Fuelled by caffeine and a passion for numbers, Yusuf Bodiat, African Risk Capacity Limited's head of finance and investment spills the beans on his daily grind – and discovers that it's not just a cup of coffee, but a mood-boosting, energy-fuelling superpower that's always brewing up success.
Yusuf recently took to social media to extol the virtues of a good cup of coffee. So, CFO South Africa reached out to find out more about the reasons behind his must-have morning ritual.
“Some mornings just wouldn't be the same without my trusted cup of coffee to kickstart the day. Whether it's before a big meeting, a workout session, or simply to keep me going during a busy day, caffeine has become a staple in my routine. I even travel with my favourite sachets to ensure I always have my fix handy, even at airport security,” Yusuf said.
“I discovered that my love for coffee goes beyond just the taste – it's a caffeine craving. The stimulant in coffee not only perks me up but also boosts my mood and energy levels by increasing certain chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and norepinephrine, leading to positive emotions.
Next time you sip on your own cup of coffee, remember it's not just a beverage – it's a mood and energy booster that fuels the day ahead,” he added.
The exclusive coffee Q & A with Yusuf:
If your coffee mug could talk, what would it say about your daily routine?
I am loyal not only to my coffee, but also to my coffee mug. I would rather throw away a bad cup of coffee and make a new one, rather than drinking a mediocre cup.
What's the most creative place you've ever brewed a cup of coffee?
I actually made my own coffee recently at 35,000 feet at around 4am during a long-ish overnight flight. I found that the coffee on the plane was too strong for my taste buds and didn’t really give me what I needed, and I needed to be alert and wide awake, which my cup managed to achieve.
Do you have a special coffee ritual that sets you up for success, or is it just a straightforward brew-and-go?
I am obsessed with Nescafe cappuccino sachets, and only on occasion will I brew coffee beans. The water needs to be boiled to a specific temperature, made in a very precise sized cup or mug, and the texture of the cup/mug makes all the difference to the taste of the coffee. For coffee on the move, I will first make my cup of coffee in my cup/mug before pouring it into a travel mug.
How many cups of coffee do you think you've consumed in your lifetime?
How long is a piece of string? After a very quick back of the envelope exercise, I realised that my coffee ritual began at the same time I began working, with between 4-6 cups a day. My crude calculation says I have consumed between 40,000 to 45,000 cups of coffee in my lifetime, which is around 8,500 litres (these numbers are very rough and subject to correction!), so not able to fill a small pool, yet!
If you could have a coffee date with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Some people who know me might already know this, but I would really like to have a conversation (over a few coffees) with [Discovery CEO] Adrian Gore. The business model behind the brand that he has been building over the last 30 years has always intrigued me, and I would like to pick his brain to understand the mindset and foresight he had at the time.
