Independent Coffee Shops in Eagle, Idaho Grounded in Creating a Welcoming Space

When you walk into these Eagle, ID coffee shops the hospitality you experience from their interior design is as uniquely inviting as their roasts, blends, drink flavors, and food menus.

Heather Allen, owner at Perks of Life, says, “The best customer service is a quality product,” adding that, “good equipment, having a local roaster who serves daily freshly roasted beans, and employees that care” all work toward providing an unmatched product and excellent service. Perks of Life welcomes you into a classy quietness where customers are encouraged to engage an ambiance of peacefulness and comfort; like a coffee retreat with a barista who cares about you and the coffee they serve.

Sunny Kim, owner at Café Crane, agrees that excellent customer service is the best way to retain customers after they have been introduced to Mrs. Powell’s famous cinnamon role recipe and to their North West coffee roasting flavors. Café Crane has created a cheerful space like a family living room experience with great tunes, big screen television, and where the baristas offer an enthusiastic hospitality.

Rickard Bjerkander, Roaster at Rembrandts, says that excellent customer is about building relationships and creating a connection. “Sometimes it’s the coffee they connect with, sometimes it’s another customer or a friend, sometimes with one of us, and sometimes it’s the whole experience of this place.” Rembrandts roasting machine has a bold servant’s presence on the dining floor of this refurbished old church and is a huge part of the coffee shop’s eclectic atmosphere. From employee to customer everyone has a unique engaging a story like the artwork, creaky floor, and bold mission statement; all you need to do is lean across to anyone at Rembrandts and you will have met new friends.

Naomi Preston, owner of Wild West Bakery and Espresso, and her staff welcome customers with a down-home-cowboy-y’all-are-welcome hospitality. Wild West’s space is like a country home kitchen that is the center of all things family and whose back door is always the preferred entrance. When the barista greets you after walking in off the street, it is like you have stumbled into a spontaneous ‘get together’ at a beloved neighbors home who has always got coffee or tea on for guests.

Jason Wilson, owner of Big Star Coffee, has a ‘great hall’ welcoming space with two industrial glass garage doors that actually open. Windows everywhere, glass from floor to ceiling, and a wide-open space offers the customer a unique post-modern feel, as well as a warm and personal gathering area around the fireplace or pushing tables together. In the center of it all are the barista’ personal genuine connections focusing the attention on the customer.

Whatever your coffee desires, the next time you are Eagle, ID, enjoy these coffee shops interior designs and ambiance as an extension of their customer service. It will open up your senses to experience of wholeness of hospitality and the coffee they serve.

Other articles on experiencing presence within the coffee world you are sure to enjoy:

Chris Ryan, Editor at Fresh Cup magazine on: TUNED IN: How to enhance your shop's atmosphere through music   www.freshcup.com

Dan Charles, NPR Correspondent, Food and Agriculture on: How Coffee Brings The World Together

Dr. Tom Lobaugh                            Inspiring the world to excellence one heart at a time

Roberts Mansion, EJ's Garden Bistro, and Ghosts

If you are ever in Spokane, WA for a weekend or vacation you've got to stay at the Roberts Mansion Bed Breakfast and Event Center and enjoy the good food and delightful ambiance at EJ's Garden Bistro. Located in historic Browne's Addition, the staff's hospitality and service are superb, the mansion spectacular, the outdoor fire pit perfect, the original antique pool table stunning, and rooms comfortable and beautifully restored. We stayed in the Secret Garden Suite for a weekend celebration and were treated like royalty. Owner Mary Moltke is a joy and welcomes guests as family and Manager Kristy's inviting spirit and enthusiastic grand tour create quite the historic ambiance. Google carries a article that the mansion may be haunted. Our first night we had the living room ceiling light suddenly go out and we had a pool cue unexpectedly move against a back wall in the magnificent pool room downstairs. Could have been a sneaky father playing games with his son. No matter to us because the ghost at Roberts Mansion appears just as welcoming as the staff! (1923 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201  509.456.8839)

While you are walking around Browne's Addition be sure to grab a micro beer at Elk Public House, a coffee and gelato at the Cafe Capri where you are sure to meet a new friend, and you can get a great hair cut and pampering at Fathom Salon Spa.

