If It Captures Your Imagination,

I've Traveled Around The World, And What's So Revealing Is That, Despite The Differences In Culture, Politics, Language, How People Dress, There Is A Universal Feeling That We All Want The Same Thing. We Deeply Want To Be Respected And Appreciated For Our Differences.

Starbucks Represents Something Beyond A Cup Of Coffee.

When You Start A Company, It's A Singular Focus. You Have The Wind At Your Back.

I Realize That Idealism Is Out Of Sync With The Cynicism Of Our Age. Skepticism Has Come To Be Synonymous With Sophistication, And Glibness Is Mistaken For Intelligence. In Such An Atmosphere, Why Bother Aiming High? Far Too Many People Don't. I Just Want To Reassure People To Have The Courage To Persevere, To Keep Following Their Hearts Even When Others Scoff. Don't Be Beaten Down By Naysayers. Don't Let The Odds Scare You From Even Trying.

When I Returned As Ceo In 2008, Starbucks Had Forgotten That Meaningful Innovations Balance An Organization's Heritage With Modern-day Relevance And Market Differentiation, So We Had To Reorient. In One Brainstorming Session, We Visited And Observed Great Retailers, Then Asked Ourselves, 'if Starbucks Did Not Exist, What Type Of Coffee Experience Would We Create?