I am sitting under a cloudless sky, filled with stars, somewhere south of Cuba. It smells like the tropics. I can taste the tropics. (Rum anyone?) I can hear the gentle waves of the Caribbean and the whoosh of the palm trees. Earlier today, I dove into the bluest, clearest, warmest ocean I have ever felt or seen (and I’ve seen a lot).

I am on a hard-earned vacation in the Cayman Islands. There are a lot of battles to be fought the remainder of this year, so why not take some time to recharge? After all, it is my first-grade daughter’s Spring Break. Believe me when I say I can use the rest. I am also, as you can imagine, restless. See you in a week. I’ll be rested. Look out.

Mike Phillips, the recently crowned 2009 United States Barista Champion, is the first to show up and the last to leave. His work ethic is admirable. Mike wasn’t supposed to win. He embodies what it is to be an American in the best possible way. He does not feel entitled to anything, nor does he take anything for granted. After full days on the bar at our original location, he spent many hours, often late into the evening, working on his coffee and his program. The installation of the Clover and our changeover to by-the-cup-only brewing at our Broadway location was very hard to execute in a store with 13 1/2 years of history. Mike, along with our Manager Talya Strader, led the charge with such vigor and commitment that it surprised even someone as critical as myself. I also think it may have knocked the stuffing out of even someone as seasoned and tough as Mike. I am convinced that this changeover may have worn Mike down a bit, and as a result, he finished fifth at the Great Lakes Regional. But he never complained about it. It was clear that he was very deflated by the result, but as difficult as it was, my wife Emily put it best–disappointment is something that is part of being a responsible adult. How one deals with disappointment defines one’s character.

We all agreed that competitors had to finish in the top three of a regional in order to receive Intelligentsia’s full support to travel to the United States Barista Championship in Portland. This was a difficult stance to adhere to when Mike finished fifth, but in fairness to all of those who competed, we agreed to stick to it. Mike also agreed it was fair. But then he asked me something that demonstrated what kind of person he really is and what he is committed to. He asked if he could pay his own way to compete at the United States Barista Championship. I thought about it and agreed that it was an entirely reasonable request. And when he won the championship, he was more surprised than anyone, but I wasn’t. Effort and perseverance always wins. Not right away, not today, and not tomorrow, but eventually it always does. This is exactly why coffee needs more people like Mike. I am inspired and honored to work alongside him.

I remember first seeing Mike on a coffee enthusiast website. Later, he took a job in production at Intelligentsia, putting coffee in bags, eventually making his way to a role as a Retail Director of Coffee. He started his career in coffee only three years ago and now he is the United States Champion. Now that is a story. I can’t wait to witness the next chapter.