Like any good shepherd who is up before the sun to care for their sheep, Sean Watson begins his day roasting at Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters at 4AM. His ability to multitask was inspiring as he herded beans from jute bag to roaster to delivery and storage, while introducing their various kinds of roasts and teaching without skipping a breath or step. His joy introducing the roasting process as he presented the unique details of the green beans from around the world generated enthusiasm. He loves what he does.
Sean spent over an hour leading five different roasts culminating in a fresh roasted bag of their Guatemalan. Delicious.
As the temperature was adjusted and timer set, he was constantly watching, smelling, and listening for the first pop at around 380° and the second pop at 420°, religiously ensuring the beans were on the right path to take their new form. As the beans poured into the cooling rack the aroma was enchanting. Like a nervous guide making sure everyone was where they are supposed to be, Sean placed his hand deliberately into the cooling beans every couple of minutes. “Can you see the difference? The oils are coming out,” he said carefully nurturing the beans as they poured over his fingers. Looking for incongruities while making sure the beans were transforming themselves into something good he discovered a bean and some chaff that were not supposed to be there and said with a laugh as he removed them, “Well, those don’t belong.”
Sean takes great responsibility for his work. His attitude expressed a gratefulness for having been given the opportunity to create something superb for the benefit of the farmer and the customer. Reflecting on the past two years and our brief interview he said, “It’s always fun to talk about coffee and roasting and it's kind of amazing to be part of the whole process from, what’s the term … seed to cup.”
As we discover what it means to be influences of transformation coffee roasters offer many positive insights as they stand at the threshold of what has come before and what lies ahead. Here are two.
1) Daily Productivity (knowing what we are to be about today and doing it responsibly)
2) Empowerment (celebrating transformation with a grateful heart of being connected from something amazing that has a history with a beginning and an end).
Dr. Tom Lobaugh
Inspiration Consultant