You should generally be nice to the people who serve you, often referred to somewhat disparagingly as “the staff”. It could be that the counter worker who is currently serving or collecting money will soon become a star. Someone who hasn’t yet fully realized their potential. Someone like Jorja Smith from Walsall, an industrial town near Birmingham.
Until a few years ago, Smith worked as a barista for the Starbucks coffee chain. If she had an idea for a song, she would briefly disappear into the storage room and record a voice memo. Or she used her breaks to interview herself: Well, Jorja, what are you working on at the moment?
Access to all STERN PLUS content and articles from the print magazine
ad-free
Already registered?
