Extra Shot Episode 55: The Enduring Principles and Starbucks with Marcie Marshall

What do Starbucks and the Enduring Principles have in common? Turns out a lot of things! Tune in as Carla interviews seasoned barista, Marcie Marshall about the connections she's made in her work life and spiritual life.

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Intro and Outro music used with permission:

“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org

All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.

NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.

Music : 0:00

[inaudible].

Josh : 0:17

Welcome to the Project Zion podcast. This podcast explores the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world.

Carla: 0:33

Hello and welcome to the Project Zion podcast. I'm your host, Carla Long and today we are podcasting about something a little bit different, something that might have you scratching your head and saying what, but believe me, by the end of this podcast you'll be thinking awesome. I'm speaking with my lovely friend Marcie Marshall today and Marcie works for Starbucks and she has for a long time and just recently I was at a women's retreat and she presented about how Starbucks has a lot in common with the enduring principles of community of Christ and I was absolutely hooked. Not only was I hooked on the coffee because she was giving us a lovely coffee tasting as well, but on the idea that we could share so much in common with such a huge corporation and while she has a lot of claim to fames, one of the claims to fame she has in my life is that she was the first person ever to introduce me to a Captain Crunch frappuccino at Starbucks and I've never forgotten it ever. So hi Marcie. Thanks for talking with us today.

Marcie: 1:43

Hello Carla. How are you?

Carla: 1:45

I'm so good. I'm so excited to hear what you have to say today. Um, I, I was just so excited about your presentation and I cannot wait to share that with our listeners. But before we jump into all of that, Marcie, introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about who you are.

Marcie: 1:59

Absolutely. So I am Marcie Marshall and I am originally from the Bay area in San Jose, California and grew up there going to the San Jose congregation. Uh, went through high school, went through college, uh, moved down to orange County and got a job with Starbucks. Started there as a barista when I was about 19 years old. Um, and just recently my husband and I moved up to Washington. So now we live in Puyallup, Washington and I am a store manager for Starbucks. So that's been quite a journey. It kind of climbed the ladder there. Went from barista to supervisor to assistant store manager. And now I've been a store manager for about five years now. And I'm, I'm up in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm up in Starbucks country and corporate is just a Stone's throw away from where I live. And uh, yeah, chilling here with my, my husband Spencer and my two dogs, blue and zero. And we are homeowners for the first time as of last year. And we are live in life right now.

Carla: 2:51

Oh, that's so good. I love hearing all of this stuff about your life. I love hearing it when people have found their place and that makes me feel happy for you. Um, so yeah, so before we really get into the enduring principles and Starbucks, Marcie, I was so interested in how you talked about where the beans that Starbucks gets, where they come from and how you related it to something that you love in your life. And it helps me remember as well. So could you talk a little bit about the beans, like the Sumatra and all that stuff and where they come from?

Marcie: 3:25

Yes. Okay. So Starbucks has three growing regions. We have Latin America, we have Asia Pacific, and we have Africa Arabia and I'm a Disney nerd. And so the easiest way for me to remember those regions is to think of different Disney movies that help with that. So when I think of Latin America, Latin American coffees, I think of the movie Coco, um, and him chilling down there. And then when we go over to Asia Pacific, I think of Milan. Um, and then Africa Arabia, I just, I tune into lion King. Uh, each region has different tasting notes from the beans that are grown there. So when you think of our Latin America coffees, you think of sunshine, you think of bright colors. And so we've got a lot of cocoa notes, like actual chocolate notes and just really crisp, really light medium coffees that pair well with cream and sugar. And you can also drink them black. And they are, they're just, they're smooth and nice on their own and they compliment other things. And then you've got your Asia Pacific coffee. So when you think Milan and you think Asia Pacific, you think more herbal, earthy and spicy. So that's where those Sumatra beans come from. Um, Sumatra and Komodo come from our Asia Pacific growing region. And then Africa Arabia, which is my personal favorite, so that we tap into the lion King again and you've got a lot of citrus and floral notes in the coffee. Um, so I'm always picturing Timone and Pumaa hanging out at the waterhole with all the beautiful flowers and things through rounding them, uh, in that jungle setting. And uh, that's a little more acidic, little more bright with Africa Arabia. So that'll be more of our, like our Yukon and our Kenya coffees, which I really enjoy. They're really good iced or hot. So those are our three growing regions. Um, another really cool thing just to add to those grade regions is of course you, we at Starbucks, you know, you see your baristas, we make your lattes, we warm your food and you carry on with your day. But these beans have to be grown somewhere. Um, and they have to be handled with care. And we have several different coffees that we offer. You can, you can buy whole bean coffee. There are, there's a espresso roast that goes into your lattes. Um, there's blonde espresso. If you're looking for something lighter and of course be calf. And so a lot of people go into getting that being off of the, the coffee tree out of the cherry. And so we at Starbucks take really, really good care of our farmers because it starts with them. And so we make sure that they have clean water. We make sure that they have access to medical care and education for their families because this is definitely a generational business. And so we make sure their needs are met, we take really good care of them cause they're kind of the middle guy and we wouldn't be what we are without those coffee farmers. So we take care of all three regions throughout the world.

Carla: 6:04

That is so, so good to hear. I, I mean there's so many corporations out there who will just do whatever they can to make a buck. And i f that means screwing the little guy, that's what it means. And so I'm so glad to hear that doesn't happen with Starbucks. Yes, absolutely not. So you're also talking a little bit when you presented about the different roasting times and a darker roast versus a lighter roast. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Marcie: 6:31

Yes. So we definitely have a coffee spectrum. Not all coffees are created equal. So, um, we start at more at the darker and so we, we have our blonde roast or medium roast and our dark roast. So our dark roasts, we have a French roast and Italian Sumatra and Komodo. And so we roast the bean longer. So think about, um, I guess just roasting something for like a steak. So medium rare up until well done. And so those, those dark roasts are more on the Weldon side and um, there's more smokey flavors there. There are a lot darker. The body when you're drinking the coffee, the body is a lot more full in your mouth. It's not so light. Um, and so that, that's our, those are our dark Rose. And then our medium roasts. Most people are familiar with pike place roast. That's what we serve in every store. That is our medium roast offering. But we also have coffees like Guatemala, Antigua. Um, we've got our Yukon blend. Uh, and then we also have seasonal coffees. And then, so a medium roast is just that it's right in the middle, so it's not too dark. It's kinda like that mama bear in the Goldilocks story. It's, it's just right. It complements cream and sugar. A lot of our Latin American coffees come for that medium roast. Um, and we serve in our stores every day. And then just recently, about five years ago, we brought back blonde roast. We had taken it away. It was called light note blend, and it was for our coffee drinkers that aren't really looking for that kick. They still want the coffee, but they don't want it to just overwhelm their pallets. And so we brought our blonde roast back and that's as a random blend. And that's also a Latin American coffee mixed with some Africa Arabian coffee. So that's actually a multi-region blend and it's a little bit smoother. It's a little bit lighter, there's a little more ethnicity. So think orange juice and think of the acidity that comes from that taste. Um, but it's really good over ice. So fun fact about our blonde coffees is we actually use our Africa Arabia blonde roast to make our ice coffees to make our cold brew and our nitro cold blue brew. Uh, because when put over ice at it just really compliments the colder temperatures. So that's our coffee spectrum. We've got blond risk, medium risk and dark crust.

Carla: 8:38

Interesting. I, I actually had no idea about any of this and I was so surprised to hear you present it cause I'm just like, I just want a coffee. So there's so many different things that you can order and I'm assuming, I'm assuming they're all on the menu. I just don't really don't look at the menu I guess as well as I should. Yeah. Hmm. Yeah.

