Thom Singer's Strategic Partnership with Starbucks (Unofficially!)

Looking around as I write this blog post I see the familiar muted earth-toned yellow and green walls. The smell of fresh coffee fills the air, and the availability of free Wi-Fi keeps me connected to the outside world. The comfortable nest of my "movable-feast" of an office location gives me comfort and peace of mind no matter where in the world I find myself.

It is my place.

I work from Starbucks. As a professional speaker, consultant / adviser and author my location is often on sight for a client, but the rest of the time I need a place to get stuff done and hold meetings. My house does not always serve me as a place to work effectively, as my wife runs her business from home, and the kids come and go all the time. I like the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop, and Starbucks has served me well as my office of choice for several years.

They do not know it, but they have become a strategic partner in my success.

I have free office space regardless of being in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Detroit, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Sacramento, Houston, Boston, Washington DC, Denver, Laguna Beach, Tucson, Seattle, San Antonio, El Paso, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando, Nassau (Bahamas), Barcelona (Spain), Ottawa (Canada), Toronto (Canada), Dublin (Ireland), Paris (France), or nearly any other city I have found myself in the last three years.

I can connect to the internet, meet with clients, write a blog post (as I am doing right now), grab a cup of coffee, eat my lunch, and ask directions and other local questions of interest from those who work there (they are always nice and have become my own personal concierge service when I am in a strange land).

From my side, I am both a loyal customer and advocate. They keep up there side of the bargain by providing predictable products and services that allow my business to prosper. Oh, and without caffeine, I am not sure I could ever take the stage and speak to hundreds of people at 8:00 AM at an industry conference, law firm meeting, or sales kick-off. They fuel my pizazz some days when sleep does not come (I have trouble sleeping in hotel rooms sometimes).

Have A Great Day.

thom