Howard Schultz

So she is the glue to everything that's happened. And I don't know if she'd ever had a conversation with her father. I'm sure she did. But the whole thing could have been over.

So she is the glue to everything that's happened. And I don't know if she'd ever had a conversation with her father. I'm sure she did. But the whole thing could have been over.

And that would have been a very understandable response if Sherry had said, I wasn't going to say anything, but look at our situation objectively here.

And that would have been a very understandable response if Sherry had said, I wasn't going to say anything, but look at our situation objectively here.

Yeah, and her father was a great guy. And I understood, but I was embarrassed and humiliated. How could I not be?

Yeah, and her father was a great guy. And I understood, but I was embarrassed and humiliated. How could I not be?

In a business that he clearly did not understand, you know, a coffee store.

In a business that he clearly did not understand, you know, a coffee store.

The other interesting thing to point out around this time is for the people who were seeking high-risk business investments, this is the late 80s, it's time to look at tech. We're now 12 years into Microsoft, Apple's four years past the Macintosh, and you're trying to raise money for a coffeehouse chain.

The other interesting thing to point out around this time is for the people who were seeking high-risk business investments, this is the late 80s, it's time to look at tech. We're now 12 years into Microsoft, Apple's four years past the Macintosh, and you're trying to raise money for a coffeehouse chain.

With names that people couldn't pronounce and serving it in a paper cup to go.

With names that people couldn't pronounce and serving it in a paper cup to go.

That does not sound innovative to me. I don't know why I'm putting my risk capital into your... Yeah.

That does not sound innovative to me. I don't know why I'm putting my risk capital into your... Yeah.

You know, I would bring investors to the two or three stores, and I would make sure there was a fair amount of people in the space. And that's when I started talking about the language of community and the third place. And that's what I saw in Italy. The unlock and the epiphany, of course, it was the romance of espresso, but it was the sense of community.

You know, I would bring investors to the two or three stores, and I would make sure there was a fair amount of people in the space. And that's when I started talking about the language of community and the third place. And that's what I saw in Italy. The unlock and the epiphany, of course, it was the romance of espresso, but it was the sense of community.

And that is what was happening very early on in the two stores in Seattle and the one in Vancouver. You could see it. What would people do after they bought the coffee? You said these are very small places. They would stand up. Because the two stores didn't have seating right away. They would stand up at the coffee bar at the window on Columbia Center. And it was at 8, 9 o'clock in the morning.

And that is what was happening very early on in the two stores in Seattle and the one in Vancouver. You could see it. What would people do after they bought the coffee? You said these are very small places. They would stand up. Because the two stores didn't have seating right away. They would stand up at the coffee bar at the window on Columbia Center. And it was at 8, 9 o'clock in the morning.

They were hanging out there. And then late morning, they were coming back. And you could just feel the relationship that people were having with one another around human connection. I know it sounds trite, but I could see it back then. And as I was talking to people about the investment opportunity, I was pointing out, look what's happening here. There's something happening.

They were hanging out there. And then late morning, they were coming back. And you could just feel the relationship that people were having with one another around human connection. I know it sounds trite, but I could see it back then. And as I was talking to people about the investment opportunity, I was pointing out, look what's happening here. There's something happening.