Marcie: 8:56

If you're looking for the advanced version, obviously, you know, we were trying to serve the masses and we do want to make it easy to be a customer. And sometimes our menu can definitely be intimidating. And we're just talking about coffee right now. I haven't even jumped into different ways to modify a latte or the types of nondairy milks that we provide, or you can modify the pumps and we've got sugar-free and do you like whipped cream? So there's a whole world out there, but we definitely, one of our mottos is to make it easy to be a customer. So we would never want anyone to come in and feel overwhelmed or Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start. Um, but as you become a connoisseur of the coffee and, and become a Starbucks patron of ours years, over time you kind of get these little kernels of knowledge that I'm dishing out at you all in one serving. And it's kind of fun. It's, it's, it's a really cool world to explore.

Carla: 9:45

It's much, much deeper than I thought. And actually, Marcie have a really kind of funny story to tell you. I'm, my parents live in a really small town in Kansas, like 600 people. And my mother had never been to a Starbucks before and when they came up to visit me in California, uh, like, this is, this is like 15 years ago, this is a while ago. And anyway, I want to, I wanted to Starbucks before mission center conference and I was like, well, can I come in with you? I was like uh sure. She's like, I've never been in one. And I've heard all about them. So she came in and she goes, Carla, it smells so nice in here. And it's so pretty and there's comfy chairs and it just, it's just a wonderful place to be. I was like, well that's true. Yeah. She really loved it her first time ever. Yeah, I know. So cute. She did not.

Marcie: 10:37

Can I ask like what was her first string? Okay, so she just visited with you. Okay.

Carla: 10:41

He, you just was there. So also while we're on the subject, uh, you talked a little bit about the Christmas blend as well. Can you talk a little bit more about that too?

Marcie: 10:50

Yes. Okay. So every year our Christmas blend comes out. It is, um, it's the SA it's the coffee we sell the most. And what's so striking about that statistic is we only sell it in that six week window between like the day after Halloween when we launch our holiday up until Christmas time. So we really only have about a month and a half to two months that we are offering Christmas land. And it is still our top selling coffee throughout the entire year. So we sell it more than any other pound of coffee any other time of year. Um, and that's at Starbucks locations, that's at grocery stores, that's online. Like we just, people come for the Christmas blend. And so what's so unique about it each year is we actually use aged Sumatran beans. So remember some Motrin or Asia Pacific. Let's go visit Milan over there. And, um, our Sumatra beans definitely have like an herbal, earthy taste to them. Uh, and fun fact about the aged part is we're actually aging these beans for three to five years. So anyone that is enjoying a cup of Christmas line, whether they've purchased a pound or they're buying a cup of coffee in one of our stores this year, those beans that went into making that coffee have been aging the last three to five years. So a lot of thought goes into the blend. A lot of thought goes into the preparation. If you think right now we have farms and warehouses all around the world that are holding those Sumatra and beans that you're going to enjoy in three to five years from now. And we've started that process with our new beans. And so it's really cool each year because there's, it's, there's a different take on it each year. It's not the same bean, right? We blend it up with some of our other coffees. It's a multi-region blend. And so each year is just really unique. Um, and the point of that is to really embody the spirit of Christmas. Um, when you think flavors, you think spicy, you think cinnamon, you think what will compliment a Christmas dinner? You've got your ham and your savory foods. And so our Christmas blend does that for you. So it's a really special coffee.

Carla: 12:40

It is. I, again, I had no idea and I really, I was really happy to hear that. I think it's really interesting. So we got to hear a lot about coffee, which is very, very cool. But I wanted to jump into the meat of the podcast about how Starbucks stands for, you know, things that we can easily relate to the community of Christ enduring principles. So maybe you can start and start telling us a little bit about some enduring principles that you see in the Starbucks corporation and yeah. How you see them.

