As the title suggest I am looking into venturing into a coffee career as a change from the corporate world (want to leave it for good as you get to a stage where you are over it). My corporate gigs have been client focused project management with large emphasis on stakeholder management in business improvement. Age, I'm 36

Yes, I will need to start at the bottom and learn from the maestro's at the end of the portafilter as well as all aspects of the business. I am passionate about coffee and have been since I was making turkish coffees for family/friends since I was a teenager. Not long after that my espresso obsession began.

Happy to do shift/casual work during the week as it will allow me to spend time with the little one that we are expecting next month.

My 'home' experience has been mainly with e61's machines, Mazzer and Macap (doser and doserless, stepped and stepless) grinders. I have used a two-group volumetric commercial unit a couple months back and was able to pull fairly consistent shots and steam milk quite well. Latte art, thats a hit and miss, more of a miss but Im sure with plenty of practice I'm sure I can execute lovely rosetta's. I am well informed re: grinder adjustment for bean type etc to dial in my shots. Im methodical at home in that I weigh inputs/outputs to get my shots right but do understand than in a high volume commercial setting this probably wouldn't be done so much, maybe just weigh output, or dose into PF once grinder is dialled in for dosage, or simple dose, scrape top flat and tamp - regardless of which, consistency is required.

I have both statements of attainment in prep/serve espresso and food hygiene.

 I'm very personable and customer/client focused with great comms skills that have been developed in a customer service role back in the day working at Coles, and throughout my teaching career as a lecturer and over the last few years working on client requirements on some major projects.

If possible, please point me in a direction where I could seek - Ive tried the usual seek and gumtree ads but have lucked out.
Feel free to PM me and happy to talk to any business owners about potential opportunities.

Good luck mate!  Chronicle your journey... You're not the first coffee lover to turn Pro!

thanks mate, ill update as things go.

Best of luck GeekKopi .

Thanks guys. Hopefully I click with the owner and we can value add to each other.

Excellent GeekKopi, I'll keep everything crossed for you  .

Good on you mate!

well nothing eventuated from our conversations. It mainly came down to the business owners budget and for work required they were way off the market rate although I reduced my rate.

Nonetheless I now have a meeting lined up with one of the owners of The Groove Train empire to flesh out if we can work together.

Reading only what you have written on face value here.

I think you are on the right track.

The wrong track, for someone with your experience and background, is to go into being an espresso machine operator (some call that a "barista") and nothing more. Sure, that would suffice in the short term for someone wanting a total break, but it is not a career path (professional barista....) and is not really suited to "older" (you did say 36 ) people. People that have reached that age being espresso machine operators, have usually srarted to understand there is no career path except if they are going to open something of their own. They want more.....However, being a good barista does not make a good business owner or manager in cafe industry or otherwise.... And unfortunately (for them), I have seen enough "aged" baristas that wanted something more, leave their barista jobs only to drift back a few months later.

If you want more than that in life, dont go there in the first place (at your age and level of experience).

Back to the beginning, I think you are on the right track (but you will kind of still be in the "corporate" world).

Oh yeah one more thing, there is a hurdle.....in my experience cafe owners do not spend money on this kind of thing easily. They are happy for others to do the excercise for them, at the others expense. Ask any professional roaster...these days, pro roasting means offering your services (for free) to your cafe clients to grow their businesses, so you can grow yours (or just to keep their custom) ...artwork,. marketing, advertising, etc etc etc. all for free. Its a very costly association getting kilos out of cafe owners, when the market is so fragmented with an ever growing legion of "commercial" coffee roaster/suppliers to "the trade", and the aggressive competition this breeds. When people want to know why (they think) a kilo of coffee costs so much, its because that kilo props up an entire service network that services cafe clients.

By the way, this is one of the most interesting topics for a while.

Thanks for the comments FC. Great input.

Im on my mobile so my response won't be that detailed but I'll give you an idea of my goals/aspirations.

My mid/long term plan (24-36 months) is to buy a business or establish one myself.

Immediate term is I need exposure and work-ex not only behind the machine but in all aspects of the business.

I need to take stepping stones along the way as I don't want to rush into things such as laying out liquid to buy a biz or to fit out a new one without experiencing first hand the ins and outs of such businesses.

In terms of businesses Ive been keen on a coffee and desert bar for some time now in a cbd leaning towards a stand up Italian model.

Lofty goals my friend!  Capital intensive risk prone lofty goals.  He who dares wins..... we hope!

I was offered some time ago the opportunity to invest in a coffee related business because of my love of all things coffee.  Problem was, the hobby Brett would have been well and truly sated but the need to feed my children Brett would have lost his shirt (as it turns out).  Now luckily, I have the sharemarket that I send the bulk of my shirts too but atleast when a business goes belly-up (usually when I take a interest in it) I'm diversified enough to still feed my children.... albeit less.  You're gonna need a passive income stream and risk tolerance.  I know this stuff (finances) is your bread and butter but make sure you do your due diligence, then pay an impartial third party to check it! 

Saved me some shirts.... that my wife tells me don't fit me anymore....

you bet Brett,

due diligence without doubt and it all comes down to the location - if one does not present itself then I do not go ahead.

In the mean time I've got my hands full with baby and am enjoying every moment home with her.