How Starbucks Saved My Life



It is said that if at middle age of 50 you don’t own a house, have kids, earn good salary you are no where and nobody. And if you loose all these in a flick of an eye and left with nothing, no job, no wife, a divorced life, brain tumor, no mercy, no health insurance you are Michael Gates Gill or Getsy or Mike. The story revolves around Mike who from being a big shot employee in J Walter Thompson advertising agency and enjoying all the amenities and later a small man in Starbucks. He got this job accidentally when he was pretending to wait for some client in one of Starbucks store and later realized that he has to work in another facility which is far away from his house.

He started scrubbing toilets there and accepted his transformation from being served earlier he started serving. But fate brings an unexpected teacher into his life who opens his eyes to what living well really looks like. The two seem to have nothing in common: She is a young African American, the daughter of a drug addict; he is used to being the boss but reports to her now. For the first time in his life he experiences how one tries hard to survive in a challenging new job. He learns the value of hard work and humility, as well as what it truly means to respect another person.

Starbucks provides well-honed procedures and infrastructure that allows people to perform at a very high level, regardless of age or experience. Mike’s well-heeled background matters little when it comes time to clean the restrooms or deal with a long line of customers.

Working as a team with defined daily tasks and goals, Mike and his team achieve a tremendous level of friendship and job satisfaction. In the end Mike is surprised when his grown children come to visit him at Starbucks, are proud of his new line of work, his acceptance of others, and how he’s changed himself in ways they never could have imagined.

I particularly liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter which are quotes printed on the side of coffee cups at Starbucks, either extracts from songs or by guests at Starbucks.

I found the book to be interesting that I was not able to put down until I finished reading the last page, as the author takes on a fast paced journey that is extremely well written. How Starbucks Saved My Life is an engaging story. Relationships feel real and you will actually feel like standing up and applauding the author for his Guts. At the very least the reader should learn what to expect when they walk into their local Starbucks, which can be priceless.

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