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.
I do think - as self-serving as it sounds - that I was the right person, given the very, very strong headwind we had from the economy and our own issues, to come back and rewrite the future of the company.
In life, you can blame a lot of people and you can wallow in self-pity, or you can pick yourself up and say, 'Listen, I have to be responsible for myself.'
My mother taught me something at a young age - she said 'you are the company you keep'. To define yourself by some label or some level of resources - that's pretty shallow.
When you start a company, it's a singular focus. You have the wind at your back.
Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.
Starbucks has a role and a meaningful relationship with people that is not only about the coffee.
Do I take criticism of Starbucks personally? Of course I do.
People around the world, they want the authentic Starbucks experience.
We sell tea in Starbucks, but I think the experience is very different. I think coffee is something that is quick - it's transactional. I think tea is more Zen-like. It requires a different environment.
If Vancouver did not succeed as Starbucks from '87 on, our entire international business, which is now thousands of stores and a significant amount of growth and profit, may not have existed.
When it comes to Starbucks, I take every threat very personally.
I really believe that you cannot use the stock market as a proxy for the economy.
Post-9/11, we saw an immediate uptick in the amount of people in our stores, all over the country. People wanted that human connection. We are not going to fracture the Starbucks experience.
You can't build any kind of organization if you're not going to surround yourself with people who have experience and skill base beyond your own.
Growing up I always felt like I was living on the other side of the tracks. I knew the people on the other side had more resources, more money, happier families.
If you don't love what you're doing with unbridled passion and enthusiasm, you're not going to succeed when you hit obstacles.
I love being the underdog.
I'm a voracious reader.
We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.