Cody Rigsby Reflects on His ‘Lifeline’ First Job at McDonald’s (Exclusive)

Cody Rigsby will always hold a special place in his heart for the Golden Arches. The beloved Peloton instructor reflected on his first-ever “lifeline” of a job at McDonald’s in an emotional conversation with PopCulture.com as he celebrated a “full circle moment” with former and current crew members at the restaurant’s first-ever Homecoming celebration in New York City Wednesday. 

Growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Rigsby recalled applying for a job at McDonald’s on his 16th birthday, starting at the restaurant “like two days later.” Gathering together with other McDonald’s current and former employees, including Michelin-star restaurant chef Harold Villarosa, TV host and actress Alejandra Espinoza and entrepreneur Kendall Hurns to celebrate McDonald’s new “1 in 8” initiative (a reference to the one in eight Americans who have worked at the chain) was unexpectedly emotional for Rigsby looking back. 

“I was sitting here, meeting current crew and former crew, and I got a little bit of emotional because it’s just been a full-circle moment of really understanding and remembering where I came from,” he explained. “This job was so much more than a job for me. It was like a lifeline to me and my mom at that time, [when] she was struggling financially.” After the first six months of working at McDonald’s, Rigsby was able to save up enough money to buy his family a car, and reflecting on that time in his life brought him back to “the humble beginnings for sure.”

Working at McDonald’s also provided Rigsby with a “really strong foundation” of gratitude and kindness from an early age, something he’s taken with him throughout his career. Rigsby’s time at McDonald’s also features in his New York Times Best Seller Xoxo, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness, which he released last month. In his debut book, Rigsby opens up about growing up gay and poor in the South with his mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder and struggled with addiction. 

The dancer describes himself as an “open book,” someone who doesn’t “hold onto any shame, or regret, or guilt about things,” but he was mindful of sharing the dynamic between him and his mom with readers, “knowing that for her, she might hold onto some shame about that.” He told PopCulture, “Before I turned in that final draft, I made sure to talk to my mom, and really reiterate that sharing our story has impact and that someone who reads the book, or listens to the book will see themselves in us.”

“Hopefully that will help anybody, I don’t know, repair a relationship with their parent, or forgive their
parent and move on to a really joyful, happy relationship,” he continued. “Like I say in the book, we don’t know how long we have with our parents. They could die at any moment. It’s better to let go of the past, or let go of anything, and move into the present, and then create as much joy as we can.” 

Xoxo, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness is available wherever you buy books. To support McDonald’s “1 in 8” campaign, the business is selling limited-edition letterman jackets starting on Monday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. ET. For each jacket sold, McDonald’s will contribute funding to help crew members achieve their aspirations through unique experiences and opportunities. Get the details here.