How Starbucks Saved My Life

Michael Gates Gill, author of "How Starbucks Saved My Life"

Courtesy McCoy Center

Michael Gates Gill, author of the New York Times best-seller How Starbucks Saved My Life, will speak at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts on Feb. 24 at 8 pm.

A description of the evening, courtesy the McCoy Center: "Nearing retirement, Michael Gates Gill lost it all. A Yale-educated ad exec making six figures, Gill was let go from his job, saw his marriage disintegrate, and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At the age of 63, desperate and without health insurance, he found redemption and a new sense of purpose where he least expected: behind the counter of a Starbucks."

"In this talk, Gill shares his tale of personal transformation and the lessons he walked away with: the inherent value of hard work; being open to new possibilities, whatever your age; learning from people who are different from you; the fact that, deep down, differences matter less than what we have in common. Gill's varied work experience — from being a creative director at a famous ad firm to working for an hourly wage as the only older white male alongside younger African-Americans — gives him insight into many of today's hot button workplace issues: racism, ageism, classism, boomer concerns, and corporate accountability. He speaks with humility, gratitude, and good humor about his fall from grace, and the new — better — person he has become because of it."

Tickets start at $15 and are on sale now. For tickets or information, visit mccoycenter.org or call 245-4701. The McCoy Center is at 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. in New Albany.

—Jill Hawes