Quotes by Howard Schultz

In this ever-changing society, 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. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.

Mass advertising can help build brands, but authenticity is what makes them last. If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.

Authentic brands dont emerge from marketing cubicles or advertising agencies. They emanate from everything the company does...

The evolving social and digital media platforms and highly innovative and relevant payment capabilities are causing seismic changes in consumer behavior and creating equally disruptive opportunities for business.

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

Business leaders cannot be bystanders.

What I would say to young entrepreneurs is theres 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 dont agree with it, they think, This is just too high of a hurdle. And I dont agree with that.

This may sound a bit naive, but I got here by believing in big dreams.

I think my whole life, because of where I came from, I had a fear of failure.

My son is trying to be a sports writer, and my daughter is a college student. She wants to be a comedy writer, and shes at film school. I discouraged both of them early on from getting involved in Starbucks. I didnt think it would be fair; plus, they didnt have any interest anyway.

At an early age, my mother gave me this feeling that anything is possible, and I believe that.

I was born on the other side of the tracks, in public housing in Brooklyn, New York. My dad never made more than $20,000 a year, and I grew up in a family that lost health insurance. So I was scarred at a young age with understanding what it was like to watch my parents lose access to the American dream.

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 were going to bring tea and bring our capability and our understanding of what weve done for coffee to tea.

I was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.

I think there is probably no better person to aspire to emulate than Steve Jobs and what he has done at Apple in terms of his leadership, his innovation, not settling for mediocrity.

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

Great companies that build an enduring brand have an emotional relationship with customers that has no barrier. And that emotional relationship is on the most important characteristic, which is trust.

Many companies today are reducing hours of full-time people to get under the minimum so they dont have to pay health care costs. I just shake my head because thats not going to build long-term value and trust with your people.

In the 1960s, if you introduced a new product to America, 90% of the people who viewed it for the first time believed in the corporate promise. Then 40 years later if you performed the same exercise, less than 10% of the public believed it was true. The fracturing of trust is based on the fact that the consumer has been let down.

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.