<![CDATA[The Excuse]]>b9373e99-dfb9-563b-a98b-a0e0e617c1dfWed, 09 Sep 2026 16:52:27 +0000Captivate.fmJoshua Boythttps://artwork.captivate.fm/4cd2639c-9dc3-45f5-97bc-364bcae30705/the-excuse-podcast-cover.pngThe ExcuseJoshua BoytJoshua BoytCoffee is just the excuse to be together. The Excuse is a weekly show hosted by Joshua Boyt — 25 years in the specialty coffee industry, built on relationships first. Every Tuesday, Joshua gathers around the proverbial cup to explore what happens when coffee becomes the permission slip for real conversation: about business, identity, craft, community, and the kind of purpose that outlasts a trend. Solo episodes dig into the frameworks Joshua has spent a career building — how we impress before we express, why a compass matters more than a clock, and what it looks like to find the work you were made for. Guest conversations go deep with the people who have shaped the specialty coffee world and beyond. This isn't a show about coffee. It's a show about people — and coffee just happens to be the reason we showed up. New episodes every Tuesday. Pull up a chair.https://the-excuse.captivate.fmfalseepisodicnopodcastEpisode 19 — Douglas Kuehn | Head Up, Heart InEpisode 19 — Douglas Kuehn | Head Up, Heart InDouglas Stanley Kuehn III — Doug to anyone who has watched him work a trade show floor — grew up in El Salvador during the civil war, with a father who survived a tiger shark attack at eighteen and went on to pioneer the country's first organic coffee. The near-death experiences kept stacking up: encephalitis at twenty, then an earthquake felt from the sixteenth floor. What came out the other side is a man who starts every day on one line: head up, heart in.

Doug and Joshua trace the road from a barista job inside a Corpus Christi bookstore to twenty years building a distribution business in Austin, the pivot that made it work ("let's get good at everything but the coffee"), the sale to Odeko, and the phone call to Kurt and Alden that brought him to Hollander. Along the way: the $30,000 a coffee community raised for a little boy named Milo, why the bricks of a career matter less than the mortar between them, the long-fork picture of heaven and hell, and the question men don't ask each other nearly enough — how are you really doing?

]]>Douglas Stanley Kuehn III — Doug to anyone who has watched him work a trade show floor — grew up in El Salvador during the civil war, with a father who survived a tiger shark attack at eighteen and went on to pioneer the country's first organic coffee. The near-death experiences kept stacking up: encephalitis at twenty, then an earthquake felt from the sixteenth floor. What came out the other side is a man who starts every day on one line: head up, heart in.

Doug and Joshua trace the road from a barista job inside a Corpus Christi bookstore to twenty years building a distribution business in Austin, the pivot that made it work ("let's get good at everything but the coffee"), the sale to Odeko, and the phone call to Kurt and Alden that brought him to Hollander. Along the way: the $30,000 a coffee community raised for a little boy named Milo, why the bricks of a career matter less than the mortar between them, the long-fork picture of heaven and hell, and the question men don't ask each other nearly enough — how are you really doing?

]]>967cd1b4-67ad-49fc-9dcc-acdc2bf3d0abWed, 09 Sep 2026 09:52:26 -070057:24falsefull1919Episode 18 — Michael Phillips | A Fight for Credibility, Not Just MoneyEpisode 18 — Michael Phillips | A Fight for Credibility, Not Just MoneyMichael Phillips — World Barista Champion, Blue Bottle veteran, educator — sits down with Joshua to talk about what specialty coffee's rise was really about. The competitions, the Cup of Excellence, the relentless push for quality: none of it was primarily about price. It was a fight for respect. A fight for credibility. And the money followed the credibility — not the other way around.

]]>Michael Phillips — World Barista Champion, Blue Bottle veteran, educator — sits down with Joshua to talk about what specialty coffee's rise was really about. The competitions, the Cup of Excellence, the relentless push for quality: none of it was primarily about price. It was a fight for respect. A fight for credibility. And the money followed the credibility — not the other way around.

]]>427930f4-ebf2-4d2e-b98f-c49adfe2f01eThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:10:00 -070057:25falsefull1818Episode 17 — Antoine Franklin | I'm Supposed to Be HereEpisode 17 — Antoine Franklin | I'm Supposed to Be HereAntoine Franklin gave Joshua the sharpest articulation of hospitality he's ever encountered: not just feeling welcome, but feeling anticipated. There's a difference between tolerance and preparation — between a seat that's available and a seat that was kept for you. This conversation is about what it looks like to build spaces, businesses, and communities where people feel like they were expected all along.

