When Winning Isn’t Everything, Honest Reflections from a Barista

Some stories about champions begin with ambition, strategy, or a dramatic rise. Oleh Horb’s doesn’t. His starts with a simple moka pot bought on a gift card and an unexpected move from Ukraine to Bratislava after the war disrupted the shape of his life. What makes Oleh’s journey compelling isn’t the beginning, but the honesty he carries into everything he does. How he brews, how he competes, and how he talks about coffee without pretending that life is perfect.

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When he looks back at his path today, the narrative is less about victory and more about transformation. Winning didn’t open all the doors he once imagined; instead, it revealed something far more grounded: that people rarely remember titles, but they do remember a good cup, a funny piece of latte art, or a helpful brewing tip. For Oleh, competitions stopped being about recognition and became a catalyst. An intense period of learning, connecting with others, and understanding what truly matters.

What stands out most in Oleh’s story is his belief that success lives in small things. By speaking openly about burnout, the weight of expectations, and finding purpose again, he offers a quieter and more honest picture of what happens after the spotlight fades. His journey shows that growth happens in this conversations, in kindness behind the bar, and in choosing to contribute rather than simply compete. And maybe that’s the real point: in coffee, as in life, the real win is what you give back.

Can you tell us a bit about your background. How did your coffee journey start, and what brought you to Bratislava?

Oh, my coffee journey started in a really ordinary - maybe even boring - way. A long time ago, or maybe not that long ago, I used to drink a lot of instant coffee and thought I was a real coffee lover…Then sometime around the end of 2020, I got a gift card from work, and somehow I ended up buying myself a moka pot. Very soon after that I got a French press, a terrible cheap grinder, and a couple of bags of specialty coffee. I remember it was some washed Honduras and a Brazil Mogiana.

I ended up in Bratislava because Russia started the full-scale war in Ukraine. At that time, I was volunteering for an Erasmus+ program in Bulgaria, and I had to move to Slovakia. But my story is nothing compared to what people went through - losing homes, loved ones, even their lives. It’s a painful topic, but I still try to talk about it within the coffee community I’m part of.

What was the coffee scene like when you first started compared to now?

That’s a tricky one. The coffee scene evolves incredibly fast, so it’s hard to track, but from my perspective, there used to be a bit more coffee snobbery back then. Now it feels like there’s much less of that - which I think is totally normal and even necessary. It kind of reminds me of the Dunning–Kruger effect: when you just start learning something, and after getting the basics, you feel like you already know everything. But the deeper you go, the more you realize how little you actually know. And once that realization comes, you stop being a snob and start genuinely growing - and you begin to understand the real importance of community and its development.

Who or what has influenced your approach to coffee the most?

I can’t really name one specific person who influenced me most - I’ve learned from so many different coffee people. In the beginning, I followed literally everyone connected to coffee on Instagram. One way or another, I saw a lot, tried a lot, and experimented. Some things I liked, some I didn’t - and that’s totally fine. For me, coffee is all about experimenting, almost like science. You can build theories and test them empirically - that’s how you develop your own unique way of making coffee.

You’ve written quite openly about your experience as a champion. What made you decide to share that side publicly?

I guess I just try to be honest with the people close to me - and that includes my audience too. I don’t like the approach where you show a perfect life on Instagram or in real life when things aren’t actually that perfect. So I try to share everything, so people can understand that we all live in an imperfect world. Everyone has moments of joy and moments of pain, success and failure - and that’s exactly what makes life, and the coffee scene, so interesting.

Looking back, what’s the biggest lesson you learned after winning?

The main thing about competitions is to enjoy the process - to have fun, meet people, share experiences, help others, or ask for help yourself. In the end, your victory doesn’t matter that much - what’s much more valuable is the community that surrounds you and that you help to grow.

How did your mindset change between “wanting to win” and “wanting to contribute”?

I used to have this idealized image of what “winning” means. I thought that once you win, everything becomes easier - like getting a great job, hosting pop-ups or events, or that people would immediately reach out with tons of offers…But it didn’t really happen that way. That made me reflect a lot, and I came to a simple but not-so-pleasant conclusion: if you don’t do anything, no one will do anything for you.