Marcie: 13:13

Absolutely. Okay. So Starbucks has a set of mission and values that they lead by. And so our mission statement at Starbucks is to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. And I love sharing that mission statement. When I, uh, when I hire new partners in, I kind of give them an intro into the company, a little bit of history of what our mission and values are, et cetera. And one part that I really enjoy sharing is that this multibillion dollar company that like you said, can just kind of step on the middleman. They're there to make a buck, which is not what we're about. This huge company just wants to inspire and nurture human spirits. Um, another thing that really stands out to me in that quote is, uh, one neighborhood at a time which really speaks community to me and I think our churches name is so aptly fit for that because we are a community of Christ and the community part is my favorite part of our church. And so for Starbucks to include in their mission statement, that neighborhood piece and wanting to inspire and nurture those human spirits really speaks to me. Um, so that's, that's how, that's how that really, that first mission statement wraps in for me is we're, we're not just there to serve coffee, we're there to serve people and so to, to be able to inspire and nurture those people. So sure, it's getting you your favorite holiday drink or maybe your kid really wants that birthday cake pop. But let's make a moment matter. Let's make a moment happen. So let's ask that kid, what are you up to you today? What are your plans this weekend? Are you hanging out with mom? You know, and we get dogs through the drive through, what's your dog's name? Does he want a puppuccino? And just really trying to draw people in and make them feel seen and heard and to really nurture those spirits. So yeah, so that's a little touch on our mission statement. And then in terms of the enduring principles. So our first value that we have at Starbucks is creating a culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is welcome and that includes the partners, employees, and also our customers. So that goes both ways. And so to me that speaks to the worth of all persons. When we're talking about our enduring principles of the church, everybody is worthy. Everybody, you know, should, should feel that welcomeness from our church, from Starbucks, like in the world, everybody should feel like there is a place, a culture of warmth and belonging where they belong. And so that's kind of the first one for me. I also think unity and diversity to say that everyone is welcome. It doesn't matter what your background is. It doesn't matter how old you are. It doesn't matter where your education is at. I think everybody there is unity in diversity and I think we should all celebrate each other's paths that we've walked. And I think it just makes us a stronger culture overall when we let all of those people and all of those walks of life be welcome. Our next value is acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other. And so at Starbucks it's really about not settling, cause we could probably sit down right now on what we have and even be sustainable for the next five to 10 years, maybe longer. Uh, but we're constantly trying to challenge ourselves. How can we make the experience better for our customers? How can we make humans be seen even on an environmental level? So a lot of stores in different States went straw lists with their lids. And so we're kind of, we still have straws of customers want them, but we're trying to make it easier to enjoy your beverage without a straw. And that just kind of eliminate some of that footprint. We're trying to really reverse in terms of environmental awareness. And so the enduring principle that I relate that to is a continuing revelation, is just continuing to what we're looking at and what does this mean to us? And let's continue. Let's not be complacent. Let's not just sit where we're at, but let's continue to grow and let's continue to challenge each other and be better every day. Um, so that's where that value sits for me. Uh, our next one is being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect. Um, this one really hits me because I started with Starbucks when I was 19 and I'm 32. Uh, so I'm working on my 13th year with Starbucks and I really, I like to call them my third parent, uh, because they have taught me, yes, they've taught me business skills, they've taught me how to be professional, they've taught me how to take care of a team and lead a team. But they've also taught me how to lead with my heart. And the transparency, dignity and respect part really rang true for me, especially when I was a teenager going into my young 20s. And so that one comes with grace and generosity. I feel, I feel like Starbucks has taught me grace. And so with that enduring principle, with the grace and generosity, I feel like those two align really well. And then the very last one, so the last value that has is delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results. And that's more of I guess performance driven I suppose. The very last thing they put after that one is we are performance driven through the lens of humanity. So yes, we have a job to do. Yes, we have a product to sell and we have a service to provide to the masses, but let's do it through the lens of humanity. So like you said, with our farmers, let's not just step on the middleman, let's take care of them. Let's take care of every customer that walks through our door. Whether that is a homeless person that just wants some water and wants to get out of the rain or a high school student that maybe doesn't have any money, but this is where mom is picking me up. Hey, do you want a free sample? Do you want a food item? Do you need to charge your phone? You can sit here all day to the, to the regular customer like you and me that comes in and we want to get our fix before we're off to start our day. So yeah, I just, I, in the last year or so, just really sharing these mission and values with new partners coming in and even talking with old ones and then looking at our enduring principles a lot more. I feel like I've gotten more awareness to that in this last year and it was really cool to see how much Starbucks, his mission and values correlate with the enduring principles of community of Christ.

