Small talk, big connections | Sam Bradford | TEDxASUWest

At the age of 30, Sam Bradford quit his job to work part-time at a coffee company, where he learned the influential power of small talk. Bradford describes how authentic dialogue deserves a place in business, and that conversation between strangers can lead to infinite number of possibilities. Sam Bradford began his mentoring journey as a youth pastor, serving his community for 12 years. A change of heart occurred 3 years ago for Bradford, after listening to a Podcast about Dutch Bros Coffee where the founder, Travis Boersma, spoke about the company’s culture of love. It was then that Bradford joined Dutch Bros, with the ambition and intent to help people grow. Seven months after being hired as a “bro”-ista, Bradford was appointed Director of People Development, where he created a curriculum to teach team members classes on goal setting, self-leadership, and personal finance. During his People Development career, Bradford has been able to extend his reach to high school students, top-level executives, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bradford has a true passion for speaking, coaching, and leading people to improve their lives as well as the lives of those around them. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at