The values of Zen in our partnerships

When we went into business we had few goals from the start:
-Green Business.  Continuously do and create good and softly educate in the process. 
-Support (Local Non Profits) and our Community in Need.  Be the change no matter how small.
​-Create a space for our employees to thrive, learn and grow

So it is no question that those we seek partnership with align with our values in business... I would love to share about two relationships that are near and dear to me and some history to how Zen came to be..

When we first started out, we were met with Betsy from Hillside Solutions.  She was an absolute gem of a human who not only encouraged our dreams of green business but educated us on the many things that hold us up in this industry. Hillside was just beginning to make their mark in this area.  I'd consider us one of the first coffee shops or restaurants they partnered with and there has been much learning throughout the years of working together.  

It has always been our goal with Hillside to compost, recycle or reuse in any ways that we can.  For the items we cannot (paper Coffee Cups), we continuously improve our ways of educating the public to properly dispose or find alternate options--thus the discounted "Bring Your Own Mug" program was introduced.  During this process, we sampled a number of different cups with our customers and Hillside, to land on an ultimate solution-there isn't a cup at this time that meets our current economy. Customers want something disposable that won't leak, company wants something that is cost worthy, while also representing the brand.  We learned that while compostable cups are available, they are only good when composted..which currently is only available in a handful of stores and locations.  So these customer are leaving,  disposing the cup in regular landfill bins that get taken to the dump and continue emit fumes and gases into our atmosphere because they were improperly disposed. Had we not been educated on this, we would have continued to use a product that wasn't the best for our environment.  

As time has gone on, Hillside has also adapted and grown, but continues to come in to work with our small teams on ways to kindly educate our community.  Signs that explain where each item goes, methods in which we endorse a greener option, and always finding new ways to pivot as products advance. 

Another partnership is with Dapper & Wise, our coffee roaster.  While this is a topic we are often asked about--my answer is complex.  It is rare to find a partnership where you so perfectly align in value, in style/technique and in goals.  So from day 1 we aligned with D&W, who also operates Insomnia Coffee Company-a local chain in Hillsboro OR who you will find, is very unintentionally similar to Zen. 

In the beginning of this partnership,  I asked owner, Evan, to describe the name "Dapper and Wise" as they use this name to describe themselves personally as well as to describe their heart behind coffee.  Dapper is the idea of keeping the vision of innovation and relevance in the ever changing world of coffee and making sure we're making the right choices. He said, "being "Dapper" alone could be in our minds a single faceted/ shallow way of being. That's why we back it up with "wise" to keep our eyes on the people in front of us and where they are."  Remember, there is a ton of wisdom to be found in perspective!

Here is an anecdotal story from Evan that I choose to share in our trainings:
D&W visited two mills in Ethiopia back in 2016 as part of a larger trip through the birthplace of coffee. The first mill in Yirgecheffe was quaint. There were two halls that were lined with women that were crouched on their knees sorting piles of green coffee. The first impression was that it looked uncomfortable to be on your knees on mats on the floor. It seems like there would be a better way ergonomically to have them sort coffee.
However, the demeanor of the whole mass of these women in the rooms was bright and excited. Especially with visitors from another country! They were so excited and treated their guests like celebrities.  When it was time to go on to the next mill, all of the women left the rooms to send us off with warmth and cheer. 
We then went to our second mill that day. This one was quite impressive! Very orderly. As a matter of fact, there were raised tables and chairs for the women to sit at. At face value, it seemed very ergonomic in comparison. The difference was actually in the way the woman looked. When we entered the facility which in this case was one large room, we noticed that the women were not turning around and staring at us. In fact, every time one of these women turned around to look at us, a supervisor would scold them to get back to work. You see, the room was also filled with several male supervisors that had a tight leash on the efficiency of the space. All of us who visited that mill were taken back by the oppressive nature of the room. 
Fast forward to when we came back to the states. Several months later, we were able to actually blind sample some of the arrivals of the Ethiopian coffees we visited several months earlier. There was one coffee in particular that cupping blind we found to be absolutely stunning. It was balanced yet complex and fruity. I asked the importer which mill this coffee came from. Much to my amazement, that coffee was from the mill that seemed oppressive. We did not buy this coffee. Even if it was the best tasting cup that I tried from that trip, in my heart of hearts, I could not do relationship with producers that do not have great work environments for the villagers. To us, it's not worth getting amazing coffee at the cost of human morale.

So when asked about our coffee and why D&W..  We find that it is most important to share that our coffee buying program is summed up with two of the same philosophies; buy solidly GOOD drinkable coffees and in turn, do our best to develop relationships with the roasters, producers and farmers who grow our coffee.  From the very beginning, we have maintained relationships, not only with our roasters but our farmers and importers who align in our values.  

When looking at this perspective, it has given me a better understanding of the larger local corporate chains, their purchasing choices and why I personally never aligned with them.  It has been a goal to operate from the heart since starting this path of small business.