Carla: 18:59

Well, for sure. I mean I even just in your short explanation, I can see that as well. I, I was also thinking back on your presentation when you talked about and going back to the worth of all persons when homeless people come in, I remember you saying they get kind of scared when like a barista approaches them because they think they're going to be kicked out. And yeah. Tell us what happens there.

Marcie: 19:23

So we recently, we did, I'm sure a lot of people listening in, um, have heard a couple of years ago we had an incident in Philadelphia and we had two men that were not treated the best. We had called the police. We had not assumed positive intent. And so Starbucks, instead of trying to hide that or trying to apologize or make it go away with money, they thought, okay, we need to turn around. We need to see how we're treating people. We need to see how we're training our people to treat people. Um, and so we've started this whole diversity and inclusion training. And it's not just a media training. Like, here, look what we're doing. We're, we're teaching our partners how to be good people, you know, lay off of us in the media, but it's actually like, Nope, we did not show up in our mission and values that day. So what do we need to change to grow and be better? And so we've been doing a lot about, it's not about kicking people out, it's about trying to keep people in. And so when, like you said, when a homeless person walks in, we come over, we want to introduce ourselves, we want to know who they are, we want them to know who we are, if they need anything. There's so much power in a name. So even just to go over and ask this person like, Hey, I'm Marcy, what's your name? I'm really takes them back. Because like you said, they uh, they usually think, Oh they're going to kick me out or I can't stay here because I didn't purchase anything or I can't have the bathroom code again because I didn't spend any money. And it's more about making sure that they are comfortable that they are taking care of. Starbucks has, we liked it, we don't like to call them rules. We call them shared expectations. So we have shared expectations for the community space that we provide in our lobbies and as long as everybody is respecting everyone else on annoyance level, on an interaction level, um, everyone can stay. Like let's all just respect the space. Everyone can have a good time in the same space. And so for me it's really like, can I get you a water? Did you need an outlet so that you could charge something? We have even started to offer information if stores have it, if there is a shelter nearby or if they need to get some help. We started having those resources on hand because we want to help keep those people in and not necessarily just kick them out back into the cold.

Carla: 21:28

Oh, that's so cool. I, you know, I would also add in blessings of community in there because into that, into that one as well. Because you know, when I was growing up, I had never even seen a homeless person in my entire life, and I don't know if it was in a Starbucks or somewhere else, but that was a coffee shop was the first place I'd ever seen a homeless person. And looking around at the different people sitting in that room, there were older people and younger people and people who are homeless, like I said, and people of different socioeconomic statuses. And it helped me to see my community in a different way. Not only was I just in my little circle of friends of people who are just like me, but I can look around. It's so many different people and you and you put unity and diversity with that one as well. And I agree with that too. But seeing the community around me and being a part of that community around me was pretty eye opening for me.

Marcie: 22:28

Yup. I can totally appreciate that. Cause when you, when we think Starbucks community, you think, you know, you think the teachers that come in and very day or you think of the parents that are dropping their kids off at school or you think of commuters. In my case it's people that live here, but they're headed to Seattle for work for the day. Um, but it doesn't stop there. It doesn't stop with people who are gold card members. It doesn't stop with people who purchase one or two items. It doesn't even stop with regulars. People that we see every single day. It's everybody that comes in including homeless people. They are a part of the community as well. So I just really think, like I said, introducing yourself, knowing their names and then they come back, but you know them and to be able to say, you know, Hey Jason, how's it going? You, you almost see everyone else in the space, relax your other partners on the floor, relax a little bit. Customers in the lobby. Okay, this person is human. They have a name. We don't need to be nervous. And why do we need to be nervous? You know? Let's just treat these people like humans. Let's treat them like people and give them this culture of warmth and belonging where they are welcome. And it kind of diffuses any sort of tension or uncertainty that people have and almost conditions them in the reverse to not have a reaction to someone like that walking into the store but leaning into it and just, Hey, how's it going? What can I for you today? How can I make your day? You know? And so and truly, I mean, this is what Starbucks talks about and it's amazing. I love sharing these stories because we don't need to do this, but I think the world needs this. And I just, I love that this is a company that makes it important because it is important and it's not just about the bottom line.[inaudible].

