Hello, babies, welcome to Earth! One of the many thought wasps that I fight with everyday is the "what am I doing?" thought wasp. This then branches into a series of wasps:
Am I doing the right thing?
What's the point of making this decision?
Should I try or will it be expensive/failure/waste of time?
Can I even do this?
Usually when this happens, I try to walk away and maintain a positive outlook. But in a world where book and movie reviews make themselves into a sour disposition in order to maintain a pretentious, know-it-all tone, dreaming and romanticized goals fall into the "haves" pile (while the "have nots" have to work two or three jobs to live until the next paycheck) and any form of creativity is met with scorn, jealousy, and a competitive nature (for fear of falling behind or seeming "out of the loop"), the positive outlook begins to wane and I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth...and thought wasps.
Am I getting cold feet? Not in the least. My years in theatre, honor classes, and public ivy undergrad and graduate schooling can make me just as competitive as the next person. But I don't want to fall into yet another rat race and the need for more. I want this Etsy store to be somewhere women can splurge on themselves or their friends and family. I want this K&P to be a little pick me up during a bad day. I want K&P to be a piece of sunshine when you think you can take the winter anymore, or a cool glass of homemade sweet tea when you can't take the summer heat. That's what I want for my customers - and myself.
Enter Starbucks. Well, not really. If you know me, you know my obsession with the coffee. But even with my "tall nonfat"/ "grande red eye"/ "venti frap" loves, I wasn't prepared for what I was about to read: My Sister's a Barista: How They Made Starbucks a Home From Home by John Simmons. I bought this book for a dollar at my local library sale, and just decided this week to make it my lunchtime read. Good choice, if I do say so myself (and I do).
My Sister's a Barista tells the Starbucks tale - from its humble beginnings at Pike Place Market in Seattle to becoming this ubiquitous beacon of espresso, indie music and coffee cups. The book reads like a fairy tale - how the founders fought hard for their brand and how they continue to fight to uphold the brand's goals and ideals. I know there are a few haters out there when it comes to their coffee (and honestly, if you are a "hater," find a better thing to hate than "the coffee is too expensive." Been there, heard that - so is everything else at this point), and this post is not about turning you into a Starbucks fanatic. But reading this book inspired me - maybe there is a place to dream, make a living, AND make people happy. Is it possible? Could Americans - the most sardonic, cynical group of people in this world - be capable of embracing a brand like this? Well, anything is possible if you believe in fairies. And I do (it's easy - clap three times).
So what did I learn? Well, dear reader, just turn the page (::cough cough:: I mean, scroll up)