Thank you Mary, Kristy, and staff for a memorable stay!. Thank you Jon.

Dr. Tom Lobaugh                            Inspiring the world to excellence one heart at a time

The 3C’s of ExCCCellent Customer Service: Increase Productivity & Healthy Bottom Line

Cultivating a Long Awaited Attitude.  A licensed therapist and minister were joking about welcoming the staff of their particularly large congregation every time they saw them with a joyful surprised, “Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you. Glad to see you!” So they decided to try it out on each staff person as they walked down the halls to there respective offices one Tuesday morning around 8AM. They had to run and catch up to a few who had sneaked in quietly only adding to the dramatic introduction. A few of the staff were emotionally moved by being recognized, many enjoyed it with great laughter, and several were skeptical and asked in one form or another, “Are you serious?” Most of the staff remarked how it made their day and at that staff meeting they thought it would be a grand experiment to try with everyone who came through the doors that day. When a client or customer walk through your doors, or you walk through their doors, do they experience a meaningful welcome expressing, “Where have you been our whole life!” Imagine what will happen when they do. Morale in the office will be more positive and customer service will be an incredible experience.

Creating a Welcoming Space. Creating a welcoming space at work is a creative way for clients and employees to be invited into the uplifting and positive side of any particular company’s world. Welcome spaces are an important bridge between customer and business. What would happen if we added and created to our Welcome Centers with an inviting spirit making clients experience something positive, enjoyable, and meaningful? What can be done with your workspace that inspires you and those who may stop by? Sometimes company policies provide guidelines for workspace areas and you may want to adhere to it and you may not. It is a great practice to check with management and communicate your ideas as it may open a door for another area in the office needing an inviting makeover. There is a car wash/car engine oil and fluid businesses. Their waiting area is crammed with chairs and near the check out register. The clerk is one of the happiest and most quiet people I have ever met. He is methodical in checking people out as he cares for each person individually and it creates a bottleneck. The pens have neon feathers glued to their ends and when you sign your ticket or receipt the feather moves wildly to your signature. He has two silly trolls taped to the register on their bellies so when you approach the register you see their smiling faces and colored hair and when you pay you see their behinds. It is hilarious. The room’s walls are jammed with memorabilia and he taped a sign over the TV reading, “Broken. Talk to someone.”

Communicating with Class. There is nothing classier in communicating with clients than a moment where they hear and experience your integrity. Thoughtful words are empowering to the listener. They change lives when they are shared from a humble and good space of truthfulness recognizing the client and looking them in the eye. Take a moment each day and center yourself with a few deep breaths and prepare yourself to communicate with honor. Phrases like, “Thank you;” “You are welcome;” “My deepest apologies;” “Please;” “It has been a pleasure,” will encourage positive behaviors that will change the world. Each of you have your own stories where these words and the truth in the eyes of those behind the words have lifted your hearts and made you know how amazing you are.

The 3C’s are an excellent way of inspiring employees and providing a positive customer service experience. When both of these are in sync everyone is more productive and that leads to a positive healthy bottom line.

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Inspire Excellence

Becoming Fearless

Stinky Feet

   “Well, let’s see,” she began and looked kindly at Justin.

   “When we were in Decatur, Georgia and David was with Columbia Theological Seminary, we were with a group of families who were also connected to the seminary. One of the mission opportunities that several of the faculty and their families worked with was to take care of the homeless, especially their feet. Many homeless do not care for their feet for a bunch of reasons, and many of them have no socks or shoes, or the shoes they do have are too small or too big and without socks; their feet can consistently become infected and very dirty. So a group of families decided to put together a ministry once a week to attend to the feet of the homeless. They asked doctors to be with them in case of infected emergencies that needed medical attention, and mostly the seminary families would show up with aprons and towels and wash basins and disinfectant soap, and sit at the feet of the homeless, take their feet in their hands, wash them, and give them fresh pairs of socks. One of the seminary families had a wonderful thirteen-year-old daughter who approached me one week to go with them. I politely declined and made up a reason for not being able to attend. I prayed to God, ‘God send me anywhere on any mission, but not to the feet of the homeless, please.’ ”