Carla: 24:04

Yeah, your, your story about that makes me remember a time I was helping out in a homeless shelter and I, we, we kind of, we went every single month to help out. And there was this one boy and I remembered his name from the last time and I said, Hey Lincoln, how's it going? And he literally burst into tears. He's like, nobody remembers my name. I can't believe you remember my name. I know. It was just so powerful and that the power of a name. So, um, that's really good to hear. I'm so glad that you do that. Um, one enduring principle you did not mention, and I was waiting for you to mention it, I thought you might mention it was when you talked about the straws, I thought you'd talk about the sacredness of creation and how important that is for a community of Christ. And it sounds like for Starbucks, because taking away something that people are used to and for some reason straws have becomes some sort of like political power tools. Like, I am not going to drink with straws. Well, I am going to drink with straws and it's become a thing.

Marcie: 25:08

It went and it was a thing the first week. So we kind of had to prep our team where we're like, okay, change is hard. And we see, you know, up to from 700 to 1200 people a day. And so there are going to be people that want the straw or where did the straw go or why has the lid change? Um, and I'll be honest, it took about a week for people to settle and we definitely had mixed emotions. We had people that were all for it. This is great. Thank you Starbucks for leading the way, you know, let's help, let's do our part with the environment. And then we had other people, like you said, that were like, it's my straw. Don't take it away. We've always had straws. I, you know what I mean? Give me my straw. And so, and we did that. We still, we still have straws. We're actually currently working on a straw that is biodegradable, whether that is a paper straw or a bamboo straw, but we're trying to get away from the plastic to do our part with that. But definitely going back to that value of acting with courage and challenging the status quo. We are hoping that other large chains like McDonald's, taco bell, other coffee shops, we'll kind of see this and say, okay, if Starbucks can, we got to get on this train to, you know, like let's, let's have a greener company. And expanding on that. Every new store that we opened, we really try to use like recycled materials and reclaimed wood and we have led lighting, uh, just really trying to do our part. Like I said, with the environment we're trying to lead by example. We are hoping that other retailers will see what we're doing and see that it works and kind of follow suit. You know, our napkins are recycled, our sleeves are recycled. We're working on a new sustainable cup, like the paper cup, the hot paper cup. That hot beverage has come in and it's actually a world challenge that we've done. So we are working with other companies, not just in the U S but across the world on how you know who's going to build the next sustainable cup that can be recycled and completely broken down. So it's, it's exciting stuff. It's really cool to hear. Our CEO is going after it. So he Kevin Johnson is our new CEO. Howard Schultz stepped away and he has a grandson, Cameron, who's five. And Cameron came up to him, I don't know, six months to a year ago. He told this story a while back and it was the Lorax story. The doctor sees Laura with the trees and he's like, grandpa, grandpa, let's read this. You know? And he was like, Oh, what is this book about? And you said, well, it's the Lorax and speak for the trees because the trees can't speak for themselves. And so we read this book with his grandson and he was just completely inspired. Like, how can we not only minimize our footprint, but actually reverse it? Like, what can Starbucks do with, it's, it's, what's the word I'm looking for? Like it's um, popularity, like just everyone knows who we are. We have so many resources, just lots of forward thinking and so he is actually trying to go after like how can we be better for the environment? How can we turn this around and how can we inspire other retailers to be successful in this as well.