]]>Antoine Franklin gave Joshua the sharpest articulation of hospitality he's ever encountered: not just feeling welcome, but feeling anticipated. There's a difference between tolerance and preparation — between a seat that's available and a seat that was kept for you. This conversation is about what it looks like to build spaces, businesses, and communities where people feel like they were expected all along.

]]>833afcdc-e6d1-48f2-be4f-85275919e959Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:10:00 -070045:16falsefull1717Episode 16 — Sarah Dooley | The Relay Race of LoveEpisode 16 — Sarah Dooley | The Relay Race of LoveFrom farmer to picker to processor to roaster to barista to you — every cup of coffee is a letter written across an entire supply chain by people who cared. Sarah Dooley and Joshua trace that relay race and connect it to the House framework: how do we communicate what we do in a way that invites people in rather than closing the door before they even reach the steps?

]]>From farmer to picker to processor to roaster to barista to you — every cup of coffee is a letter written across an entire supply chain by people who cared. Sarah Dooley and Joshua trace that relay race and connect it to the House framework: how do we communicate what we do in a way that invites people in rather than closing the door before they even reach the steps?

]]>7fa82062-0e8a-4b4a-bdf3-a6e523fd4babThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:05:00 -070001:02:11falsefull1616Episode 15 — BLineDot | Without People, Coffee Is Just a PlantEpisode 15 — BLineDot | Without People, Coffee Is Just a PlantBLineDot dropped a line that stopped the conversation cold: "Without people, coffee is just a plant." What followed was one of the most layered episodes in the series — covering the relay race of love across the supply chain, the yoke that fits only one animal, and what it means to show up authentically in an industry that sometimes rewards performance over presence.

]]>BLineDot dropped a line that stopped the conversation cold: "Without people, coffee is just a plant." What followed was one of the most layered episodes in the series — covering the relay race of love across the supply chain, the yoke that fits only one animal, and what it means to show up authentically in an industry that sometimes rewards performance over presence.

]]>657b67c5-8094-4c52-bbf6-9c00fdd743baThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 -070001:03:37falsefull1515Episode 14 — Scott Callender | Running Toward What You Were Built ForEpisode 14 — Scott Callender | Running Toward What You Were Built ForScott Callender knows coffee — the craft, the equipment, the technical excellence — and his conversation with Joshua is about what happens when that knowledge meets authentic purpose. They cover the Impress/Express framework, the campfire of honest dialogue, and what it looks like to spend a career running toward the thing you were made for rather than away from what you're afraid of.

]]>Scott Callender knows coffee — the craft, the equipment, the technical excellence — and his conversation with Joshua is about what happens when that knowledge meets authentic purpose. They cover the Impress/Express framework, the campfire of honest dialogue, and what it looks like to spend a career running toward the thing you were made for rather than away from what you're afraid of.

]]>9af729bc-22f9-461e-99e7-12099a3cd8dfThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 -070058:19falsefull1414Episode 13 — Steve Chang | Yes, ButEpisode 13 — Steve Chang | Yes, ButSteve Chang introduced Joshua to a framework that reframes every negotiation, every collaboration, every difficult conversation: instead of no, say yes — and name the conditions. They unpack the "Yes, But" approach alongside the compass vs. clock tension that shows up constantly in business, and what it looks like to build a trolley that people actually want to grab onto.

]]>Steve Chang introduced Joshua to a framework that reframes every negotiation, every collaboration, every difficult conversation: instead of no, say yes — and name the conditions. They unpack the "Yes, But" approach alongside the compass vs. clock tension that shows up constantly in business, and what it looks like to build a trolley that people actually want to grab onto.

]]>0c580f21-8cab-40be-9c5d-ac5b2dd0df45Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:55:00 -070055:45falsefull1313Episode 12 — Major Cohen | Be a River, Not a LakeEpisode 12 — Major Cohen | Be a River, Not a LakeA river gives. A lake collects. Eventually a lake goes stagnant. Major Cohen and Joshua explore what generosity looks like as a business model, a leadership philosophy, and a way of being in an industry built on relationships. The Campfire shows up here too — what happens when two people lay their logs on the fire and let the conversation do its work.

