#letspareup

Background

Brazilia sets itself apart from the other hundred coffee shops in Noho by being a seed to cup establishment, meaning every cup of coffee served is a product of the beans harvested at Brazilia’s plantation in Sul de Minas, Brazil. The shop claims to offer “the highest quality coffee experience in New York City”, and does not disappoint.

Coffee aficionados will swoon over the Lab Concierge Service, in which you can choose three different roasts brewed one method, or one roast brewed by different methods: Aeropress, Chemex, French Press or Hario Pourover. If you aren’t in a coffee mood grab a freshly made juice, shake, or their award-winning hot chocolate.

What do they offer on PareUp?

Brazilia has listed a variety of fresh pastries such as classic & flavored croissants, assorted muffins, and Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread roll).

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Background

The Squeeze features a bold line of raw cold pressed juices with cheeky names like “The Jeans I Wore In High School” that are guaranteed to make you feel great inside and out.

All juices are 100% raw, USDA certified organic, gluten-free, vegan, and certified kosher. Feel free to mix it up with one of their raw milks, shakes, and boosters; or sample some delicious vegan fare from their extensive menu. With four shops throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and an impressive delivery service, there is no excuse not to pick up one of their delicious elixirs.

What have they offered on PareUp?

The Squeeze has featured a variety of juices, salads, and meals – most up to 50% off.

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Ingredients

⅓ of a large, leftover eggplant

2 overripe roma tomatoes, cut in half

½ cup of grated, parmesan cheese

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic glaze, to drizzle (we got ours from the store, but here’s a homemade recipe)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Dress a baking sheet with olive oil.

Slice the remaining eggplant into slivers or rounds. Generously salt both sides of the eggplant and place them in a colander for 30 minutes.  

Don’t forget this step! This process, known as “sweating the eggplant”, removes bitter juices and collapses the air pockets in the eggplant’s sponge-like flesh, thereby preventing them from absorbing too much oil.

Rinse the eggplant with plenty of water and firmly squeeze a few pieces of eggplant in your palm to draw out excess water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Slice the tomatoes into halves. Place the eggplant and tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and golden brown and the tomatoes are tender.

Remove the baking sheet and sprinkle parmesan cheese on each piece of eggplant. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

Wear Suits & Carry A Big/Thick/Black Binder

Stores deals with salespeople frequently. More often than not, those salespeople do a shoddy job, which results in your target having a generally poor opinion of sales. Therefore, once ​s​he recognizes you as another peddler​, ​she'll prejudge you negatively. While you can work back into her good graces, it's much easier to be subtle from the very beginning.  As Peter Thiel explains, he will not invest in a business with anyone who dresses in a suit.  Sorry, Willy Loman. A suit and briefcase can be perceived as compensation for a weak product, regardless of the tie you pick.  Funky socks are an exception.

Stop Trying After the First Visit

When I receive a “Yes. Let’s do it.” on my first visit, I usually have to conceal my surprise and elation. Dan, cool down. Act like you’ve been here before. Creating results from the first interaction is wonderful but rare. The majority of agreements come after multiple touch points and after familiarity is developed.  There's a fine line between ​persistence and nuisance - tread it boldly.

Forget the Value of Empathy

I get excited about the spiel I give. What store owner wouldn't want to use a sustainable method to improve their bottom line while building brand loyalty? Oh, actually a lot.  These nos occur for a range of reasons (misunderstanding, fear of change, ignorance of potential value) and it is your job to determine which one it is. Asking ‘Why’ is valuable. Being a step ahead by squeezing your toes into the shoes of the challenging owner is even better.  Address concerns before they’re answered. As Honest Abe said, "When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two-thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one-third thinking about what I want to say." Empathy is key -  don't forget it.

Leave Once You've Piqued Their Interest

You've given your pitch and they like it. Now you can set broad plans for a follow-up and rest easy knowing you did your job. Wrong. You've done nothing. Once you've established that rapport, finish the job by closing. My go to is, "Is this something you'd be interested in?" Yes. "Great. Why don't we sign you up now to get rolling?" Even if there's push back due to current time constraints, you have just created a future meeting with the clear intention of closing the deal.

Take it Personally

If you allow it to get under your skin and believe that it is you and not the product that they’re saying no to, then your psyche will crumble. You'll begin to fear nos.  Once you fear nos you'll fear rejection and will avoid approaching stores. It all goes downhill from there.  Look at nos as a new opportunity to grow. Each pitch is a chance to learn something new and refine your technique. Alter your wording, your gestures, your eye contact and body language;​ all are small variables that can tip the scale. You are awesome​, hardworking​, and wonderful. Know that and no nos will ever rock your foundation.

Memorize and Recite

No one wants to be on the receiving end of a one-way conversation.  Memorizing a script then spitting it back is robotic and boring. Create a conversation - listen to your target’s responses and build rapport. It's an element that will guarantee a positive response. Even if the answer is no, when you show up again they won't be bothered because they'll like you. Your product may have awesome differentiating features.  None of these matter if your target can't relate to you in a positive way. Know the script but sell your personality.  As a buyer, I'd rather hear 'I don't know' from someone I like than a crafted retort from a boring drone.

Forget Your Limitations

Ingredients

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch of kale, rinsed and dried

2 to 3 tablespoon of olive oil

½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes

½  teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale.  Once dried, tear into bite size pieces and remove their inner stems. Place stems aside.*

Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle it with two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the kale so each piece is evenly coated. The chips only need to be lightly coated so it’s a good idea to gradually add in the oil. Otherwise your chips may come out greasy and not as crunchy as you would like!

Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.

Place the kale on two lined baking sheets.  Consider using parchment paper to allow for easier clean up. Kale pieces should be in a single layer to avoid accidentally steaming the kale.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Around the 7-minute mark, rotate the pieces so they cook evenly.

* Reuse kale stems in tomorrow’s lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for creative ideas, Food 52 has a great article on this. Enjoy!

Background

Agavi Juice is a relatively new entrant into the New York juice scene, opening up shop in the East Village just a few months back.  They specialize in all-natural, organic juices, with a mix of cold-pressed, boosters, smoothies, protein shakes, and some delicious acai bowls and desserts.  They’ll make the juice for you on order, and they also have some great readymade, grab-and-go options.

What have they offered on PareUp?

Previously, Agavi has offered a variety of organic items, including:

Cold-pressed booster shot

Cold-pressed juice

Items post on a non-recurring basis, so keep a lookout on the app.  You can also favorite the store to get push notifications for when they post.

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