Coffee to campaigns

My marketing journey didn’t start in a classroom or behind a corporate desk. It started behind the counter of a Dunkin’ Donuts in my hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin.

At fifteen years old, I was rolling out of bed to make coffee at 5:00 AM on Saturday mornings—mostly just for the free iced caramel swirl. Traditional school, test scores, and sports were never where I excelled. But behind that counter, something clicked: I was good at coffee. I thrived in the fast pace, the craftsmanship, the muscle memory, and the precision behind every recipe. By eighteen, I was stepping into leadership as a shift lead.

College wasn't a financial option for my family, so I decided to bet on my own work ethic instead. I moved over to a local specialty coffee shop to get my hands on a real espresso machine, learn the art of bean roasting, and understand true quality. That was where my passion fully ignited, and where I learned about the absolute peak of the coffee world: the Starbucks Reserve Roastery flagship in Seattle, Washington.

It was the ultimate stage for baristas, the place where only the best of the best worked.

I studied coffee science relentlessly and applied. Most went through grueling rounds of interviews. I was hired on the spot.

Suddenly, I was living in Seattle, working side-by-side with national barista champions. I perfected my craft, mastered the science of extraction, and eventually fell in love with the artisanal bakery side of the flagship. I immersed myself in authentic Italian baking, crafting everything from hand-laminated cornetti and sfilatini to artisan sourdough and focaccia. It wasn't long before I was promoted to Head Trainer for both the barista and Italian bakery departments, guiding new hires as they built their own skills.

Driven to keep pushing forward, I began documenting my day-to-day work online. I filmed real conversations with customers, the heat of managing six massive ceramic German ovens, and the art of a perfect pour. The response was immediate and massive. For months, every video I posted hit millions of views.

Despite initial pushback from store management who were wary of the sudden spotlight, corporate headquarters just down the road saw what was happening. They recognized the power of authentic, insider storytelling.

Starbucks Corporate brought me in to work alongside their central marketing team as an in-store content creator. Soon, I was attending global influencer events and creating campaigns alongside some of the biggest creators in the world. I built a role from scratch out of sheer initiative.

That was the spark. What started as a love for coffee, pastries, and human connection transformed into a career in narrative strategy, content creation, and brand building.