Howard Schultz's Best Quotes

Howard Schultz is a visionary. He built his Starbucks empire upon principles in which he truly believes.

Namely, he strived to create a casual meeting place, homelike, but with a cosmopolitan feel as well. His humility, democratic ideals, and commitment to the customer proved to be the successful strategy. Starbucks has conquered the west, and is now looking to China.

Below are some of the words of Schultz, which allow you to tap into his idealism and pioneering spirit.

  • Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.
  • There is a direct link between how I grew up and how we tried to build Starbucks.
  • We look at the brand not as a piece of advertising but everything we do communicates who Starbucks is. The place, the physical environment really has become an extension of the brand and it's very important to the success of the company.
  • The majority of our customers make their own proprietary beverage, a double tall latte, vanilla latte, Frappuccino. We've made it fun.
  • Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can't expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don't exceed the employees' expectations of management. That's the contract.
  • We have a big opportunity in China ... We think the number of stores here can rival the number in North America.
  • The point of entry for the Starbucks experience has been much more a social experience (in China) rather than competition between coffee and tea.
  • Success in the United States is not an entitlement in China. You have to go there and earn it, and earn it the right way.
  • We believed very early on that people's interaction with the Starbucks experience was going to determine the success of the brand. The culture and values of how we related to our customers, which is reflected in how the company relates to our [employees], would determine our success.
  • There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage to make choices that go against reason, against common sense and the wise counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is the right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where our actions will lead.
  • One of the fundamental aspects of leadership, I realized more and more, is the ability to instill confidence in others when you yourself are feeling insecure
  • Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than others think possible.
  • Risk more than others think safe.
  • The challenge of the retail business is the human condition.
  • Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable.
  • The most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign.