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" My father had a series of blue-collar jobs and never made more than $20,000 a year. When I was seven, he got injured on a job. That was a very important point - because of the injury, he couldn't walk, and the company he was working for did not pay him. There was no compensation. So there was no money and no food. "

Howard Schultz

Father

Job

Money

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" The response to the Starbucks brand has been phenomenal in our international markets. "

" I do feel, in a sense, the rules of engagement for citizenship has changed, and we must encourage other people to speak up and to take action. "

Howard Schultz

Feel

Speak

" There's this myth that has been exacerbated by others that Starbucks means a $4 cup of coffee, which is not true. "

" People have come to me over the years and said to me: 'I admire the culture of Starbucks. Can you come give a speech and help us turn our culture around?' I wish it were that easy. Turning a culture around is very difficult to do because it's based on a series of many, many decisions, and the organization is framed by those decisions. "

" My biggest concern is that America is drifting towards mediocrity and that people don't recognize - and by people I'm meaning Washington - don't recognize the sense of urgency and the fact that I don't think this is a crisis anymore. I think it's an emergency. "

" I think the most important thing that I think everyone in America must have is belief that wherever they live, whatever station they have in life, that the American dream is alive and well. I think the fracturing of trust and confidence is in the American dream. "

" We can't wait for Washington. Business leaders are going to have to galvanize their own constituencies and do everything they can to demonstrate confidence in the economy, and I think that can be contagious. "

" It's different when you're trying to turn something around, especially something that you built, at a time when so many constituents - the media, Wall Street, competitors, ex-employees - are all saying that Starbucks's best days are behind it, and that Schultz is never going to be able to bring it back. "

" I think what we're lacking in society, not only in the U.S. but also around the world, is to find heroes once again and to celebrate these kind of people. "

" Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy. "

" People ask me what's the most important function when you're starting an organization or setting up the kind of culture and values that are going to endure. The discipline I believe so strongly in is H.R., and its the last discipline that gets funded. "

Howard Schultz

Discipline

Believe

" Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march. "

" The growth of the company and the license that Starbucks has is to participate in other food and beverage opportunities. We have a global business... and in many parts of the world, tea is much, much bigger than coffee, and we're going to bring tea and bring our capability and our understanding of what we've done for coffee to tea. "

" Managing and navigating through a financial crisis is no fun at all. "

" I am concerned about any attrition in customer traffic at Starbucks, but I don't want to use the economy, commodity prices or consumer confidence as an excuse. We must maintain a value proposition to our customers as well as differentiate the Starbucks Experience. That is the key. "

" Great opportunities can be and have been created during tough economic times. "

" We must restore the emotional relationship that people have to the idea of America, that no matter where you come from, no matter where you live, that you have access to the same opportunities that somebody who is born in privilege. "

" London, a city where creativity and innovation have always flourished, provides a significant home for Starbucks and a significant gateway into Europe. "

" Starbucks is in my blood. It is such a part of me that letting it unravel simply was not an option. "

" My kids probably started drinking coffee in their late teens. "

" It's ironic that no matter where I go, I meet people from Brooklyn. I'm proud of that heritage. It's where I'm from, who I am. "

Howard Schultz

Meet

I Am

" I'm optimistic about the country; I'm optimistic about the American people. "

" What I would say to young entrepreneurs is there's so many moments in your life where you have these dreams, and people are trying to protect you, and they say, perhaps, friends, family, parents sometimes, they don't agree with it, they think, 'This is just too high of a hurdle.' And I don't agree with that. "

" The hardest thing about being a leader is demonstrating or showing vulnerability... When the leader demonstrates vulnerability and sensibility and brings people together, the team wins. "

" We need to reinvent food at Starbucks. Less could be more. "

" Europe has always represented a major strategic opportunity to achieve our goal of creating and building an enduring global brand. "

" I think the currency of leadership is transparency. You've got to be truthful. I don't think you should be vulnerable every day, but there are moments where you've got to share your soul and conscience with people and show them who you are, and not be afraid of it. "

" 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. "

" Certainly the caffeine in coffee, whether it's Starbucks or generic coffee, is somewhat of a stimulant. But if you drink it in moderation, which I think four or five cups a day is, you're fine. "

" Business leaders cannot be bystanders. "