I worked in the coffee industry for close to seven years.

During my time slinging espresso, it wasn’t unusual for people to open up and tell me about seemingly everything about their lives, from their kids to their jobs–the happiest of moments to the darkest. It didn’t really seem to matter where I worked, or who I came in contact with, people just seemed to open up. It was almost like someone had pinned a “Hi! You can tell me anything…” badge on my apron without me noticing.

Through the years, I’ve learned the art of striking up conversations with nearly anyone; but more importantly, I’ve learned to listen and seen how powerful it can be to simply notice the individual who seems to be lost in the crowd.

A little over a month ago, I met a friend of mine for coffee at a Starbucks in my favorite South Floridian…