We here at Valkre world headquarters are fortunate to have as a neighbor Bowtruss Coffee Roasters. Because for us coffee junkies, Bowtruss is an oasis in the sands of exhaustion (hey, it’s hard work making Render do what it does!). For most people Bowtruss coffee is a source of energy, a shot-in-the-arm on a sleepy Monday morning. For a discerning few, it’s more than just a stimulant – it’s a complex experience. In fact, if you ask Valkre’s Director of Services, Mike Cardinale, he’d probably describe Bowtruss more like the Heisenberg of coffee, and Mike isn’t shy about letting the world know about it. After all, he brought to Australia a pound of Bowtruss’ Ethiopia Sidama for the simple purpose of sharing it with a local coffee shop in Sydney.
Sounds pretty silly to go out of the way to be a middle man brokering the exchange of coffee between two coffee shops on opposite ends of the world. Especially when the true purpose for traveling to Australia was to spread Render and Differential Value Proposition across the continent with a couple of Fortune 500 companies. Well, that little anecdote speaks volumes to the kind of guy Mike is – affable, enthusiastic, passionate (mind you, all probably due to the fact that he’s over-caffeinated). When Mike believes in something, he’ll bend over backwards to make you a big fan, too, and it’s those traits that make him successful with customer value. He took a few minutes to share more insights into whom he is.
Q: What’s an accomplishment that you wouldn’t put on your résumé?
A: I won the Principal’s award in 6th Grade (did I peak too soon?)
Q: What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
A: My favorite destination is anywhere in Italy. My grandparents are all from Italy and I was fortunate to have travelled much of the country with my grandfather. I most enjoyed a visit to a Siena with my wife. It’s a fantastic medieval town where my wife knew every nook and cranny as she studied there while in college. We were fortunate to be there to enjoy the annual Palio horse race where the 17 “communes” of this area of Italy enter a horse into a race that is run in the middle of the town square. Lots of flags and excitement, and crashes, kind of an early predecessor, more romantic version of NASCAR!
Q: What is your drink of choice?
A: A large cappuccino with whole milk, from the Wells Street Bowtruss, made by Jessica.
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