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Nathanael May

@radthanael

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Okay at coffee, soup, and being a dad.
-1 Kidney, +1 Friend

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What We Wish We Had Known and What We Want YOU To Know

This week, I’m going a slightly different direction with our fundraiser update. One of the things we’ve learned on this journey is just how much we didn’t know about substance use. We didn’t know that there are substances readily available to young people that carry serious risks, and we definitely didn’t understand what those risks are. Through this fundraiser, we’ve been given an opportunity to reach people beyond our immediate circles. We’d like to use that to share some things we’ve learned, with the hope that it might help another family recognize a potential danger they might not know to look for.

What Is Kratom?
Kratom (pronounced KRAY-tum) comes from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves contain naturally occurring chemical compounds called alkaloids, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which interact with the same opioid receptors in the brain affected by drugs such as morphine, oxycodone, and heroin. Traditionally, kratom has been consumed as leaves or tea. Of particular and growing concern are manufactured, or chemically enhanced 7-OH products, which can contain far greater amounts of this potent opioid-like compound than occur naturally in the plant. Although kratom has been used traditionally in Southeast Asia for generations, it has also been banned or heavily restricted in several countries where it grows naturally. Meanwhile, the growing commercial market in the United States has introduced a wide variety of products, including highly concentrated extracts and manufactured 7-OH.

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Yesterday, our fundraiser crossed the $40,000 mark! 183 people have now given over $40,000 toward our son’s continued recovery care.

We’ve expressed our gratitude many times over these past few weeks, but we find ourselves compelled to say it again (and again!) We are (still!) overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity, and love that has been shown to our family. It has meant more to us than we can adequately put into words.

Last week, I was talking with a woman I’ve come to respect and admire who has extensive knowledge and experience in the recovery field. I told her about the fundraiser and how much had been raised at that point. She was shocked. Her response was something like, “That just doesn’t happen with GoFundMes!” I’ve thought about that conversation several times since. We knew when we launched this fundraiser that we were asking for something significant.

What we couldn’t have anticipated was the extraordinary response. Each person and donation has helped to create this beautiful tapestry of love and support that has strengthened and encouraged us. Now we’d like to share a little more about what you’re making possible.

One of the things we’ve learned is just how difficult it can be to find truly comprehensive recovery care for adolescents. There are many dedicated, knowledgeable people doing important work in addiction treatment, but finding a place that understands and supports the unique needs of teenagers is another matter entirely.

I recently read an article about why quality adolescent recovery care is so rare. One of the insights was that adolescents don’t simply need a modified version of adult recovery care…in many ways, they need more.

They’re still growing up. They’re figuring out who they are, navigating relationships, continuing their education, and learning to manage their emotions, all while trying to build a life in recovery. Providing care that brings all of those things together, and does them well, is extraordinarily complex. We are fortunate to have found a place that approaches these complexities with intention, kindness, and wisdom.

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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve shared a little about addiction, recovery, and the care your generosity is helping provide for our son. But there is something else we’d also like to share - a little more about the person at the center of all this.

If you know our son, you know that his story is so much bigger than addiction. Some of our favorite things about him aren’t things he does, but who he is. He has a tender heart. He notices people who are struggling or have less than he does, and has genuine compassion for them. He’s gentle and patient with young children, he’s a kind and thoughtful brother, and he’s remarkably good at expressing gratitude to the people around him. He’s funny, curious, and deeply loved.

And we also love other things about him! He loves digital music making and has learned how to play several instruments. In elementary school, he dove deep into Rubik’s cubes and can still solve any cube in record time. He loves his dog and 2 cats. He spent a couple years in middle school obsessed with fishing and still seems to know the best lure for any fish. He loves birria tacos and trying new foods and cooking different meats. He’s happy when spending time with family and enjoys playing Minecraft and Fortnite with his brother.

One of the hardest things about addiction is watching it rob someone you love of the things that THEY love. Things that once interested them begin to disappear. Their world gets smaller. Relationships suffer. Addiction slowly (or quickly!) takes up more and more space in their life. Sometimes you find yourself wondering how much of the person you know and love is still in there.

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One Week Later
One week ago, we shared our Recovery Fundraiser publicly, unsure of what to expect. We have been overwhelmed and humbled, and we are so incredibly grateful for the love and generosity that has surrounded us. 136 people have given more than $30,000, which is over half of our entire goal.
That means so much more than a dollar amount. It means that all of you have provided more than six months of continued recovery care for our son.
It is hard to adequately express what that means to us. A heavy weight has lifted from our shoulders. And most importantly, he has more time in the place—and surrounded by the recovery community—that has provided such a strong foundation for the work he is doing to heal and grow.
Early on in this journey, we felt completely alone, unsure how and when to share what felt like failures on our part, in our parenting, in our child. Where could we go in our darkest moment to find compassion and support? We turned inward, to our faith, to prayer. A small group of friends and family sat with us through the hardest moments.
And then this past week, it has felt as though so many of you stood next to us, linked arms with us, and said, “We’re here with you in the work.”
Every person and every dollar has mattered. Every prayer, every time you’ve shared the campaign, every message of encouragement has mattered. None of it is small to us. It represents someone choosing to come alongside our family and help move our son’s story toward healing and redemption.
On Saturday, I visited his recovery community for their monthly Family Day, and we spent part of our time building birdhouses together. Looking at the photos afterward, I saw a picture of recovery in it.
We are building, he is building, and now, so many of you are helping us build. The work is often slow and tedious. Many things have to be repaired, and some have to be rebuilt altogether. We don’t always know what the finished product will look like. We just keep picking up the next piece and doing the work in front of us.