]]>A river gives. A lake collects. Eventually a lake goes stagnant. Major Cohen and Joshua explore what generosity looks like as a business model, a leadership philosophy, and a way of being in an industry built on relationships. The Campfire shows up here too — what happens when two people lay their logs on the fire and let the conversation do its work.

]]>0878141a-5d7d-46d6-8689-e57639ea1100Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:55:00 -070057:57falsefull1212Episode 11 — Robbie Britt | Finding the Work You Were Made ForEpisode 11 — Robbie Britt | Finding the Work You Were Made ForRobbie Britt has a story that mirrors one of Joshua's favorite ideas: the yoke that's carved specifically for you. Their conversation traces the journey from doing what you can do to doing what you were built to do — and what it looks like to recognize the difference when you're standing inside it.

]]>Robbie Britt has a story that mirrors one of Joshua's favorite ideas: the yoke that's carved specifically for you. Their conversation traces the journey from doing what you can do to doing what you were built to do — and what it looks like to recognize the difference when you're standing inside it.

]]>3168ccae-1f18-4f51-a3b2-64b63e90f43eThu, 03 Sep 2026 13:50:00 -070051:16falsefull1111Episode 10 — Laila Ghambari | The Whole Person Behind the BaristaEpisode 10 — Laila Ghambari | The Whole Person Behind the BaristaLaila Ghambari is one of the most recognized names in specialty coffee — and Joshua goes well past the accolades. This conversation is about the person underneath the professional: what it costs to compete at the highest level, what it looks like to rebuild, and what the industry gains when it makes room for the full humanity of the people who carry it.

]]>Laila Ghambari is one of the most recognized names in specialty coffee — and Joshua goes well past the accolades. This conversation is about the person underneath the professional: what it costs to compete at the highest level, what it looks like to rebuild, and what the industry gains when it makes room for the full humanity of the people who carry it.

]]>016098d5-1b88-4c86-8a74-a1ab81a181a4Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:50:00 -070035:52falsefull1010Episode 09 — Edwin Martinez | Compass Over ClockEpisode 09 — Edwin Martinez | Compass Over ClockEdwin Martinez joined Joshua from his own Instagram account after a technical hiccup — and what followed was one of the most honest conversations of the series. They dig into the difference between urgency and direction, what it means to find your yoke and work inside it, and why the most important question in your career isn't "what's next" but "which way is north."

]]>Edwin Martinez joined Joshua from his own Instagram account after a technical hiccup — and what followed was one of the most honest conversations of the series. They dig into the difference between urgency and direction, what it means to find your yoke and work inside it, and why the most important question in your career isn't "what's next" but "which way is north."

]]>97200cdf-1d92-4c8e-8108-09b379cb86b0Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:50:00 -070055:21falsefull99Episode 08 — Matt Miletto | The Art of Authentic ExpressionEpisode 08 — Matt Miletto | The Art of Authentic ExpressionMatt Miletto has spent his career building platforms for coffee professionals to grow, and his conversation with Joshua goes deep on what it actually takes to develop people — not just their skills. They explore the Impress/Express framework through the lens of education: you can't teach what you haven't lived, and the best trainers in the world are the ones who never stopped being students.

]]>Matt Miletto has spent his career building platforms for coffee professionals to grow, and his conversation with Joshua goes deep on what it actually takes to develop people — not just their skills. They explore the Impress/Express framework through the lens of education: you can't teach what you haven't lived, and the best trainers in the world are the ones who never stopped being students.

]]>759cd346-f43f-466c-a2f9-75fdff471cc3Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070038:17falsefull88Episode 07 — Everybody EatsEpisode 07 — Everybody EatsA philosophy of generosity built on a simple conviction: a rising tide lifts all ships, and there's enough room at the table for everyone who wants to do this well. Joshua talks about the Trolley with Handles — a mission with direction and plenty of places to grab on — and what it looks like to build a career in coffee that feeds others rather than just yourself.

]]>A philosophy of generosity built on a simple conviction: a rising tide lifts all ships, and there's enough room at the table for everyone who wants to do this well. Joshua talks about the Trolley with Handles — a mission with direction and plenty of places to grab on — and what it looks like to build a career in coffee that feeds others rather than just yourself.

]]>352d3d85-18b3-4b1b-a446-31ea7b4bb4aeThu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070026:59falsefull77Episode 06 — Simplify: The House, the Porch, and the StepsEpisode 06 — Simplify: The House, the Porch, and the StepsThe brain's immediate response to confusion is the word no. Joshua walks through the House framework — steps, porch, front door — and makes the case that the biggest mistake in marketing, training, and communication is skipping people from the sidewalk straight through the door. Simplicity isn't dumbing it down. It's doing the hard work of meeting people where they are.

