through IAN in Australia, Health Coaching Certificate through Zest 4 Life, UK, and a Functional Medicine Certificate through IFM in the USA. Currently, there is no NT qualification available in SA, but health coaching is available with Health Coaches Academy.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY My morning starts off with admin: checking emails, ordering supplements, paying suppliers, social media posts. Then online consulting with my clients. When lockdown lifts, I hope to work 1/2 days at a nearby health clinic too. After an initial consult with a new client, I work out a health protocol, have a few follow-up consultations to support them in implementing the lifestyle changes. I also offer food demos and workshops where we prepare healthy foods.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? Seeing the improvements in my clients’ health, which can have a big impact on their lives and the achievement of their goals.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE? Being bogged down with admin; it can be quite consuming and not income generating.

WHAT HURDLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? I’ve worked in this field for over 10 years now. Being self-employed can be much harder than regular employment. You need to be disciplined so you are able to ride out the quiet times. You have to always be re-inventing yourself and keeping up to date with new trends, new studies, new supplements in order to stay current. WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT? Running health retreats at various beautiful locations around the country and having my food and recipes featured on TV and in Food & Home magazine.

ANY FUTURE GOALS? To continue to instill the value of good health and lifestyle medicine to all in our country, and to spread the message, that when it comes to our genes, prevention is better than cure. What we do in our youth impacts our health destiny.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT? If you plan on working in private practice, decide who your target audience will be, then set up some health packages and programmes that you can sell to your clients. This will make your life so much easier. Be open to giving free talks and demos in your community to get yourself

LYNNE MACCALLUM FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE NUTRITIONIST & HEALTH COACH

OWNER @ NOURISH BY NATURE

out there. Or go the social media route of promoting your business online.

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED TO THIS WORK OR CHARACTER TRAITS YOU NEED TO HAVE (OR NOT HAVE)? A caring empathic nature will be most supportive in this field, along with being a good listener and really ‘hearing’ what your clients’ needs are. Sometimes people just want to be heard.