Coffee
has never really appealed to me. I'm
one of those people who do not drink caffeine. (Can
you imagine?!) The way I look at it is
quite rudimentary. Why stain my teeth with
coffee when I don't need that extra jolt
to make it through the day? Then, I encountered
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and my theory
was blown to bits. If you have never
experienced this autumnal treat, you are really
missing out. I hate to publicly admit
this but it's just not fall without a
cup of my favorite latte securely in my hand
on Saturday mornings as I try to stay warm
on the soccer fields. Okay! I admit
it! I am addicted.
So
naturally, when I was sent How Starbucks
Saved My Life, how could I not read it? Now
I wouldn't go so far as to say my Pumpkin
Spice Latte has saved my life, but I can see
how a cup of coffee could put a new spin on things. And
then, I read the book. To say I was blown away
would be an understatement. I read the
book in two days. (It would have been one if
I could have possibly extended the day.) I
guess that's why Tom Hanks has bought the
film rights. He and I both know it's
a winner!
Of
course, I'll let you be the judge, but
I have a funny feeling you too will jump on the
band wagon. As part of this interview, Gotham
Books has graciously donated five copies
to my readers, so don't forget to look
for the trivia question at the end.
 Be
my guest and go grab a cup of Starbucks coffee
and get to know the fabulous author, Michael
Gates Gill.
Jen: What immediately attracted me to your book
was the catchy cover. I have mentioned
in previous columns that I am guilty of judging
a book by its cover, but aren't we all? What
input did you have with the title and cover of
the book?
Michael:
The title How Starbucks Saved My
Life is literally true. I was adrift,
my life seemed like a shipwreck, and Starbucks
offered me a way to learn how to swim towards
a new shore. I found a place I had never
known existed—where race; class, gender
and family background mattered not at all. This
new world brought me a whole new experiences
that helped me leave behind my safe but confining
cocoon of privilege and tradition for the more
satisfying challenges of the real world of
today.
The “how” in
the title How
Starbucks Saved My Life comes from my
sense that perhaps my story might help others
understand how working at Starbucks is so
unique. Starbucks is the only company
I have ever worked for that truly treats
all its employees or “Partners” with
respect. This kind of approach is still
so revolutionary it deserves to be more widely
known—and, hopefully, copies by other
companies. Find this book in our catalog.
I also thought my story might be helpful for
those who were experiencing the challenges of
being fired, old, broke, etc. in modern America. There
is also in my story the essential idea that there can always
be new and even better chapters at any time in
life. I was ready to give up on anything
positive or truly new happening in my life when
my job at Starbucks and my Partners helped me
gain a happiness I had never known. This
whole unexpected result for such a difficult
time was a total surprise to me, and I thought
it might be helpful to others to share this unexpected
good news that the next chapter in your
life might just be the best of all.
The illustration on the cover
features an apron—symbolic of my move
from a person who had been served and thought
he deserved to be served to a person who found
fulfillment in serving. And I still do. I
just finished working my shift at my Starbucks
store and am still feeling elated by the chance
to bring some small measure of pleasure to
others by serving coffee, pastries, and exchanging
uplifting words.
Jen: The world we live
in today is immensely different than the world
our parents knew. Yes,
the business world has always been cut-throat,
but I think it is more so today than ever. Would
you agree? What was going through your
mind when you realized that the woman you helped
mentor was in the process of firing you?
Michael:
I was surprised, and terribly hurt
that the person I had taken for a protégé was
delegated to fire me. Yet, looking back,
there is a terrible almost poetic truth to
that progress in modern corporate America. There
still is a horrible macho culture in most companies,
and you are often asked to prove your toughness
by firing those you might otherwise keep. I
cannot claim innocence myself. I fired
some people in my time at JWT, including one
old man when I was a young man. I felt badly
about firing him, even at the time, just as
my protégé did about firing me,
but I went ahead and did it—because I
wanted to get ahead. You can't be seen
as a good manager of people if you don't
have a kind of “macho” attitude
towards firing and respect—not for your
colleagues—but for the bottom line. I
think American corporations are much too hard
on people. Starbucks is a shining example
of a totally different approach.
Jen: I have to be honest, you lost my sympathy
there for a while when you cheated on your wife;
however, there is always two sides to every story. Granted,
you had lost your job and your life drastically
changed, but on the plus side, you did gain a
son in the process. What life lessons have
you taught him so that he does not make the same
mistakes that you made concerning family?
Michael:
I can't claim I am an authority on relationships
or love. And I certainly don't want
you to think that I feel that I have become some
kind of perfect saint. One thing I have
learned is humility, and I never forget
the wrongs I have done or that I am still a “work
in progress.”
I think the major life lesson I learned the hard way is to be truthful rather
than try to lie and get away with something. I think being honest with those
you love, including your children, has to be the single most important
thing to me.
As far as other life lessons learned,
I would say that I feel that sometimes through
a kind of divine grace good comes out of bad. I
hope I did not give the impression in the book
that I am free of guilt or bad feelings for
those I hurt. I don't think you
ever completely lose that sense of having sinned. I
certainly haven't. But the whole
Starbucks experience helped me gain a new humility
about myself, and gain some perspective so
that I could laugh as well as cry as I struggled
to be better.
Jen: On that memorable
day when you had hit rock bottom, stumbled into
Starbucks, and then your life suddenly took a
turn for the better, did you have second thoughts
about working as a barista? Here you are a highly educated
and professionally successful man now embarking
on a service career. Did you have to convince
yourself to do it or were you resigned to it
as if this were your fate?
