Last year, we interviewed Petros Malousis, the operational manager of Coffee Lab and he shared with us his spectacular journey from a barista to where he is now. We hope his story can give baristas some tips about their own careers.
There are a lot of variables when following your career path, sometimes an unexpected occasion can lead people to a certain career path. And for people who work in the coffee industry, their journey can be blurry and full of uncertainty, but there is always someone who sees the possibility beyond the uncertainty and fights to chase their goals and dreams. Petros is one of them.
Stepping into the coffee industry at 17 years old, Petros Malousis embarked on his coffee journey with a humble beginning. He spent years working as a barista trainer. Whenever he recalls his apprentice experience, the passion for the coffee always takes up most of his words. He barely complained about the dullness of repetitive training and the low wages in his early career. When people ask him why he choose this path, he just answers in the most honest way:
My passion for coffee is the easiest answer, when I travel I meet the people behind the coffee. I realised that I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.
Petros Malousis
Challenges are inevitable, and a great way to combat this is embracing them and using it as an opportunity to gain new knowledge like Petro Malousis did. After years of barista training, he got a job at COFFEE LAB, the company provided a fabulous chance for him to explore himself. To adapt to the new role, Petro Malousis had to enrich his knowledge about coffee. Everyday there is something new out there waiting for him to learn, and in that process, he has managed to meet many fantastic coffee masters. Working with them has led him to discover new brewing methods and getting inspired is the way that he deals with the challenge.
Sharing my knowledge with people who have the same passion as me! I also love that I am getting involved with the coffee masters to develop and find new methods and procedures.
Indeed, surrounding yourself with people who can inspire you is a great way to further your career. However, to stick with an industry for decades requires true ambition and an intention to make changes. After becoming an operational manager, Petros got the chance to meet farmers and get more involved in the whole supply chain, this made him realise the story behind the cup. By travelling around the world to find the best coffee beans, Petros not only gets to see a bigger world but also gets clearer about his mission. When you know how exciting this young man talked about his trip to Cercado Mineirão and the great coffee he had there, you can imagine the spark in his eyes when he was in the middle of the flourishing coffee bushes. He learned the hardships of the farmers and he wants to raise people’s awareness and appreciation of coffee beans.
The farm of Joao Batista Montanari
My aim is to share my passion with all the consumers and explain to them all the processes that a coffee bean goes through, so they can understand how difficult it is to have a nice cup of coffee…
The reward is just about time with the whole heart of dedication to a career. And for people who pour their heart into the job, the fulfilment often comes from intangible things. For Petro Malousis, the biggest achievement is to inspire other people to respect and enshrine each coffee bean.
Coffee beans
Looking back at Petro’s journey, starting from a hobby and ending up being in the coffee industry for 17 years is a big achievement and this young man’s coffee story is still ongoing. He is like a mirror reflecting the possibility of life and the magic of curiosity and resilience. A good cup will take hours to brew, the secret of the recipe might take years to discover, and a unique person takes a lifetime to shape. Maybe there is no so-called secret of success since success is a subjective word, but if we remember that all progress matters, we will go further on the path of being ourselves.
If you want to know more about Petros, you can follow his Instagram, next time when you see a young Greek sitting in a specialty coffee shop reading a philosophical book, you might have spotted Petros on his new coffee trip. Humanity runs on coffee, we hope that the coffee people story brings you inspiration.