Now I can almost confidently say that people probably don’t remember me because I once won something - they remember me because I made them a tasty cup of coffee, drew a nice or funny latte art, or shared a useful tip.

Do you think competitions still play an important role in developing baristas today?

Definitely yes! Competitions really boost - and sometimes completely reshape - your understanding of coffee and how you approach it. Of course, you can grow without competing, but competitions work as a kind of catalyst. When you prepare, you absorb a huge concentration of knowledge that would otherwise take much longer to gather. It’s also great for networking - you meet new people, observe others, share your experiences, and learn from theirs.

You’ve said that the fun part isn’t the victory itself, but what you can bring to the community. What are some concrete ways you think baristas can give back to the coffee community?

Baristas should share their experience with others and try to bring what they use in competitions into their daily work behind the bar - as much as possible.

Competitions, in one way or another, help popularize specialty coffee and make it more approachable for everyday café guests. Without them, we probably wouldn’t know about many new brewing or processing techniques. Championships set trends.

How can small local cafes or home baristas contribute to a country’s coffee culture in meaningful ways?

We have to talk about coffee - share knowledge and experiences. It’s easy to tell a customer that they’re drinking coffee “the wrong way,” but that doesn’t help the community; it just pushes people away. Communication is key. You have to explain and show why something is good or not, why we do things the way we do, and how each decision affects the final taste.

In your view, what does a “healthy” coffee community look like?

In my opinion, a healthy community should be open to new things. There’s no place for snobbery here. There should be dialogue at every level - from the farmer to the trader, from the trader to the roaster, from the roaster to the barista, and finally to the cafe guest.

You’ve competed, traveled, and met people across different countries. What differences or similarities do you notice in coffee culture around the world?

Most coffee people are open-minded - but of course, there are exceptions, and I don’t think that depends on the country. It’s more about the individual.

But if we talk about differences, the biggest one is probably in flavor experiences and preferences. Everyone’s coffee background is different, and even political or economic situations affect the coffee community - purchasing power, access to certain coffees, the number of cafés or events, and so on. 

What do you think makes a truly great barista, skill, attitude, or something else entirely?

That’s a tough one, too. I think we’re still partially stuck in the old perception of the profession - when anyone who could pull an espresso shot was called a barista, and the job was seen as temporary, something to do while studying. But coffee has evolved, and so has the understanding of the product - even compared to ten years ago.
Now it’s not enough to just pull a decent shot of espresso. Baristas who are truly passionate about coffee invest a lot of time, energy, and money into learning and improving - yet it’s still often underappreciated, both by guests and employers.

I think being a great barista is a mix of everything: soft skills, understanding coffee processes, attitude toward the product and people, curiosity, and a desire to grow - both personally and as part of the community.

How do you personally stay inspired or avoid burnout in the coffee world?

Honestly, I’ve already burned out. Not that long ago I was diagnosed with a depressive episode.
What keeps me going is realizing that what I do still matters to someone, that it’s appreciated. When someone smiles because of a latte art, or tells me the coffee was delicious, or asks me for brewing advice - those small moments are the most motivating. Because my competition wins matter only to me, while my guests simply want a tasty cup of coffee.

What’s next for you  do you plan to compete again, or focus more on community projects?

I’ll definitely keep competing in every battle or championship I can reach. I still love that energy - the preparation, the competition, the atmosphere. For me, it feels like a celebration of coffee.
At the same time, I want to do more to help develop specialty coffee culture in the country that’s now my home.

If you could give one message to new baristas entering their first competition, what would it be?

Hmm, I’d say - it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. You gain valuable experience, and that’s already a win. Enjoy the process.

Lastly, how would you define “success” today and how is it different from what you used to believe?

Success is in small things. It’s when you love what you do. When you’re honest with yourself. When you drink coffee you actually like, not just what’s trendy. When you can share something. When you can be part of someone’s joy. (HudesMagazine)