Howard Schultz

Because Chicago was the first market outside of Seattle and Vancouver, right? Yes. Even before LA.

Because Chicago was the first market outside of Seattle and Vancouver, right? Yes. Even before LA.

And it didn't work right away. Howard Behar should be credited with so much of the cultural texture and the tapestry of the humanity of the company, said, I will go to Chicago and fix it. He went to Chicago and stayed in Chicago through the winter. And recalibrated the mistakes we were making.

And it didn't work right away. Howard Behar should be credited with so much of the cultural texture and the tapestry of the humanity of the company, said, I will go to Chicago and fix it. He went to Chicago and stayed in Chicago through the winter. And recalibrated the mistakes we were making.

And of course, he and Oren were so instrumental into the loneliness that exists as an entrepreneur and their ability to help me build the company that you know today.

And of course, he and Oren were so instrumental into the loneliness that exists as an entrepreneur and their ability to help me build the company that you know today.

Yeah, so I have in my script here, this is literally labeled the H2O era. And for anyone who was a partner at Starbucks sort of knows what I'm talking about and anybody else outside has no idea. But there's two Howards. There's Howard Schultz and Howard Behar. And Howard Behar joined in 1989. Oren Smith joined in 1990.

Yeah, so I have in my script here, this is literally labeled the H2O era. And for anyone who was a partner at Starbucks sort of knows what I'm talking about and anybody else outside has no idea. But there's two Howards. There's Howard Schultz and Howard Behar. And Howard Behar joined in 1989. Oren Smith joined in 1990.

And the way that it looks to me from the outside, and you can tell me if this is right, you were sort of the vision and ambition that would almost like... take any ambition that anybody else had and force them to think bigger and faster. And then Howard Behar was in many ways the soul. He brought the idea of servant leadership. He brought the idea of nothing else matters if we aren't people first.

And the way that it looks to me from the outside, and you can tell me if this is right, you were sort of the vision and ambition that would almost like... take any ambition that anybody else had and force them to think bigger and faster. And then Howard Behar was in many ways the soul. He brought the idea of servant leadership. He brought the idea of nothing else matters if we aren't people first.

And obviously that became a huge tenet of Starbucks as we knew it through the 90s and 2000s. But that seems like it really arrived with him. And then Oren is like a numbers god.

And obviously that became a huge tenet of Starbucks as we knew it through the 90s and 2000s. But that seems like it really arrived with him. And then Oren is like a numbers god.

No, he was the adult in the room, more than the numbers. He had the style. He was quiet. He was a gentleman. He was the only MBA in the company. But he was the wise man who, behind the doors, could say to me and Howard, you're both full of shit. We're not doing that.

No, he was the adult in the room, more than the numbers. He had the style. He was quiet. He was a gentleman. He was the only MBA in the company. But he was the wise man who, behind the doors, could say to me and Howard, you're both full of shit. We're not doing that.

And we listened, more or less. And was it true that the three of you had dinner every Monday night for a decade?

And we listened, more or less. And was it true that the three of you had dinner every Monday night for a decade?

More or less, that is true. Sometimes more than once if we had a crisis or two, which generally we did, or we had a disagreement. There's a lot of creative conflict, especially between Howard and I, because he had to operate what we were trying to do, and at times he thought we were growing too fast or ahead of the resources.

More or less, that is true. Sometimes more than once if we had a crisis or two, which generally we did, or we had a disagreement. There's a lot of creative conflict, especially between Howard and I, because he had to operate what we were trying to do, and at times he thought we were growing too fast or ahead of the resources.

Because he was basically training all these operators, the sort of management fleet of the company.

Because he was basically training all these operators, the sort of management fleet of the company.