The FORT Podcast: Riley Kiltz
In Episode 6, Chris sits down with Riley Kiltz, friend and CEO of Craftwork Coffee Co. They discuss Riley’s transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, his passions for coffee and customer service as well as his impactful advice for living in the moment.
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01:46 — Importance of Positive Customer Interactions at Craftwork
04:21 — How did Craftwork’s culture manifest itself?
07:03 — How did you find yourself in Fort Worth between NYC and Sao Paulo?
09:47 — When did you decide to make the leap from corporate life to Craftwork?
12:22 — Why are you thankful that you made that leap?
14:38 — Are you still a fan of Conscious Capitalism?
16:23 — What do you tell people who are on the fence about starting a business?
19:06 — What have you learned about coffee? What is the future of coffee?
23:08 — Do you wholesale any of your coffee?
24:28 — The Process from Buying the Bean to Serving the Customer
25:45 — How do you split your time between roasting coffee and running coffee shops?
27:10 — What is your favorite interview question?
30:53 — Where is Craftwork in 10 years? Where are you in 10 years?
37:20 — Through being in the shop, has anything struck you about how people work?
40:02 — Are you aware of any businesses or ideas or marriages that have occurred because of Craftwork?
41:40 — If you had to give your 21-year old some advice, what would it be?
50:14 — What is the biggest mistake you have made since starting Craftwork?
57:30 — The Book Chris Gave Riley
MORE ABOUT RILEY AND CRAFTWORK
Riley has owned and operated Craftwork Coffee Co. for 4 years, a specialty coffee shop and vibrant workspace thriving on the balance of the life and work of our community. Riley has spent the last ten years of life in Fort Worth. After graduating summa cum laude from Texas Christian University, Riley joined Cephas Partners, an exclusive advisor to The Blackstone Group. At Cephas Partners, he primarily focused on Latin American real estate investment analysis and portfolio company development in Brazil and New York City. Riley, his wife (Emily), and daughters (Talitha and Faye) reside in Fort Worth.
They desire to create an environment of ease and inspiration. “Our care and attentiveness set us apart, and we want each and every person to walk into Craftwork and immediately recognize that this is a place where they belong.
We do this by 1) Curating a high-quality but easily understood menu, we are able to provide customers a sense of comfort while they enjoy their coffee, by 2) offering private suites, community work areas, and engaging events for our members, we’re providing inspiration, productivity, and comfort, and by 3) maintaining a staff of talented, friendly, and passionate folks, we bring people into the Craftwork culture with every interaction.” They are founded and run on values of Humility, Excellence, Simplicity and Warmth.