257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee

Connection with our audiences has never been more important. How do we go about truly delivering value and building a strong community that resonates with or message all while staying true to our core "why" ? Well, today we are going to be talking with and learning from someone who has cultivated all of those things and has created the largest online coffee following in the world as a result. Today we get to have a conversation with Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee! Morgan is a barista and content creator, having worked in the specialty coffee industry for 3.5 years. With over 5 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, she shares her love for coffee through comedic customer service sketches, vlogs about her job, and educational videos. Morgan also released a line of coffee in collaboration with Wrecking Ball Coffee in December 2020 and is working to continue creating a link between baristas and their customers through a shared love for coffee and a dash of humor. In this conversation we will be exploring Morgans beginnings in the industry as a barista and competitor, then diving into the story of how MorganDrinksCoffee was born, how it has grown, and the insights and lessons Morgan has learned along the way. When we look into what the future holds for hospitality, we need to fully embrace our distributed online audiences and create for them a specialty experience just like we do for those who frequent our in-person shops. Morgan shares a great deal of wisdom to help get us where we need to be as an industry. We cover: The evolution of MorganDrinksCoffee Managing both cafe life and the social platform Creating a message that connects people Lessons in marketing Community inspiration Attracting the younger generation Balancing and curating the message at scale How to approach digital hospitality Not using celebrity as leverage Balance of sales and story in marketing Quantity of fillers vs quality Advice to baristas and owners Links: https://morgandrinkscoffee.com Instagram TikTok Morgan Recommends these IG accounts: Glitter Cat Erica Escalante Umeko Motoyoshi Related Episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 222 : How to have Difficult Conversations about Race and Justice w/ Kwame Christian COVID-19 Focus : Erica Escalante, The Arrow | Acting Quickly, Leading Well, and Fighting for Connection 097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse (Now Cafe Reina) 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail Prophet Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service