Rodolfo Roger aka The Purple Hair Guy of Toronto is someone I met...you guessed it...at Starbucks. There seems to be a theme with the first part of this series. #PartnersForLife He came to work at my store while I was managing in the financial district, his melodic voice and vibrant hair definitely made an impression. Fast forward a few years, we are in a global pandemic and a few brave souls said 'home is not where I want to be' so I will show up as an 'essential worker' and take the heat when needed from customers who were not always sure where to place their complicated emotions during such a tumultuous time. The beautiful part of this was connecting more deeply with people like Rodolfo. What was once a coffee shop filled with customers became a place for dance parties while making lattes, deep connection and support between partners (what Starbucks employees are referred to as) as well as a space where we could try to provide consistency and familiarity to our customers when 'normal' was the furthest thing from anyones lived experience. Rodolfo is a singer and songwriter from Brazil, he is still with Starbucks part time and also teaches English as a Second Language where he is making a notable impact on the people around him. Join us as we talk about some topics that really sat with me in the days following, we touch on cancel culture, societal norms and what it means to live in a melting pot city, bats, music and much more. Thank you for making time to share a bit more of yourself with the world!
You can find him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rodolforoger/
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/10xqlJbAmdQKbOHVGHO2k3?si=JPw_KyKeSiKqayDIeagFYg
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