Howard Behar

for me to just know that I was living up to my personal mission statements, which goes like this. Every day I want to nurture and inspire the human spirit, beginning with myself first and then for others. And the reason why I said self first is just what we were talking about. I had to be okay with me before I was able to do anything for anybody else. And so it changed my life.

for me to just know that I was living up to my personal mission statements, which goes like this. Every day I want to nurture and inspire the human spirit, beginning with myself first and then for others. And the reason why I said self first is just what we were talking about. I had to be okay with me before I was able to do anything for anybody else. And so it changed my life.

But it was a difficult time. I mean, it was painful. And, you know, I had all the tools at my disposal. That's the stupid part. You know, I've been going to counseling since I was 20 years old. So I knew to do that, but I wasn't doing it. I'd been using affirmations since I was very young. And I stopped using those. And I stopped meditating.

But it was a difficult time. I mean, it was painful. And, you know, I had all the tools at my disposal. That's the stupid part. You know, I've been going to counseling since I was 20 years old. So I knew to do that, but I wasn't doing it. I'd been using affirmations since I was very young. And I stopped using those. And I stopped meditating.

All the things that I knew how to do to help myself, I just forgot. And finally, I got back on board again. And it's not that every day is great. It's not. You know, I have down days. It's like I have days that are great. It could be bright sun outside and my day is gray. But I've learned to deal with it and learned to recognize it. As my mother used to say, this too shall pass.

All the things that I knew how to do to help myself, I just forgot. And finally, I got back on board again. And it's not that every day is great. It's not. You know, I have down days. It's like I have days that are great. It could be bright sun outside and my day is gray. But I've learned to deal with it and learned to recognize it. As my mother used to say, this too shall pass.

It's the truth of the matter is this work is much more important than my past work because this work has zero strings attached. It isn't about how many stores we're opening. It isn't about how much profit we're making. It isn't about any of those things. It's only about serving others. And it fills my soul. And so that's what I want to do.

It's the truth of the matter is this work is much more important than my past work because this work has zero strings attached. It isn't about how many stores we're opening. It isn't about how much profit we're making. It isn't about any of those things. It's only about serving others. And it fills my soul. And so that's what I want to do.

Well, I grew up in Seattle and I'm the son of two immigrants. My father was actually born in 1895 and he came to Seattle as a 15-year-old in 2010. And he had one brother that was here, but he left all the rest of his family behind in Bulgaria. Never talked to him again, never saw them again. The only one he ever saw and talked to was his brother. And he couldn't speak the language.

Well, I grew up in Seattle and I'm the son of two immigrants. My father was actually born in 1895 and he came to Seattle as a 15-year-old in 2010. And he had one brother that was here, but he left all the rest of his family behind in Bulgaria. Never talked to him again, never saw them again. The only one he ever saw and talked to was his brother. And he couldn't speak the language.

He spoke a language called Ladino. and Bulgarian, and he worked in a place called the Pike Place Market, which is a public market in Seattle. And in those days, it really was just a public market. It was a market where the farmers would bring in their groceries and sell them to other retailers. who take them to their stores. And my dad worked in that market, pushing a cart.

He spoke a language called Ladino. and Bulgarian, and he worked in a place called the Pike Place Market, which is a public market in Seattle. And in those days, it really was just a public market. It was a market where the farmers would bring in their groceries and sell them to other retailers. who take them to their stores. And my dad worked in that market, pushing a cart.

He learned the language and slowly but surely, he saved his pennies, nickels and dimes and opened up a small mom and pop grocery store in the north end of Seattle. And that's how we lived. We never had much. I think most my dad ever made was about $18,000 in a year. But we always had food on the table. We had the fruit was bruised and the vegetables were a little brown, but we didn't starve.

He learned the language and slowly but surely, he saved his pennies, nickels and dimes and opened up a small mom and pop grocery store in the north end of Seattle. And that's how we lived. We never had much. I think most my dad ever made was about $18,000 in a year. But we always had food on the table. We had the fruit was bruised and the vegetables were a little brown, but we didn't starve.

And my mother came from Latvia in 1919. as a nine-year-old. And they met in Seattle and ended up getting married and had three kids. And my sister was 14 years older. My brother was 10 years older. And so every day after school, my parents were working on the store. I would go to the store. And it was, I'd fool around. I'd eat Hostess Twinkies. I was a fat little Jewish kid.

And my mother came from Latvia in 1919. as a nine-year-old. And they met in Seattle and ended up getting married and had three kids. And my sister was 14 years older. My brother was 10 years older. And so every day after school, my parents were working on the store. I would go to the store. And it was, I'd fool around. I'd eat Hostess Twinkies. I was a fat little Jewish kid.

You know, I love those Hostess Twinkies. So I would try to do little things. My dad would give me a broom and to sweep the floor, do something around the store. You know, I learned so many lessons from my parents and particularly my father. One day I was up at the front counter and he was ringing up a customer on the cash register. Now this is in the days, there was no electronic cash register.

You know, I love those Hostess Twinkies. So I would try to do little things. My dad would give me a broom and to sweep the floor, do something around the store. You know, I learned so many lessons from my parents and particularly my father. One day I was up at the front counter and he was ringing up a customer on the cash register. Now this is in the days, there was no electronic cash register.

There was 10 buttons across, 10 buttons down and a hand crank, right? And that's what he would ring. He'd put them in and pull the crank and it would put on this little tape. So my dad was ringing up a customer and he said, Howard, go get me a couple of baskets of strawberries. So I went in the back and I got a couple of baskets of strawberries and

There was 10 buttons across, 10 buttons down and a hand crank, right? And that's what he would ring. He'd put them in and pull the crank and it would put on this little tape. So my dad was ringing up a customer and he said, Howard, go get me a couple of baskets of strawberries. So I went in the back and I got a couple of baskets of strawberries and