Carla: 27:53

I love that Starbucks is leading the way on that because Starbucks is, it's when you say the word, everybody knows what it means. My mother, again, who had never gone to one in her whole life, she knew exactly what it was. Right. And you don't even advertise, you don't have like com or you do have commercials you don't have,

Marcie: 28:11

usually though something, even even when I was younger, growing up with the company, I thought, wow, I never hear commercials on the radio. I never see on the TV. Occasionally they sneak in but they're nothing flashy. They're nothing ostentatious. It's maybe to promote like this is what's coming or you know what I mean? But it's never, we haven't, like you said, we've never really had to use advertising to get people to come in and check us out.

Carla: 28:38

It's, they do and we do because you, you have great coffee and you do a lot of good in the world. So I've, I mean I love the fact that people know who you are because of that. It's really cool. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if you have any days to share, but do you have some stories and personal stories to share about maybe something that related to the enduring principles or something like that that we can hear, you know, just from you

Marcie: 29:08

Put on the spot here. Let me think.

Carla: 29:11

Okay.

Marcie: 29:11

I think for me, if I had to add, cause I've got the enduring principles in front of me right now and I think if the, my biggest learning right now, especially with this company and really, really with the church is the worth of all persons. Um, like I said before, my favorite part about community of Christ is the community. I grew up in the church and I grew up going to camp and I just, I have a lot of aunt aunts and uncles and cousins and I'm not related to, but if I call them they would be there at a moment's notice, you know, some of them are at my high school graduation. They would come to dance performances. I would see them on Sundays. I would see them at Christmas Eve services. They were my counselors at camp and they really helped, I feel shaped me into the person that I am and I really do. I feel like my leadership style is incredibly empathetic and I like having that empathy. I like putting myself in other people's shoes and I like trying to meet them where they're at and support them in ways that I can and I feel like I've learned some of that from Starbucks. But really thinking back even to my first children's camp, I feel like this has kind of been ingrained in me with the church since I was very small and so I'm really proud to be a part of this community. I like sharing. I like bringing in people that are not members of our church, whether that is to like a family camp reunion during the summertime or, or a Christmas Eve service or what have you, some sort of event. It's really fun to be bringing people in. Even my husband, my husband would come in and be like, this isn't like a normal church. I don't feel like they're trying to push this on me. They just want me here. And I just, that, that for me sums up our churches that just come on in like all are welcome. Let's have a good time, let's hang out, come as you are. So that's, I'm really proud to be a part of this church and I'm really proud to be a part of this coffee company.

Carla: 30:58

Oh, that sounds really good. I love hearing that story. Thank you so much. Are there any plans for the future of Starbucks and moving more in these types of directions or, or do you know,

Marcie: 31:09

we are, we are definitely, we're definitely going after, um, like environmental stuff we touched on. We're definitely going after the, um, the human connection. Uh, something that we, that you know, statistics have come out, Bernie Brown, a keynote speaker that speaks about this a lot is that humans are the loneliest they've ever been in the history of man right now. Even with the social media and feeling closer with, with all the different types of, you know, the Instagram and the Facebook and, and even Skyping and being able to zoom with people. Humans are still the loneliest they've ever been. And so Starbucks really takes that very personally because we see a lot of people every day, you know, they come in for their coffee, they come in for their caffeine and for their breakfast, lunch, what have you, just for a break. And so we are kind of putting it upon ourselves to try and help reverse that loneliness and really trying to connect with people on a personal level. And again, it's not just about making profit, it's not about hitting a sales goal or a target every day. It's, it's getting to know people, it's seeing people, people want to be seen, they want to be acknowledged. And so that is truly, that is what we're talking about a lot right now. And I hope whoever's listening and if you have visited Starbucks as recently, that you are starting to feel that change, that people want to get to know you. And we're not just taking names for the cup, we're taking names because we want to know who you are and we want you to come back and see us again. And so that's, that's the direction we're headed. It's all about, you know, the customer experience. Um, and the product will always be there and the coffee will always be there. And of course we'll try to think of new innovative ways to um, come up with flavor and taste and caffeine content. But right now, like the center of our universe is that customer experience and making sure that humans feel seen and acknowledged.