]]>The brain's immediate response to confusion is the word no. Joshua walks through the House framework — steps, porch, front door — and makes the case that the biggest mistake in marketing, training, and communication is skipping people from the sidewalk straight through the door. Simplicity isn't dumbing it down. It's doing the hard work of meeting people where they are.

]]>aa2bddb1-15fc-46bb-ac80-013734f1a480Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070019:11falsefull66Episode 05 — Impress / Express: You Can Only Give What You've Genuinely ReceivedEpisode 05 — Impress / Express: You Can Only Give What You've Genuinely ReceivedOne of Joshua's core frameworks, unpacked fully for the first time: you can only authentically express what has genuinely impressed you. This isn't about passion — it's about depth. Joshua explores what this means for how we train, how we lead, how we tell our story, and why authenticity carries a frequency four times more powerful than anything else you can bring to a room.

]]>One of Joshua's core frameworks, unpacked fully for the first time: you can only authentically express what has genuinely impressed you. This isn't about passion — it's about depth. Joshua explores what this means for how we train, how we lead, how we tell our story, and why authenticity carries a frequency four times more powerful than anything else you can bring to a room.

]]>003e508b-5946-4a49-819e-852db096bba8Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070019:08falsefull55Episode 04 — Heart: Leading with What You Were Made FromEpisode 04 — Heart: Leading with What You Were Made FromBefore strategy, before systems, before branding — there's the question of what's actually driving you. Joshua makes the case for leading from the heart not as a soft idea but as a competitive advantage. The people who last in this industry are the ones who never forgot why they showed up in the first place.

]]>Before strategy, before systems, before branding — there's the question of what's actually driving you. Joshua makes the case for leading from the heart not as a soft idea but as a competitive advantage. The people who last in this industry are the ones who never forgot why they showed up in the first place.

]]>7e64caa3-f89b-46c7-bb02-df7fc9864258Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070006:58falsefull44Episode 03 — The Campfire: Your Log of TruthEpisode 03 — The Campfire: Your Log of TruthEvery person carries a log of truth — a collection of experiences, convictions, and stories that shape how they see the world. Joshua introduces the Campfire framework: what happens when we stop defending our logs and start laying them on the fire together. Real community isn't built by agreeing. It's built by letting truth be refined.

]]>Every person carries a log of truth — a collection of experiences, convictions, and stories that shape how they see the world. Joshua introduces the Campfire framework: what happens when we stop defending our logs and start laying them on the fire together. Real community isn't built by agreeing. It's built by letting truth be refined.

]]>64c2f5b7-dab8-4bc9-b332-8603588fdec1Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 -070009:09falsefull33Episode 02 — Gloom Coffee: What the Industry Gets Wrong About ItselfEpisode 02 — Gloom Coffee: What the Industry Gets Wrong About ItselfSpecialty coffee has a shadow side — the gatekeeping, the ego, the exclusivity that forgets who coffee is actually for. Joshua names it directly and asks a harder question: what does it look like to build something in this industry that actually invites people in rather than keeping them out?

]]>Specialty coffee has a shadow side — the gatekeeping, the ego, the exclusivity that forgets who coffee is actually for. Joshua names it directly and asks a harder question: what does it look like to build something in this industry that actually invites people in rather than keeping them out?

]]>723721d3-d71c-4da8-aece-038733055d41Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:40:00 -070008:45falsefull22Episode 01 — The Soapbox: Why Coffee Is Just the ExcuseEpisode 01 — The Soapbox: Why Coffee Is Just the ExcuseJoshua steps on the soapbox for the first time to lay out the thesis that drove him to build this show: after 25 years in specialty coffee, the beverage was never the point. People are. This is the origin story of The Excuse — what it's for, who it's for, and why creating intentional space for real conversation in this industry matters now more than ever.

]]>Joshua steps on the soapbox for the first time to lay out the thesis that drove him to build this show: after 25 years in specialty coffee, the beverage was never the point. People are. This is the origin story of The Excuse — what it's for, who it's for, and why creating intentional space for real conversation in this industry matters now more than ever.

]]>862bac35-f689-4019-8113-09a55a0a0f26Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:35:00 -070014:56falsefull11