   “I heard no response and felt comfortable that God had answered my prayers. Stinky ugly feet turn my stomach, and I knew that I would lose it if I went. I am fully aware that there were others called into this kind of front line ministry, and I support them and admire their courage, but there was no way I could ever touch dirty, stinky, infected feet. About a week later, the same delightful girl asked me again, and I declined citing another important event needing my presence.”

   “A couple of weeks went by, and this young girl asked again, and I said something about a program at the seminary, and she said, ‘Oh I spoke to David and that event has been cancelled, so you’re free!’ ”

   “I was stuck. I had to go. Tom, it was awful. It was so terrifying it felt like was I was going to throw up. The girl took me by the hand that evening and showed me how it all worked, and said that my only job was to draw the water for the basins, and pour the bad water out. I could do that as long as I didn’t have to wash any feet. This little thirteen-year-old girl was a dream to watch. She would place those sanitary gloves on her hands, kneel before these men, and take their foot into the water and wash them ever so gently, and then dry them with a towel. I couldn’t help but think of the woman at Jesus’ feet. As I brought another basin, the girl took my hand and asked me to sit with her for a moment. I did to be nice to her, and what happened next changed me. One of the men stepped forward, and began removing his shoes. I got up to leave, and he said to me, “ ‘It’s gonna be all right tonight.’ ”

   “We, the girl and I, helped his large foot come from around the basin and into the water. It was the most infected and horrible foot I had ever seen. It was sickening. The girl moved closer to me, and called for the doctor, and the man said directly to me, ‘It’s gonna be all right tonight.’ ”

   “I began washing his feet. He said, ‘Thank you,’ the real thank you that humbles you, you know?”

   Justin shook his head yes and Liz continued, wiping a tear, “As we finished with him, and the doctor took over, the little girl said, ‘You did it Liz, you did so good.’ ”

   Justin said as we were falling asleep, “The game was cool, dinner was amazing, they are so nice, and what about Liz’s story of the homeless’ nasty, stinky feet and the girl who is my age? She was my age dad, made me cry. I think you need to put that one in the book. OMG that’s an amazing story.”

Taking Action: Becoming Fearless

   We are all on a journey of becoming. It is a mission built into every cell and atom on earth: Create and Become. Imagine what happens when we begin to see our life as a journey of becoming. How many others do you know who fight against this reality and whose life has become a list of complaints? Take courage and invite yourself into the empowered life of being formed especially with regard to becoming fearless. Listen for The Other’s guiding presence calling to each of us with: “It’s gonna be all right,” “You did it,” “You’re free,” “You are the eighth day of creation,” “Take joy in your children.” Thirteen-year-olds see and feel and act on a lot of good in life. They live OUT LOUD in the midst of fear most of the time. What happens when we risk becoming fearless and love The Other’s way for the sake of others, just like Liz and her teenage guide?

(pg. 85, Broken Hearts Open Doors: The Art of Welcoming Others ; Inspire Excellence, 2012)

Adaptability is the Key to Great Leadership

Asking for Directions to Somewhere Over There

Whether you ascribe to the Biblical principles of leadership, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18), “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function …” (Romans 12:4), and “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave …” (Matthew 20:26) or to Frances Hesselbein’s valuing respect and leading by example, “We don’t have to agree with everything everyone says, but we do need to be civil. The ugliness, the personal attacks we see … these are things that should never be said by leaders anywhere about anyone ... You have to live your values. Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do;” or to John Maxwell who claims, “A leader knows the way, goes the way, shows the way;” or to Benjamin Disraeli statement that “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” or to Rosalynn Carter’s belief that, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be,” leaders in times of transformation must lead. When leaders are asked, “Where are you leading us,” from people in a re-forming organization will often demand, the answer about the promised land sounds rather loose with built in abilities to modify at any time, “Somewhere over there” because leadership must be able to become and form as we move toward our goal.

