Over the years, I’ve worked a number of barista jobs to make ends meet. I got my start working at Starbucks while interning for a think tank. Back then, interns weren’t paid. Even though my $9 an hour barista paycheck was barely enough to cover my portion of the rent, at least it was something.
A few years later, I found myself living in my car in Jackson, Wyoming. It’s a tourist town in desperate need of workers. When the local coffee shop didn’t open one morning because it didn’t have enough workers to man the cafe, I picked up a part-time job slinging espresso shots.
These days, I’m a regular customer. Coffee shops are my preferred remote office, after all. In fact, as we speak, I’m typing these words from one of my favorite cafes in Austin.