Starbucks Proposal
Since opening its first store in 1971, Starbucks has seen itself as a ‘place for human connection’ and a ‘force for positive action’. These principles have been among the many – including serving really great beverages – that have placed it as the iconic neighbourhood coffee shop in communities across Canada.
It’s at Starbucks that people come to enjoy great coffee, a mug of tea and a bite to eat. Over a steaming cup, friends, colleagues and even strangers meet and discuss the day’s events in their neighbourhood, across the country and around the world.
As our environment changes with a speed we have never before seen, our question is: what kinds of conversations are people having over their favourite drink?
With worsening economic, environmental and social news, how we talk together becomes more important than ever. It’s easy to spiral into fear and pessimism. But this becomes self-defeating. Now more than ever, we need to become aware of our personal and community strengths and abilities. We need to be able to see possibility in the midst of radical change. In other words, we need to interact with each other in ways that ensure we all ‘endure and thrive’.
Coaching does just that. It is founded on dialogue that is geared to helping people connect to their biggest dreams and their greatest strengths. Like Starbucks, it is all about‘creating a force for positive action’.
The International Coach Federation GTA chapter wants to do what it can to create conversations that generate power and create possibility. Conversations that enable people to see for themselves that, regardless of the circumstances around them, they are infinitely more resourceful than they know. Conversations that will move all of us into the future with creativity and passion.
The ICF-GTA chapter is one of the largest and most active chapters in North America. It created the now global Prism Award, and each year runs events that invite people from across the region to be inspired and tap into their own strengths and abilities. There are over xxx member coaches; trained professionals whose commitment is to helping people live life at their best.
ICF-GTA wants to run an event: Have a Coffee: Power Your Life. In exchange for a $5 contribution which will go to the United Way of GTA, registered charity #xxxx, members of the public can sign up and receive 30 minutes of coaching from a professionally trained coach. The coaches will donate their time and in exchange receive coaching credits for their ongoing professional certification as well at the opportunity to provide contact information about their coaching service.
Since Starbucks is the place where people meet and talk, it is the perfect host for conversations that inspire possibility and power.
We envision:
•4 -5 Starbucks locations along Yonge Street in Toronto hosting a coaching ‘marathon’ which runs the hours of operation for that location
•2-3 coaches at each location throughout the day (depending on store size) with reserved tables for each coach to coach people on a walk-in basis
•An ICF coordinator at each location to coordinate participants and coaches
•Signage promoting the event at each location
What we ask from Starbucks:
•Reserved seating at each location – preferably at the least busy part of the store
•Signage promoting the event
•Press release promoting the event
The ICF will provide
•Professionally trained coaches
•Logistics coordination with each store
•Information about coaching so people know what they will be receiving if they sign up
•Media promotion of the event
Note: quotation marks above will be removed – they are simply to indicate that these are words taken directly from the Starbucks Mission Statement and shouldn’t be changed through re-writes.