Good leadership recognizes who is moving with the new direction and who is not on board and must make decisions for forward movement adapting toward the new vision of the congregation or organization. No one ever promised adapting would be welcomed or easy. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Those who serve on a board of directors or serve on a session do not do it to be liked. If any individual or group is purposefully going in another direction, decisions need to be made, conversations had, feelings affirmed, and if divisions remain then a parting of the ways should be extended in grace and compassion. If not, families, corporations, organizations, and congregation will be dead in the water.

Organizations, going through a critical transformation need a guidance system, a renewed mission and focused vision, a set of maps to lead them into new territories, a tracking method connected to a greater knowledge to help them see when they get lost. We all need a positioning approach to allow adaptability in order to take a few different paths as we continue moving toward our goals, our promised land, that, “something other” than ourselves that is liberation in order to, as the jester prophetically announced for our road trip, “save your ass.”

The consultant we hired, Dr. Peter Pizor (www.pizor.com), told us that our plan “should be designed to work like a transatlantic airplane whose navigating equipment automatically makes over seven thousand minor tactical adjustments on a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo to keep the plane headed in the right direction.” (Lobaugh; Broken Hearts, Open Doors: The Art of Welcoming Others, pg. 11-13; Inspire Excellence, 2012) 

Great leadership consistently adjusts progress and decisions toward the vision and doing everything possible to inspire others to move in the direction of somewhere over there.

What needs to be done to adapt today and be a great leader? What adaptations does your family need from you to lead?

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Inspire Excellence

Choice Creating!

Ever have trouble making a decision? Ever had a client waver back and forth on what product or service to use? Ever find yourself unable to close the deal? Ever see others create so many excuses it polarizes decision-making? Ever been in uncomfortable meetings where others reach for their phone to keep the next best choices before them? Each of these situations share one thing in common, the ability of choice. The single greatest power humanity possesses is the power to choose. Think for a moment the number of choices you personally face in any given 15 minute period at your place of work or at home. Whew, that is a lot!

We live in an era of personal choice like no other in the history of humanity. Walk into any coffee shop these days with barista’s furiously pounding away to make their incredible specialized concoction to give you an unprecedented fusion experience of flavor and caffeine (like the Katz Meow at Rembrandts in Eagle, ID) and the choices of bottled taste are stacked so high you can not see the workers. At a local fitness club members are faced with hundreds of choices during a workout from how much time to use a machine; to what speed, resistance, elevation and heart rate to burn calories or cardio; to keeping up with those on their phone; to five different television stations; to their personal listening devices; to who they want to work out next to; and what class they could sign up for.

It is exhilarating to have so much to choose from to make our life more of what we want it to be. SEO’s and other web marketing businesses are designing and redesigning sites, investigating thousands of other sites and blogs, and then writing their own versions to capture the one word or phrase to create choice and influence a certain demographic to ‘click on’ their client’s business site. When an author writes a book, shoes go on sale, the Aflac duck makes you laugh, or a YouTube video teaches, it is entrepreneurship creating choice for consumers.

When we use the power to pile up a stash load of gets or information, we are often left unhappy or feel unfulfilled even after a delicious Katz Meow or hours getting googled, binged, or wikipediaed. Why? It is what inspires your choosing that matters most, not just the rush we get from choosing what we want. Who inspires you? What inspires you? These are important questions to ask when it comes to making choices from family meetings to board meetings to sales meetings to ask.com.

Visited with several different managers at local auto dealerships about customer service and sales training. It is amazing to hear them speak again and again about finding the 'right' words to make a difference in their sales team so they can help create a positive experience for the consumer based on their needs. One Business Development Manager went so far to share passionately, We want to make a positive difference in the lives of anyone who walks through our doors whether they buy from us or not. That is choice creating.

