KeithBartlett.com

      The day after I shot the video I made 159. This feels great! The best thing is I am not even craving the cookies. Three boxes are chilling in the freezer for that next major level, 149. When I bust those cookies out it will be live on TikTok and then posted here.     I'm using an app called "Simple App" to track my food, drink, and fasting times. It has helped tremendously in staying focused and on the path. Before I used the app I felt like I was just winging it everyday with the keto and the varying hours that I fasted. I was already down 10 from 182 to 172 when I started using the app, but since then the weight has come off more quickly as I now have a plan to follow and track my progress.      The biggest difference though is that I simply have a different frame of mind about my health and my weight. I'm a minimalist and very good at shedding things I don't need. I have applied that same mindset to my weight. I simply don't need the extra mass around

     I have been looking forward for weeks to making this post. I was 182 pounds when I sadly resigned from Starbucks on September 19. Today, after being kept away from the constant temptation of the pastry cart and from 3, 4, or 5 lattes a day, I am down 16 pounds and back to 166.      166 is also a big deal for me because that's exactly my weight on January 18 of 2020 before the onset of the pandemic. Like millions of us I packed on pounds during lockdown. I hit a peak of 194.2 in May of '21. I felt miserable.       I started this blog in August of '21 when I decided to get serious about taking off the weight. From August to November last year I dropped a quick 20 pounds from 189 to 169 right before Thanksgiving. Then I gave in to the holidays and put half of it back on. After the holidays and into the new year I couldn't get back the commitment I had last fall. I got serious again this August and this time I'll only take a light but disciplined break for the holi

     It has been a fun and rewarding 4 years. I have enjoyed every shift. Regrettably, the opportunities in other parts of my life have made it impossible for me give the time to Starbucks that I would like. I extend my sincere thanks to everyone on both sides of the window who made my time at Starbucks some of the most stress free and enjoyable years of my grown-up life.  ✌️❤️☕️

    This week, Starbucks Workers United has turned its exaggerated social media campaign to the issue of negotiations. In filing their petitions to organize, the union fought to have their elections by individual store, insisting that each store is a unique unit that should bargain based on that store's needs. Now, in a complete turnabout, the union suggests that they will propose a single set of contract terms to cover multiple stores. The union, in its own writings, has acknowledged repeatedly that contract negotiations under normal circumstances take more than 1 year. With more than 230 stores now requiring negotiation it is not unreasonable to expect a considerable addition of time to the bargaining process.       The third parties behind Starbucks Workers United, SEIU and Workers United, have never achieved a contract for any company they represent that is as comprehensive or strong as what Starbucks has offered for 30 years without a union. Below is a list of the initial dema

Today's closing share price of $87.27 is a round trip back to March 26, the day it was announced that Howard Schultz was returning to Starbucks. On the day the news broke of Shultz's return, the stock gapped up 5.2% to close at $87.41. T hrough April 4, t he stock continued to rise a total of 10% to $91.49 when Shultz announced the suspension of the share repurchase plan. Shares gapped down 3.7% to $88.09 on that news and continued to decline reaching a 52 week low of $68.39 on May 12. Shares have made a steady recovery from the May 12 low that is in line with the turn in the S&P 500. Yesterday's positive earnings call showed that inflation has not slowed customer demand and the impact of union organizing is negligible. If you are a Starbucks partner using the Employee Stock Purchase Plan you bought your most recent shares on June 30 at $72.57. That price is 6.1% off the 52 week low set on May 12 and at today's close is a gain of  14.7%. Nice trade!

As I engage with the short form Twitter world on issues relating to the unionization effort at Starbucks, my position on the issue, as well as my position at Starbucks, is often distorted and exaggerated by the pro-union crowd. I am a part-timer in a green apron, passing out drinks, making friends and having a fun social time away from my solitary home-based day job. I get very flexible scheduling allowing me to do my 9:30-4:00 work from home, have excellent benefits, and enjoy my free or discounted coffee. I'm there for the depth of benefits available to all Starbucks part-timers that we can't get anywhere else. In 2018 I had a Cadillac health plan through my wife's Teamster's Union job that cost us nothing out of pocket. When that marriage began winding down I had to find my own insurance. When considering my options for health insurance, I looked into various full and part time positions as well as buying insurance directly. As Starbucks was known for having excellen

It's hard to believe and somewhat disappointing that it has been more than 6 months since I hit my year low of 169. The good news is that after a few weeks of a diet and exercise reset I am feeling much better and my waist size has shrunk a comfortable amount. Under 175 as of Monday, I'm pushing a little harder on the bike to get the 169 mark as soon as possible.