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Life and especially coffee has gifted me some of the most amazing people in my life. One of them is @thenathanaelmay

Four years ago, Nathanael sat at my table as one of my sensory judges at my very first national competition.

He wasn’t even planning on judging anymore, but people were needed, and somehow, life had a plan.
We needed to meet. We needed to be part of each other’s lives.

Since then, life has taken us through countless cups of coffee, competitions, tears, laughs, lessons, and adventures. It has brought more incredible people into our team, and along the way, we’ve become part of each other’s lives and families.

Today, his family is humbly asking for help and support.
There are so many ways you can show up for them. You can donate, share their GoFundMe, send a message, or simply help spread the word. Every little bit of support means something.

Amor fati was the philosophy behind my routine at my last competition, and I can’t think of a more fitting philosophy for this moment: embracing both the good and the difficult, trusting that nothing lasts forever, and believing there is something greater on the other side if we have the courage to keep going.

Link to their go fund me in my bio! 🫶🏼

#coffee #family #friends #amorfati #specialtycoffee

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Our family has learned more about addiction and recovery than we ever imagined we would. We’ve also learned how incredibly important time, community, and continued support are in early recovery.
Our son is in early recovery from substance use disorder. He’s doing the work, and the community surrounding him is helping. We want to give him as much time as possible to keep healing, growing, and building a meaningful life in recovery.
We’ve launched a fundraiser to help cover the cost of his continued care. Sharing our story and being vulnerable aren’t easy, but we believe deeply in what this time is giving him, and we remain hopeful about what lies ahead.
If you’d like to read more of his story, the fundraiser is linked in my bio. Whether you are able to donate, share it with others, or simply pray for our family, we’re so very grateful.
Addiction is hard. Recovery is beautiful. And his story is still being written. ❤️

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"Hospitality is an act of love that starts at the top"

- @thenathanaelmay

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This year’s Level Up theme was Hospitality, and who better to serve as our Keynote Speaker than Nathanael with @baristaseries.

Nathanael did a spectacular job capturing the depth of hospitality while filling the room with laughter, inspiration, and insights like:

💕 Hospitality, like love, can happen even when we don’t feel loving.

💞 Hospitality must be enabled by support from the top through fair wages, respectful consideration, and prioritization of safety.

💖 Hospitality allows others to exist as their complete selves without fear of rejection.

❤️‍🩹 Hospitality isn’t always a fun and bubbly interaction with customers. Sometimes, it’s allowing them to have a safe place to show and feel their grief.

Hospitality is central to the identity of Raise the Bar. We strive to create welcoming spaces, address opportunity gaps, and offer meaningful support. We are so uplifted to see a community filled with folks like Nathanael who champion for Hospitality in each interaction.

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🌟Hospitality is a job skill that can be learned
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☕️ At Level Up, Nathanael May from @baristaseries will explore how hospitality can be taught, practiced, and honed, and why it matters for every coffee professional⁠!
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💡Nathanael is a lifelong coffee educator with experience spanning cafe management, green buying, corporate coffee, Q grading, and competition leadership. He’s bringing all of that experience to a conversation about how hospitality shows up in our work and how we can get better at it.⁠
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Join us by claiming your ticket in bio!

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September is here, and with it comes our NEW alternative milk offering for the fall season! 🍂

Introducing Pistachio @baristaseries creamy, smooth, and perfectly nutty, with flavors that blend beautifully into the season. 💚

Enjoy it in any hot or iced drink at either of our locations!
Come sip into fall with us. ☕️

#kafiex #coffee #specialtycoffeeroaster #coffeetime #coffeelover

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Out of the many gifts this season provided, the one that sticks out to me most is the gift of meaning in community. Community is such a buzz word these days and sometimes loses its significance but what it provided me this season was hope. In my darkest hours, hope used to be an H word for me, but this community and its people is living proof that hope is a reality and not just some optimist propaganda. It’s this hope that sustains me in knowing there’s real people who care and are there to help.

Often times it’s really hard for me to receive support and people’s generosity but at this stage of my life I’m witnessing the true depth of knowing I can’t do this alone and there’s strength in needing others. There’s meaning and value in accepting people’s offer to care. To my favorite coffee producer in the world @benjaminpaz , thank you for all the work you do to inspire producers, coffee companies, and baristas with a story about specialty. Your coffees and their terroir are beautiful not just for the quality but because of all the challenges and sacrifices you’ve embraced so that those around you can be elevated. You are a role model to this industry and all that it means to me. I’m so grateful that others on the competition stage see that the way I do. You’re getting the representation the way I’ve always dreamed and I can’t be more grateful.

To the @saintfrankcoffee family. You’ve truly shown me the light of generosity and graciousness that sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve earned. Thank you. @kgbohlin @crismendoza @jabfic @christianadambrown @matty_de_

This season I was humbled to welcome the help of Percy Ramirez who comes from a generation of professionals that influenced me to want to compete. Percy, thank you for really pushing me to strive for the excellence you saw in me.

And to our US Barista Champion @jakmichaelryan , you are not just accepted for who you are in the @uscoffeechamps community, you are so loved, welcomed, and we look up to you. You are living proof that authenticity is in dire need in this world and that it is so admired. For that we thank you and you have our full support in representing this industry. Thank you for who you are.

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Scenes from Day 1 & Day 2 of USBC 2026! Excited for what today will bring - semifinals is upon us!

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Round 1 of USBC is officially wrapped! Congratulations to all who competed, the talent this year is truly incredible. 🙌🥳 We can’t wait to see what the rest of the weekend holds!

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