Anyone who is searching for a calling in life would learn a
lot by talking to Michael Gates Gill, author of the bestseller “How Starbucks
Saved My Life.” I had the immense pleasure of spending more than an hour with
Michael in New York City recently. At 72, he is almost childlike in his
enthusiasm for the work he does – which might surprise a lot of people, since
he left the lofty heights of corporate America to work as a barista at
Starbucks.
When he was in his 50s, Michael was a well-paid advertising
executive, living the high life in Manhattan, and raising a beautiful family. But
that life was shattered when Michael got a pink slip from his agency. Shortly
thereafter, his marriage fell apart and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He
spent a decade trying to regain his professional footing, but discovered that
he couldn’t compete with the newly minted MBAs flooding the job market. Ad
agencies wanted young faces and fresh ideas. Michael couldn’t get back into the
game. Eventually, he fell into despair and desperation. How would he support
himself? How would he get health insurance to cover his medical needs?
Sitting pensively in a Starbucks in upper Manhattan one day,
Michael was mistaken for a job applicant. He thought to himself, “why not?” He applied
and was hired as a barista. Thus began a journey of professional awakening that
might astonish you.
Humbled by his circumstances, Michael threw himself into his
Starbucks job. He took pride in keeping the restroom immaculately clean. He got
to know the customers personally and befriended them. He swallowed his fear of
the cash register and learned the skill of cashiering. He discovered, to his
surprise, than he was happier than he had ever been in his corporate career.
Michael was also awestruck by the qualities and dedication
of his coworkers – people he would previously have ignored if he passed them on
the street. And he discovered that the business of serving coffee was a
business of love – providing something that warms people and helps sustain
life. He found a dimension of meaning and importance in his work at Starbucks
that he had never experienced on the fast-track of corporate self-absorption.
What I loved most about my visit with Michael were his
reflections that don’t appear in the book. In recent years, Michael has
developed a deepened sense of spirituality about his professional journey.
During the time of his career crisis, he didn’t think much about God.
Reflecting back now, however, he attributes the twists and turns of his journey
to the hand of God. Even though he weathered a devastating professional crisis,
he is now full of gratitude, because those setbacks taught him how to relish
life and find lasting satisfaction.
There is much we can learn from Michael’s journey. What will
your career setbacks mean to you?
Could it be that getting laid off is actually a blessing – a merciful
re-tracking of your life to a destination better suited to your happiness?
Ultimately, Michael doesn’t think that serving coffee is his
calling in life. He does still works at Starbuck and loves his job. But what
has given him the most joy is telling his story through writing and public
speaking. That is Michael’s calling.
And he never would have arrived here without that pink slip that felt like a
career-destroyer at the time.
P.S. I heartily recommend “How Starbucks Saved My Life.” Tom
Hanks has bought the option to make a movie of the book, so watch for it in
theaters as well! You can find the book here.