Michael:
In a way it was embarrassing for me
at first to put on the apron and be serving
people who might have been my former colleagues. But
as I got into the experience, I became more
and more to see that by serving I was fulfilling
a valid destiny. It wasn't
the destiny of high status my friends and family
might have expected, but working with my Partners
at Starbucks, for a whole variety of reasons
I cover in the book, was and is amazingly satisfying
and stimulating to me.
Jen: I truly believe,
and yes it's only
my opinion, that they are angels here on this
earth. In retrospect, can you put into
words the impact Crystal Thompson has had on
your life?
Michael:
Crystal saved me by
offering me a job. You could see that
as a kind of angelic intervention. And my Partners
were forgiving of my mistakes and accepting
of me in a way that was remarkable--even miraculous. I
also believe in God and I think he does work
in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.
Jen:
In your opinion, what makes this coffee establishment
better than all the rest?
Michael:
The coffee. Starbucks spends more time
helping farmers grow the best coffee
in the best way, and then taking more time
roasting it properly, and a lot more
time learning and training all of us
to serve it properly. Once again,
Starbucks shows respect for everybody, including
even the coffee beans themselves, every step
of the way. Most companies are trying
to get more profits to the bottom line. Starbucks
is still devoted to serving the best cup of
coffee.
Jen: What was it like
facing your children for the first time not knowing
what they would think of your working at a Starbucks? What
was going through your mind?
Michael:
I was scared they would see how incompetent
I was! I was happy for my children to
see me giving a speech before thousands—which
I did occasionally in advertising. But
I had yet to learn how to make a good latte. In
fact I am still struggling. So I begged
them to wait until I became proficient. They
largely ignored my plea—God bless them. I
think they got a kick out of seeing their often
pompous, arrogant father so full of himself
and so full of advice, struggling to handle
a register and serve coffee.
Jen: Why
write a book? Why
not just relish in the fact that your life
is back on track and the future is looking
brighter?
Michael:
My daughter
Annie suggested I keep a journal when my life
started coming apart. She thought it would help me to
make some sense of what was happening to me. Once
I started working at Starbucks I found my journal
was full of interesting experiences. After
about a year, I thought of a title for a possible
book about this experience: How Starbucks
Saved My Life. An old friend invited
me to lunch one day a short time later. He
was a writer. He asked what Starbucks
was like, I told him about my journal and my
title for it. He loved the idea, and called
his agent. She called me, and told me
she thought I had a unique personal story that
should be shared in the covers of a book.
Jen: About how long did it take for you
to write the book? What was the most difficult
part to write and why?
Michael:
Having spent my life in advertising,
the most difficult part in writing my book
was to tell the truth. The truth about
what I was feeling and what I was actually
experiencing during that year on Broadway. The
writing itself went pretty fast because I was
using my journal.
Jen: What was the reaction
from your co-workers when you told them you were
writing a book? Was
it what you expected? Why or why not?
Michael:
My Partners liked the idea I was doing
a book. They know it was a great story,
and were looking forward to more people hearing
about how Starbucks actually worked. I
have to say it also didn't make much
of a difference in our actual working experience. You
have to do a good job of serving coffee…that
is what really matters to my Partners on every
shift, not some promise of a book!
Jen: If you could run the tape of your life
back and change one thing what would it be?
Michael: I would like to have
a chance to treat everyone I knew throughout
my life with more love and more truth and more
forgiveness.
Jen: What impact do you think your writing this
book will have on the future of Starbucks? Did
you have to get their permission to tell your
story?
Michael: I purposefully didn't
ask Starbucks for “permission”. Partly
because the book just grew out of a journal. Partly
because I did not want to put myself in the
position of saying what they might want. This
was not a corporate story, but, on the contrary,
my truthful, personal story. But
I also knew they would approve of this kind
of Partner effort. Starbucks believes
strongly in supporting all Partner efforts—including
doing music CD's and even fine art. So
I felt my book would be well received, and
it has been.
As far as helping Starbucks, they seem
to be doing fine without my help! But
I do hope my book will help our Guests understand
what a great environment Starbucks creates,
and how it does that. I also hope that
the Partners will receive more recognition
for their efforts to give everyone an uplifting
experience.
Jen: If you could sum it up in one paragraph
or less, what is the message you are sending
to your readers?
Michael: Maybe 2 messages:
Be
ready to be happily surprised in life.
Don't
be afraid to make a fool of yourself.
Jen: One question I just have to ask, what is
your favorite drink? Mine is the decaf pumpkin
spice latte, but how come I can't get it
year round? It's so yummy!
Michael:
My favorite drink is a double tall
skim latte. I am sorry that you can't
get your pumpkin spice latte year round. I
will ask about that.
Jen: Is this it for you or are you
writing another book?
Michael: This book is enough
for now!
Jen: Will you be touring the circuit?
Do you have a website?
Michael: I don't have a website,
but I will be going on a book tour.
Jen: Michael, I truly was moved by your book.
If truth be told, I put aside another book I
was supposed to be reading to get to yours. I
think your story will inspire many people to
look at life differently and take hold of what
is truly important. Best of luck and next time
you come to Baltimore, let's get together
and go to Starbucks.
Michael: I would
love to share a latte with you!
I hope you have enjoyed my interview
with Michael. More importantly, I encourage
you to go pick up a copy of his book. As
you have just read, it is quite the story. Okay,
it's time to give away some books. The
first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with
the correct answer to the following question
will win a copy of How Starbucks Saved
My Life. Good luck!
Michael mentioned
two messages that he is sending his readers
by writing this book. Please
tell me one of them. Congratulations to Lucie
S., Stacy B. JoAnn M., Katie F., and Harriet
R.
Later this month, I will be bringing
to you my interview with Laura Moriarty, author
of The Rest of Her Life. You
won't want to miss it!
Until next time….Jen
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Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels