And How Is the Zucchini Water, Ma'am?
Former butler Max Ufberg dishes on his past job waiting on the one percent
In the latest bonus episode of How to Be Anything, we meet Max Ufberg. Max is now a senior editor at Fast Company, but 12 years ago, he was a full-time butler at a wealth management firm in Philly. Tux and all.
In 2013, while trying to make it as a journalist by night, he took a day job as a butler, serving Michelin-star meals, running dry cleaning, and learning, after being in charge of infused water, that he didn’t know the difference between cucumber and zucchini. In this bonus episode, Max shares the strange, funny, and sometimes uncomfortable realities of working behind the scenes for the one percent.
Max insists he doesn’t have any pictures of him in his butling togs (likely story!), but he did send me the above picture of him from back in 2013, looking very normal. Do your best to imagine the clip-on bowtie.
The idea for this episode came while reading Your First Byline, which, back in May, featured an interview with Max where he mentions, in passing, that he used to be a butler. (Say no more!!!) Fortunately, I’ve written about hiring for Fast Company for several years, so I emailed my editor who made a warm intro to Max.
Like Max, I spent my early career waiting tables and tending bar while trying to make it as a writer. In fact, for a while I worked at the Hilton in downtown Nashville and once waited on Little Richard, who lived upstairs at the time (true story).
I remember those years fondly. Waiting tables is tough, physical, and satisfying work. And honestly, in moments when my writing career hasn’t gone to plan, I have thought seriously of donning an apron again.
Which is why—when I later found myself at a smug dinner for a startup where I worked, listening to one of my bosses berate the staff for being “common idiots” (I’m paraphrasing for decency)—I felt like I had wrongly defected. Less than two years before, I had been the common idiot. I say that not because waiters are idiots, but because I was a terrible waiter.
I like Max’s story. It’s a reminder that some jobs can provide a window into how other people live, and show us who we want to be.
Listen to the newest episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite shows.
Bye!
Emily