Meet Emily Adkison

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Adkison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
This is something that I am still navigating. With all of my roles/responsibilities, I am learning how to effectively lead, delegate, and ensure that fail-safe systems are in place for the team. I can say that there are 2 things that have helped me keep my priorities in place: family and Sabbath. My most important roles in life are being a wife and a mother to my 2 kids. The ability to come home at a good time to be with my family drives me to complete my goals for the day. Also, Sabbath rest! It says in Exodus 20:8 to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Not only is this a commandment by God, but it is also a gift. Taking one day out of the week to truly rest with no work has blessed our family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been in the coffee industry for about 10 years now. I started off at Starbucks, then moved to specialty coffee at Buon Giorno Coffee in Fort Worth, TX in 2016. There I learned to how to craft specialty coffee, then moved into coffee roasting. I worked as Head Roaster from 2019 to 2023. My responsibilities included ordering green coffee, creating roast profiles for each coffee, quality control, and inventory. During this time my passion and love for coffee roasting grew, and I knew that this was the right industry for me. One of my fondest memories of being Head Roaster was the first coffee I ever sourced and profiled by myself. It was a washed process from Mexico, and the notes were straight up fudge. It was the smoothest, chocolate-iest coffee I had ever had; I still think about it to this day. I was so proud of this coffee, and it ended up becoming a top-seller until it was sold out. I kept looking for insanely good coffees like this that our customers would love.
The great thing about coffee is that it is a well-balanced union of science and art: you can create incredible things with coffee, and yet there is still so much to learn about it, even after being in the industry for years. I also started a coffee blog back in 2020 where I visited shops and did coffee bag reviews! After I had my kids I wasn’t able to keep up with it but I’ve got a few ideas in the works for it, so stay tuned!
I started working at Sons Coffee in June 2023 as Head Roaster and barista. About a year later, I was approached about becoming manager of Sons, and I happily accepted the position. I oversee the day-to-day operations at the shop, and I also oversee wholesale accounts, quality control, coffee roasting/cupping, ordering green coffee, and curating coffee profiles for roasting, I have learned how to uphold standards, create systems, and make tough decisions. I’ve been able to push past my comfort zone to learn how to deal with conflict and difficult situations that have made me stronger. Both of my main roles have helped me look at a cafe from all sides: not just the coffee, but all the operations that go into running a cafe. As a manager, I am excited to see where Sons is a year from now and how much growth we will achieve. As a coffee roaster, I am excited to continue to bring in amazing, quality coffees and build close relationships with green coffee importers and farmers. I recently went on a trip to El Salvador with one of the importers we work with. Getting to meet with producers there was incredibly rewarding and fun. We got to see what coffee harvesting looks like and all the work that goes into it, such as planting each varietal (Bourbon, Gesha, Pacamara, etc.) and seeing the different processing methods that take place (Washed, Natural, Honey, Anaerobic).
I am also working on my Q Grade Certification, and I am hoping to achieve this in September!
What I would want people to know about Sons is our heart and dedication for quality. Our slogan is “Carry the Name / Push It Forward”. Throughout history, sons carry the family name. We want those working at Sons to carry our standards and improve it. We’re always looking to create and innovate. At Sons Coffee, we are all about good people, serving good coffee and providing an incredible experience for our community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man there are so many great places in Fort Worth!
Casual Food: Salsa Limon, Pie Tap Pizza on Magnolia, Eggtastic Brunch Cafe, Hanabi Ramen (Camp Bowie), Wabi House, Gus’ Fried Chicken, Heim BBQ, Kura Kura Revolving Sushi Bar in Carrollton
Nice Food: Piattello Italian Kitchen (probably my favorite restaurant), Texas de Brazil
Dessert: Morgan’s Ice Cream, Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, Melt Ice Cream
Coffee: Crude Coffee Bar, Fort Worth Coffee Co., Buon Giorno Coffee, Merit Coffee, Davis Street Espresso

Places:
Texas Rangers game at Globe Life Park (we are a huge baseball family)
Fort Worth Water Gardens
Spa Day at Milk+Honey at Clearfork
Fort Worth Zoo
If you’re new to Fort Worth, you’ve got to go to the Stockyards and see the cattle drive at least once!
Any kind of farmer’s market that has a variety of options/vendors is perfect!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have two people I have to give credit to:

First off, my husband Jordan. I would not be able to do what I do if it weren’t for him. He has supported me, both at home and helping me with work, and has always encouraged me as a leader. I know if I have a bad day or need a different perspective, he is always patient and honest with me. I can’t thank him enough for how he has loved me and lifted me up: not just during my time at Sons but these past 9 years. He is an incredible husband, father, and friend, everything you could ever want in a spouse. I hit the jackpot with him!

Also, I have to give credit to Eder Teixeira, my boss and mentor. I have learned so much about business leadership from him. As the founder of 2 successful companies, there are so many aspects of business and leadership I have learned this past year. He is generous, patient, and has shown grace while teaching me good, hard lessons that have only made me a better person and leader.

Website: https://sonscoffee.com

Instagram: sons_coffee (work) / emily_adkison (personal) / out.of.the.brew (coffee blog)

Image Credits
Shaun Hill Photography
Sarah Dotson