Carla: 32:57

Well, that's what we try to do as a church as well. You know, a place where people feel welcome and people feel loved and people feel wanted. And I feel like that if, if every human felt that way, that they had a place like that, whether it be a coffee, a coffee shop or a church, that this world would be a much kinder and more loving place.

Speaker 5: 33:21

I agree.

Carla: 33:22

Because it's so easy when we're lonely and we're feeling all by ourselves. It's so easy to be on social media and just lash out and say horrible things. Um, it's much, much harder to say it when you're actually speaking to somebody face to face. So that loneliness is really, really hard and really sad to hear.

Marcie: 33:44

Yeah, it was a bummer. We, um, we had a leadership conference back in September in Chicago. They haven't done this in awhile, but they took all of us store managers for a four day conference in Chicago and Bernay Brown actually came and spoke to us. She was talking about loneliness and the human condition and shame and just how we have put so much pressure and not just on young people even, but just like everybody that exists is there's something to judge or there's something to point at or there's something to hide behind. And it's not, it's not necessary. So how can we undo this learned societal condition that we're kind of experiencing right now?

Carla: 34:21

And sounds like Starbucks. Go ahead. Say that again.

Marcie: 34:25

Oh, I was going to say it's, it's heavy. It's a heavy topic. It's definitely, you know, even trying to explain this to my 19 year old partner who just put the green apron on to try to say like, here is our purpose. We are going to reverse human loneliness. Just like trying to get endangered species off the extinct list. Like we are going to go after this. And so it's definitely, it's a big task. It's a heavy task. The topic is heavy. Um, but like we're everywhere, right? We, we're, we're in the United States where across the world and we're opening new stores every day. And so if we in those green aprons can make an impact even for just five minutes. What, you know, what is the world capable of coming back from?

Carla: 35:05

Well, you know, in community Christ, one of our goals, our mission initiatives in the churches to abolish poverty and end all suffering. And when that goal came to me, I'm like, that is ridiculous. No way can a tiny little church like this do that. But if we work with other people and we inspire other people, then then it really can't happen. And I see that at Starbucks as well. If someone goes in who's having a bad day and someone's kind to them and someone's welcoming to them and someone's loving to them, that could, that could be the possibility just to turn their day around and things change. You know, things could change just like that. So it doesn't have to be only Starbucks. It could just go and go and go like a wildfire. Yeah.

Marcie: 35:45

Yes.[inaudible]

Carla: 35:46

Oh, this is so refreshing. Marcy, thank you so much for being on this podcast. I'm really enjoyed talking to you with you today. Is there anything that I didn't ask you that you wanted me to ask you or anything more that you wanted to say? Uh, about sandboxing to be a Christ?

Marcie: 36:03

I think that's it. I can't, I mean, I could stand on my soapbox all day. There's just so much that we do, but that's just a glimpse into the world of our, you know, Starbucks coffee company. So I think we covered it all.

Carla: 36:15

Well you did a fantastic job. Thank you so much for sharing your passion with us. And I know coffee isn't your favorite beverage though, is it?

Marcie: 36:24

It's so not

Carla: 36:26

[inaudible]

Marcie: 36:27

or my whole family loves it. My sisters will drink it black. My parents drink it black and that's just the one I can talk about it for days. I will prepare it for you in any style, shape or form. I will just not in, not, I will not enjoy and partake.

Carla: 36:46

Thank you for being honest about that. I really appreciate that. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it very much. Have a good day. You too.

Music: 37:01

[inaudible]

Josh Mangelson: 37:04

Thanks for listening to Project Zion podcast. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple podcast, Stitcher or whatever podcast streaming service you use and while you are there, give us a five star rating projects. I am podcast is sponsored by Latter-day Seeker Ministries of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are of those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of latter day secret ministries or community of Christ. The music has been graciously provided by Dave Heinze.

Speaker 2: 37:54

[inaudible][inaudible][inaudible].

Project Zion Podcast

Extra Shot Episode 55: The Enduring Principles and Starbucks with Marcie Marshall

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