When I walked up to my neighborhood Starbucks, the thought that was in my mind at the time was curious about my little town Los Altos in the heart of Silicon Valley. I felt like an outsider, a foreign body, not knowing anyone. Oddly enough, when I walked into that store, I had a sensation I couldn't point out. I remember someone behind me asking me, "What is that Third Place?" I honestly did not know what it meant, but I thought it was a fundraiser or some initiative. I did not know, though, that it was something bigger than myself. I was about to embark on that journey to find out.
When I moved to the Bay Area, a storyline was playing in my mind. "I don't know anyone in this town, and I don't belong." I looked around; I felt like I did not get any eye contact from anyone when we walked around in the neighborhood. I also heard from the fellow locals in the dog park that “people are not friendly here,” so I was starting to wonder if this idea was true, that no one was friendly or that there is something wrong with me, or maybe I looked unapproachable, always being in black. This went on for months; I couldn't count how long. Until a friend invited us to go on a walk to the nearest coffee shop, and Finnegan helped me discover the little Starbucks Rancho store because of his familiarity with the "pup cup."
I worked as a knowledge professional in the learning and development, higher ed, tech space, public sector, having devoted my time in a large state university in the heart of an agriculture town in Ohio. So the idea of working at a coffee shop, let alone a mega-corporation like Starbucks, was beyond me. Thoughts visited my head, both internally and externally. I had to grabble with specific recurring thoughts because some ideas made me feel somewhat inadequate and low.
This is a brief story of a journey with a meditation app. Years ago, I found myself on a plane to India, with the idea that I would have a romantic moment with my boyfriend at the time. He gave me a Valentine's; he was always good at doing things like gift-giving and saying the "right" things to pump me up. When I arrived, my world turned upside down. All my plans of having a romantic adventure was shattered into pieces on the floor. We got separated. I couldn't hang out with him. We were in a silent retreat, so of course, this was going to be definite hell. I could not do anything I wanted or expected. Fast forward thru the living hell, I came out of the retreat, there was something inside me that shifted, and meditation became part of my life. I became a volunteer to the world around me; even today, I type these words.
This past year was beyond what I imaged and expected. From my experience, working at Starbucks is a joyful opportunity; realizing that there is no separation between working at a university from being a learning professional or a cafe attendant crafting espresso drinks. In this coffee shop, it is a beautiful living organism of wonderful people caring for others. I discovered the joy and meaning of the “Third Place.” I learned about measuring success beyond metrics and brand identity, embracing diversity and inclusiveness, and being with grace - something bigger than ourselves. I learned more about iterations' beauty to ensure our customers' safety and health during this global health disruption. I learned the importance of observation and being present to discover pain points in our users our customers, including our fellow baristas. I am thrilled to experience that sprints exist while warming food and serving beverages. I learned about safety, and melding customer service. Working at Starbucks is a frontline customer success story. It is a creative endeavour more than I can ever imagine, sparking ideas in my mind during my breaks to meditate. Seeing people, our customers, come in and return telling us how they feel are powerful lessons where we constantly evolved, adapted, and made things familiar, convenient, and safe. What an empowering tale of trust, retention, honouring values, embracing things as they are, focusing on human-centred design, relationship building, and connecting with our community. It is a story of public health and hygiene, cultivating respect for others by wearing our masks to protect people from our "goo," the list is endless. So I thank my lucky stars for being the place where I needed to be. I wanted to be. Being open and allowing that anything is possible. It is a playground for kindness and compassion. Hope. Consider me an optimist.
There is no one way to a career or journey. It is a remarkable gift to be alive and breathing, walking, being a mother to my beloved Finn, and working at a humble little coffee shop that is also a titan. This time has also been a great lesson on watching pride and not being attached to the idea of being a certain way. There is a balance. There will be moments where shame projected by external forces and other uncomfortable thoughts and ideas will want to hang out and play with our minds. “Is this our intelligence going against us?” This is a window. We have a choice to be blissful. I am fortunate and privileged to be reminded of this every day. Some incredible teachers and dreamers started something extraordinary. An opportunity was created, and now I am listening to it every day.
I am so happy and thankful for this space and time.
All the things from wise teachers before us and at present moments.
Be open.
Be kind to your mind.
Everything is possible. “Being human is super.” Doubt is an opportunity.
So many opportunities.
It is limitless.
Wishing whoever finds this, love, health, and happiness wherever you are. xo