Taking Care of the Pack with Leah Wolff in HR - Ep #445

Cat & Cloud Podcast

Cat & Cloud

Education

4.8 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2026

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com Taking Care of the Pack w/Leah Wolff in HR - Ep #445 Summary: In this episode, the team sits down with Head of HR Leah Wolff to explore what it really looks like to build people, culture, and leadership inside a growing coffee company. Leah shares her journey from starting as a concierge during the pandemic to stepping into an executive leadership role, offering a candid look at how growth happens through ownership, feedback, and continuous learning. The conversation digs into the difference between traditional HR and a more human, culture-driven approach—covering hiring, training, communication, and the realities of managing a transient workforce. Along the way, they unpack how strong values, intentional onboarding, and honest conversations can shape not just better employees, but better people. Chapters: 00:00 Meet Leah Wolf and Casey Ryan 04:30 Leah’s Journey from Concierge to Head of HR 10:00 Knowing When You’re Ready to Lead 15:30 Feedback, Directness, and Learning to Communicate 21:00 Orientation, Training, and Setting the Tone 27:00 Hiring for Values and Cultural Fit 33:00 The Challenge of Staffing a Cafe Business 39:00 How Cat & Cloud Built Better HR Systems 45:00 Advice for Small Business Owners Hiring Their Team 51:00 Team Chemistry, Standards, and Accountability 57:00 Why Clear Expectations Matter 1:01:30 Gratitudes and Final Thoughts Cat & Cloud: Instagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ Webstore www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale Links – The Truth! Colombia Truji y Angelita Thermal Shock Natural https://catandcloud.com/products/colombia-truji-y-angelita-thermal-shock-natural Jared Truby Interview https://youtu.be/KaTFcHxjumk?si=wlTAbJ7ZCvZleM7B Jared Truby Zine https://www.flipsnack.com/965BBFD6AED/letter-to-young-coffee-owners-issue-with-jared-truby Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first. Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan April 2026

Transcript

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0:00.0	Catin Cloud Podcasts episode 4.40.5. This one's a little different. This one we pull in
0:12.9	Leah Wolf. Leah is our in-house head of HR. She sits down with Jared and Casey to talk about
0:20.4	her journey. We start to talk about her journey.
0:21.3	We start by talking about her journey from a frontline team member to now head of HR in this five-year span.
0:29.2	They talk about the difference between traditional HR and culture-driven leadership.
0:34.6	Talk about why feedback and how you give it shapes team performance, hiring for
0:40.9	culture versus hiring for short term needs, the challenge of training in a high turnover
0:46.1	cafe environment, and how Cat and Cloud has evolved its hiring and onboarding systems over
0:51.6	time. And lastly, why ownership and taking initiative are a key to growth in any role?
1:00.3	Leah's incredible.
1:01.7	She's been with us for five years.
1:03.9	And this is a really good one for understanding that career arc.
1:07.6	If you're starting in a frontline line position and have aspirations or interests
1:11.0	in this world of HR or building and creating culture wealth of knowledge here so enjoy
1:16.7	episode 445 brah it kind of is yeah hey hey us straight. I don't want it to be that way.
1:28.2	Broy.
1:28.9	Hello and welcome.
1:30.9	It is Monday.
1:32.6	I am Jared Truby here with the Cat in Cloud podcast, sitting not solo but Sands Christopher
1:38.8	George Baca with my two friends, one you've heard before, Casey Ryan, two first names, one amazing man,
1:46.5	and a new friend here.
1:49.2	Good morning.
	...

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