Yesterday I taught EntreLeadership principles to an amazing group at the Mississippi University for Women. the people I met were as beautiful as the campus where the event took place. Not only did they have incredible southern hospitality, but as leaders and business owners, they had some fantastic questions as well.

One of those came from the owner Cafe Aromas. She asked me how important it was to try and find someone who absolutely loves being a barista, instead of just someone who can do the job. You see, one of the things I teach is, don’t hire someone who can do the job. I dont wan’t that person. Many people can do the job and they bring absolutely no excitement whatsoever to the work environment. See exactly what I mean in Don’t Let Someone Ruin Your Already-Bad Day.

If you understand where she’s coming from, you understand why she asked the question. It’s difficult to find good people to come in to work that early in the morning and be cheery. Why is that so important? Because to those of us who are addicted to that silly little nectar that God created, the barista is the caffeine before our actual caffeine. Walking in when you’re trying to wake up, and seeing someone who seems to not care about you at all is frustrating.

I want to see that person who’s upbeat, happy, and doing what they can to help kickstart my day. That’s why it’s important to spend more time in the hiring process to find people who believe that serving coffee in the morning is considerably more important than it sounds. If you find a server with the heart of a servant, we all win.

Question: How important is it to you for one of the first people you see each day to be a happy person?

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