Sky is the limit for this UAE based Coffee Consultant
There’s a quote by Philosopher Carl Jung that I often reflect to, he said, “The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you.” Realizing your true potential means living your life to the fullest and all of this begins by knowing yourself well.
One individual who crosses my mind when I read the above Jung’s quote is Irina Sharipova. She charted her own course to become a coffee professional based on a gut feeling when she started her journey as a barista. She’s on a path of growth ever since navigating the coffee industry and taking on different roles and challenges for more than a decade
To me, it looks like Irina’s only getting started with her decision to become a full-time independent coffee consultant. There’s no holding her back and her passion is leapfrogging with the launch of her new podcast called Coffee Business in the Middle East.
There’s a lot to learn when you read about a person’s journey. This is why I started interviewing coffee professionals to capture nuggets of wisdom I could incorporate somewhere in my journey.
Before we read what Irina has to say, don’t forget to take part in the giveaway me and Irina have planned for our followers. Instructions in the post below and bonus points if you leave a comment with one thing that resonated with you in Irina’s interview the most. This is your chance to win coffee from our favorite local roasters like The Coffee Vial and kam kam coffee.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you started your coffee journey?
Hey there, my name is Irina Sharipova. I am a coffee professional and educator with over 10 years of experience based in Dubai, UAE.
My coffee journey started as a summer job as a barista when I was a student. After a while, I realized that coffee was an interesting product to work with. Remembering how the coffee industry was still in its nascent stage 10 years ago, I felt that there were too many things to learn about this drink and plenty more to come.
What inspired me was the opportunity to compete in coffee competitions and to grow as a specialist. Starting as a barista with a desire to learn and grow, I reached an extent of professionalism. To achieve that, you need to learn, earn certificates, travel, and share the knowledge acquired.
You started working in the coffee industry more than a decade ago. How did you know you wanted to be a part of this industry?
It was a gut feeling and my passion for the industry. I didn't know that I would become a successful coffee professional and imagine that one day I could also create my own products and podcast!
What made you move to Dubai?
There were a few circumstances that led me to take this decision and move to another country. The natural choice was the UAE, a progressively developing country prioritizing tolerance, safety, and most importantly, an up and coming local coffee industry with great potential where I can apply my skills.
It's a scary thought to work as an independent coffee consultant. What made you decide that it was time to chart your own path without relying on anyone?
It's my fifth month being a consultant. After a decade of working in different companies, I decided to try my hand at managing my own business, challenge myself to do more and think out of the box. It is scary, but if there’s no risk, there’s no gain, right? I believe there is a market for coffee consultants, and my plan is to share my expertise and in turn increase the quality of knowledge in the market!
You've recently been awarded the Q Arabica Assistant Instructor. Training is a crucial part of anything you're passionate about or whatever you're working towards, and it's clear your natural progression is to become an instructor. You also teach several SCA classes and consult on everything coffee-related. Teaching is extremely hard; how do you go about training your students?
Oh, yes! It is a journey in itself. I still need to go through a few steps before being a full-fledged instructor. CQI is a very well-structured organization and they want to be sure that right trainers are selected to teach future Q graders. It is fascinating how much you can learn daily in coffee.
As a consumer, I've always struggled with recognizing certain tasting notes on a coffee bag, for instance. What steps can I take to better understand the coffee I am tasting? Is it something that comes with experience and time?
My favorite cup profile always blows me away – clean acidity, florality, berry-like character, tropical fruits and clear notes of citrus. Sweet, juicy, and clean, it is a perfect combo for me. Regardless, you need to try different coffees as much as you can because your sensory experiences are very subjective and you will need to align it with the industry and coffee experts. Try all the descriptors from the coffee flavor wheel and memorize how the taste and aromas signal your brain, perhaps a memory from the past.
A lot of people I know have started podcasts, but they stopped working on it after a few episodes. You have a different approach, and I have listened to some of your episodes and love the insights I get from them. Can you take us through your thought process on why you started a podcast?
I am the host of the podcast called Coffee Business in the Middle East where we discuss everything related to the coffee business in the Middle East region with coffee professionals, industry leaders, and business owners of roasteries, green trading companies, cafes, and coffee professionals.
The idea was simple; When I moved to Dubai, I didn't know anyone. I knew many people on social media and from coffee events, but I have rarely had proper conversations. I have been interviewed many times before in Russia; I have decided to be a host now and I think this could be an ideal opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and drive my career forward.
What steps does one need to take to start their own podcast show? What are your recommendations on the tech, script, guests, etc.?
To be organized as a host.
You’ll need to figure out what kind of equipment is required and if you need to use soft lights, cameras, and tripods.
You have to be aware of those who are always supporting the industry by staying away from the spot light.
Great questions make great interviews. Before getting to the questions, I first take the time to learn about the guest, finding out their story, previous job experiences and key points which I have to discuss with a guest. Even though I have a list of questions, it always depends on the flow of a conversation either to add, change or remove some of the questions.
The world of coffee is a rabbit hole in itself. I love the fact that you decided to niche down specifically about the coffee business in the Middle East. Surely, as a consultant, you see a lot of gaps that need to be tackled and improvements that can be implemented. For example, the very fact that micro and home roasters are popping up everywhere now. During your talk with Drew Dennehy, is a perspective that's normally not accessible to consumers like me. What do you aim to achieve ultimately with your podcast?
Thank you! I want to show the industry via my podcast what the problems are, what we are fighting for and how we can resolve them. Additionally, my podcast is an educational tool for coffee lovers, amateurs and experts to see how diverse our industry is, how they can develop themselves and how can one climb the career ladder.
What is the future of specialty coffee?
The future is in transparency and new innovation of processing. We are already experiencing how technology is changing the market; that being said, automation will be a big move ahead.
Don’t forget to like, share and comment to take part in the coffee giveaway below:
