moving on
I am no longer an employee of Intelligentsia.
After some discussions last week with the newly installed L.A. wholesale and roasting manager, we could not arrive at a mutually satisfying job description and I was let go. I’m not thrilled to be exiting just as we hit the final stretch, but I respect the new chief’s need to take ownership of the operation and lay out his own expectations. My projects on the retail side are left in the skilled hands of Kyle and the amazing staff we’ve assembled.
The politics of any company Intelligentsia’s size can be challenging to navigate, and its certainly taken us down some unexpectedly bumpy roads and hairpin turns over the last year. I’m grateful to the many brilliant and passionate Intelli folks who have shepherded me through this often difficult process as friends, allies, and mentors. I know for a fact that Intelligentsia will continue to marvel the coffee world with its advances in coffee quality and its commitments to sustainability from farm to cup. Everything that has come before is just the tip of the iceberg.
Tags:
June 15th, 2007 at 9:46 am
It’s time to open your own place.
June 15th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Does this mean we have any hope of your imminent return to the Pacific Northwest?
June 15th, 2007 at 10:53 am
(Though of course I’m sorry about this turn of events, I’m looking for the silver lining…)
June 15th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Wow.. This year has seen a lot of good people ejecting (or being ejected) out of coffee due to management issues.
Here’s to landing on your feet!
-a
June 15th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I’m just not sure what to say…
June 15th, 2007 at 11:59 am
If you need anything, you have kids in the south that would do whatever we can to help. P.S. Chris I and finally got a place and move in next weekend, so there’s a vacation waiting for you.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
M’Lissa said it better than I could have anyway.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Yeah I second the vote for coming back home to the NW. Good luck Tony!
June 15th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
I was just in shock when I heard this news Tony. You are very kind in your words describing it.
I know you’re going to land on your feet, and in a better situation than you could even imagine; till then, I hope you take some moments to whip out that SD800 IS, snap a few photos, smell the coffee, and enjoy life.
Vancouver’s always waiting for another visit. And just as m’lissa offered, we too have a guest room up here if you want to just hang out in the city for a while.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I wish you the very best.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
My mind is blown.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
the southeast is calling. take a non-mecca-proximal challenge.
regardless, all the best.
June 15th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Tony,
Wow, this is huge! I wish you all the best for whatever you decide to do…
June 15th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Tony, tony tony tonytonytony….
….newyorknewyorknewyork new york new york, New York!!!!
And all my love always, brother.
June 15th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Hey Tony, Sorry to hear about your departure from Intelly, however I bet that you will excel on whatever journey your off to next.
Terry Z
June 16th, 2007 at 3:29 am
Wow Tony… Surprising news. Good luck to you and also good luck to the Intelligentsia LA crew.
Best wishes - Klaus
June 16th, 2007 at 7:38 am
What a shame.
Those Nicaraguan tiles are still on my mind.
Like I said to a friend of mine recently: not all company cultures will fit all people. Intelligentsia was not the right fit for you. In time, you’ll find a company whose culture agrees with your own philosophies and that will be “home.”
June 17th, 2007 at 6:18 am
That is sad to hear but also exciting! What next? I’m sure it will be something even better and more to your liking.
June 17th, 2007 at 9:50 am
You will always have friends and in Athina Tony. All the best from us at Evergreen.
June 17th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Hey Tony,
I was at LACMA today and stumbled into an excellent small show of Harry Callahan color prints. The show descriptor included the text of an early grant proposal to MOMA, amazingly simple: “..to photograph as I felt and desired; to regulate a pleasant format of living; to get up in the morning- free to feel the trees, the grass, the water, the sky or buildings, people - everything that affects us; and to photograph that which I saw and always felt.” So what if he didn’t get the grant, but his pictures show that he took life as he described it. It’s how it should be for all of us.
Be well -
James
June 18th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Can I just say that sucks…do you know what prospective plans you’ve got at this point?
Wishing the best on this end…
June 19th, 2007 at 1:33 am
Hi Tony:
Everything happens for a reason, but it’s impossible to have a true perspective on these things until many years have passed. No doubt you’ll look back on this someday and appreciate how it all worked out….
June 19th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Much Love on your transformations Tony.
I feel something brewing.
Peace.
June 19th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
One door closes…. another opens. Good Luck
June 19th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Kaminsky just told me. I have to say it’s suprising but you will definitely land somewhere solid. Maybe a vacation isn’t a bad thing. Good luck going forward.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
shit happens, tony. same things to me too. it’s always sad to be in the place we love but can’t do what we love to do. it’s better to move out. come around this side of the globe and may be you’ll like it.
June 20th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Sorry Tonx, but I have to give you a little constructive criticism.
This is the sort of shit that happens to guys like you… who have your sort of history.
You’re paying the price for all those years of rolling around on those silly Heely-shoes. If God meant for us to roll around, He would have created us with wheels in our heels. But did HE? NO. What you’ve been doing is an abomination and an affront to the Almighty God.
I was pretty sure that during SCAA week, you were walking as God intended us to… but the sins of your past catch up with you.
Karma’s a muthafcker.
(j/k bro)
June 21st, 2007 at 11:44 am
A little late in this lovefest as I’ve been out of town, but better late than never… I often find myself thinking of something my pal Gabe Boscana said once over beers: “Isn’t it awesome to think that we’re all still going to be friends in 30 years?” he said excitedly. “No matter where we are then, what company we’re with or what companies we’re running, we’re all still going to be crazy about this coffee thing together?” I love that. It’s totally true. Looking forward to chillin with you in 30 years (and many times before that), Tony.
June 25th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Tony:
Sorry to hear about your events.
“You can lead intelli to water but you cant allways get them to drink”
ha! ha! anyways I have a neet little project im presently working on that you might be interested in!
June 28th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
hmm. feels like i know you after reading all of these comments….. creepy.
June 29th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Tony:
I heard the news last weekend.
I wish you the best of luck.
I know how hard stuff like this can be.
July 5th, 2007 at 8:31 am
hey tony.
sorry to hear your news (i’ve been on a proverbial desert island). all the best to you in your next coffee adventure. here’s to butting heads and hashing it all out in our future pursuits of the perfect cup…wherever you land.
July 8th, 2007 at 12:02 am
take care, hombre. keep the faith.
July 22nd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Who’s your publisher? :-)
Ritual loves Tonx.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:34 am
Late to the news, but not short on keeping you in my thoughts, old friend. As a failure in everything but life, I gotta say that I admire and respect you for always keeping your integrity even when it winds up biting you on the ass.
Here’s looking at you, kid,
Alex
August 8th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Wow, I’m VERY late to the game, but surprised to hear this. I’ll also throw in another vote for a triumphant NW return. Plans?