I started in the winter of 2017 at the starbucks near my home. It is a large store with a drive up and is centrally located so we get people coming and going into orange county out to palm springs through the 241 out to Irvine. You get what I mean were busy. I met with the manager the 1st day of the new year for an interview. She asked me to come back in a few weeks so I did. By our second interview I was convinced this was the place for me. Watching her interact with her staff, customers and vendors was a true blessing. She brings such a warmth and energy to Starbucks they are blessed to have found her and given her a store of her own. She gave me 2 green aprons and the partner book to look through and ask any questions that may arise. When I started I knew how to make coffee but I was not a conosuer of coffee. I always went there for the Chai Tea Latte. Anyway for the next few weeks they taught me all the drinks, and there are a lot. I had explained to the manager that I had trouble in my brain due to my car accident and sometimes I had a hard time remembering my short term memory was very affected but all the staff at Starbucks said I would be ok one girl who is just so exceptional as a barista from what I had seen at that point told me it took her 3 months I was so inspired by her. Each day I would get training through computer modules that I would watch be tested on and be praised if I knew everything. They really have a wonderful training program and the trainers are delightfully confident and really know there stuff. Everyone is so knowledgeable and encourage you to be the same. Starbucks really sets you up for complete success and to know the number one goal is the customer connection in everything we do from the register to the food to the drink to the hand off to the customer always connecting its amazing. While there is so much to learn everyone goes through the process and the team environment is key. In the weeks and months since I started I have learned to make the most awesome drinks made to order by our customers and they all seem so eager to see us succeed. Which makes sense since it is their drink they should have it made exactly the way they want but we do have many wonderful recipes as well. I have learned how to navigate through the register, transition to the bar to make the drinks, put the headphones on in the drive up window take orders, hand out orders and the whole time connecting with the customer it really is a blessed job and I am so proud and inspired daily by all the positive energy that surrounds me and the work environment. We also have what they call customer support and order support and these are individuals that help make everything run smoothly by making sure we always have everything we need and the store is kept clean and well stocked and the bathrooms are monitored and cleaned often. There are many tasks to do and the shift leaders help keep us on pace to be successful. I have recently had health issues and had to modify my work ability and they always made me feel inspired and cared for so that I could continue to work and get better. God is blessing me each day I wake up take a breath and get out of bed and get to go to work. I take care of my 89 year old mother and she is the biggest reason I chose Starbucks so I could walk to work and in case of emergency I am a phone call away and literally 100 steps. Everyone I work with and every customer I work for inspires me to be the best and do my best and I am blessed that is exactly what I am doing. God willing my health will just keep improving. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts and feelings. It is an honor to work for such an amazing company and truly a blessing to work with so many fabulous young people. God bless us all. Amen