What happens when we see our personal and professional choices actually participating in creating new life; in-spiriting others? Inspired choices create a positive energy. Inspirational choices plant seeds of transformation empowering a positive difference in the world. When we surround ourselves with inspiring ideas, people, and words to help shape who we are, cast a vision to follow, produce positive behaviors and responses, and offer wisdom in how to live our life, our choices cannot contain themselves from encouraging others.

Inspire Excellence

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Text-Spiration

Had an entrepreneur text me last week after reading my book, Broken Hearts, Open Doors: The Art of Welcoming Others. This is their third business in ten years. The first two were small and successful education businesses. They are taking a new risk to help create jobs and make this new dream come true. She was in the car when an overwhelming feeling of fear came over her. Her text read,

Need some words of encouragement.

Even if you are already an entrepreneurial success and in a parking lot looking at the front door of a new business needing your personal creative genius, we all need inspiration. Life and business can be overwhelming at times and we often negotiate with fear.

Growing up in a house with four rifles on the wall, antique butcher knives and pots and pans hanging in the kitchen, and two stuffed barracuda teeth exposed with a picture of my parents holding the fish they caught off the coast of Florida with blood dripping down their arms, fear was a heightened emotion whenever it was time to be disciplined. We did not grow up in a Stephen King novel. Our home was filled with as much love we could share and bear. Fear however, was a motivator as it is in many homes and businesses. Have you ever seen a sales sales team 'motivated' by a manager sharing individual frustrations and using bullying tactics? The result is usually defeat and frustration perhaps with very short term results and is never inspirational.

What happens when fear is relieved, sent packing, escorted out of our hearts and language? What happens when desire and faith in you take over and set up a permanent status in your decision-making and attitude? Your mind and soul are free to be creative, abundance flows, and productivity is great.

Here was my response to her earlier text,

Open the car door and get out and then open the next door and walk in no matter how you feel or think. Just open the door. The Other wants you to succeed, is waiting to show you abundance, and that your joy is just what this new business needs. Open the door!

What would you have texted? What will you share today inspiring desire?

Inspire Excellence

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Great Leadership

Great leadership is something learned and developed. Great leaders see beyond the rough edges of personality, beyond the flaws and frail egos, and try to reach a persons spirit and draw out the greatness in their soul. Great leaders are aware of their own rough edges and use this understanding to refine and enhance their own teachable spirit; free to be shaped and changed by the deeper purpose they serve. Great leaders encourage a teachable spirit in others, consistently pointing to the greater vision each person serves, and consistently celebrating the changes in the other along the way.  Great leaders never loose sight of what it means to learn, and what it means to become. Great leaders are prepared to share knowledge, putting others before them, and enjoying the other’s successes.

Had the opportunity of several breakfast meetings with Harold Sells, retired CEO of Woolworth. Many consider Harold to be a great leader in business and a greater leader in life. One of his life lessons for great leadership is summed up in a question he posed to me, “Do each of the members of the board know you genuinely care about them, their lives, and their work, and are you giving the leadership all of the credit?” Great leaders put the people and their families before themselves.  At Harold’s birthday celebration this past year, he was asked to say a few words about his life. Many of us anticipated being regaled with great stories of meeting presidents and world leaders, of traveling the globe, or his behind the scenes stories of winning at Woolworth. I was inspired as he only spoke about the others in the room. He spoke about his family, friends, and co-workers and all of their accomplishments. He celebrated, by name, everyone else and what they meant to him personally. Great leaders genuinely care about the other, and the other knows it.

Michelangelo once said about sculpting, “I saw an angel in the stone, and I carved to set it free.” Great leadership has confidence in the other to mature and transform inspiring a freedom for them to become who they truly are, not what others think they should be.

Had a football coach in college who would remark during practices, “Most of you rock heads were not born football players, you have to be chiseled into football players, and gentlemen … I’m Michelangelo!”

This posture of great leadership having a teachable spirit, putting others before themselves, and inspiring freedom for the other to become who they are, is a critical foundation leaders need to stand up and lead.

As you prepare for your day ask yourself these three questions: What will I learn today, Who will I praise and encourage, Who needs my leverage to become who they really are?

Dr. Tom Lobaugh