When it rains, it pours. After being laid off from his long career as a successful advertising executive (and the six-figure salary), Michael Gates Gill tried to make a living by starting his own consulting business. Within a few years, he was forced to close his business, got divorced, and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. How's that for a storm?


Some people might have shut themselves away from the world. But not Michael. Five years ago, he ventured out to Starbucks on his routine coffee trip, and it happened to be the day Starbucks was holding a hiring fair. When the manager asked Michael if he would like to apply for a job, he went for it without hesitation.

While Michael spends his days as any other barista, steaming milk and sweeping up, he's also found success as an author. He wrote a best-selling memoir titled, How Starbucks Saved My Life, and Tom Hanks plans to produce and star in the film version of the book. Michael cheerfully told CNN, "When I lost my job I thought my life was over. I didn't realize it was just the beginning. I may have a part-time job, but I have a full-time life."

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In last night's "The Lecture Circuit" episode of The Office, Dwight and Jim accede their new roles as coheads of the party planning committee but, sadly, forget Kelly's birthday. Once the two realize they missed her big day and issue an awkward over-the-cubicle apology, a sensitive Kelly says her "only wish is that nothing so terrible would ever happen to anyone else ever again" (clearly office code for "you better buy me a cake!"). The situation cracked me up because I have seen co-workers get bent out of shape about this very situation before at jobs where there was no official party planning committee.

At Sugar we celebrate birthdays once a month with petite cupcakes and a surprisingly enthusiastic chorus of "Happy Birthday," but I know many offices are unable to pay tribute to every employee's name day. Does your workplace whip out the candles, or do you leave the office feeling like a forgotten Kelly or Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles?

Photos courtesy of NBC