Odi – Georgius Audrey Teja

“Stop competing.” Two words. Short, sharp, and almost cruel. After three years of failing to reach the finals of the Indonesian Brewers Cup, Georgius Audrey Teja — Odi, as everyone calls him — stared at the message on his phone.

At first, it felt like a slap. He had worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and still never broken through. To hear stop felt like giving up. But in hindsight, that message didn’t end his journey. It transformed it.

Just five years ago, Odi was working as a barista in Indonesia, earning barely $200 a month. Like many in the industry, he struggled to see a sustainable future in coffee. That changed when Mikael Jasin, Indonesian Barista Champion and World Barista Championship finalist, offered him a position.

Mikael gave Odi something he had never had before — a fair salary, mentorship, and a chance to build a career with dignity. It was the foundation Odi needed to grow.

Competitions soon became his way of testing himself. He entered the Indonesian Brewers Cup in 2022. And lost. Tried again in 2023. Still didn’t make the finals. Tried once more in 2024. Another heartbreak.

Most people would have walked away. But Odi told himself:

“I haven’t finished yet.”

That stubborn streak kept him going, but it also trapped him. He was chasing a dream that wasn’t moving. Then came the message:

“Stop competing.”

A Small Pivot, A Big Change

At first, Odi resisted. How could he give up before winning? But slowly, the idea sank in. Maybe it wasn’t about quitting. Maybe it was about trying something new.

In 2023, he had supported his friend Yessylia Violin Angkasa, who went on to win the Indonesian Coffee in Good Spirits (CIGS) Championship. Watching her blend cocktails, coffee, and creativity sparked something inside him. He realized there was another path.

In 2024, Odi entered Coffee in Good Spirits for the first time. Same dedication, same work ethic — but in a new discipline. And everything clicked.

He won the Indonesian title. Then he went to Geneva, where, in his very first international attempt, Odi lifted the World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion trophy — a gleaming glass shaped like a cocktail with a solid base.

The trophy in his hands was more than an award. It was proof that the smallest pivot could change everything.

More Than a Trophy

Standing on the world stage, Odi was still in disbelief. Just a few years earlier, he had been stuck in a cycle of low pay and constant defeat. Now, he was a world champion.

But what mattered most wasn’t the trophy — it was how the journey had changed him. Competitions had given him skills that went far beyond coffee: English, public speaking, confidence, and the ability to share his ideas with the world.

And yet, success never went to his head. Odi remained Odi. He still booked his own tickets. He still laughed at the surreal idea of being called a “world champion.” And he kept reminding everyone that behind every competitor is a team, a community, and the support of mentors like Mikael Jasin who helped him build a real career in coffee.

Odi’s humility and kindness stood out as much as his technical skills. The title hadn’t changed who he was. It had only given him a bigger platform to serve others.

 

Sharing the Win

Even as a world champion, Odi stays grounded. He still books his own flights and calls himself “just Odi.” Titles haven’t changed his identity, but they’ve expanded his responsibility.

He now shares knowledge with the next generation, especially Indonesian baristas who struggle with language barriers. On YouTube, he posts in Bahasa, so others can learn from his experience without being held back by English.

For him, it’s not about glory. It’s about giving others the opportunities he once needed.

“We grow up surrounded by coffee, but only ever use it as a drink. What if coffee could be more?”

The Lesson in Odi’s Story

We all have moments of stubbornness. We chase one path, convinced that persistence alone will bring success. And sometimes, it doesn’t. Odi’s story proves that failure isn’t the opposite of success — it’s part of it. And sometimes, the message we least want to hear — stop — is exactly the one that frees us.

For Odi, stopping Brewers Cup didn’t mean giving up. It meant creating space to pivot, to try something new, and to discover his real breakthrough. From a $200-a-month barista to World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, Odi’s journey is a reminder: success doesn’t always come from pushing harder in the same direction. Sometimes it comes from one brave step to the side — and a willingness to listen, even when the words sting.