They were about self-examination in the pursuit of excellence, and a willingness not to embrace the status quo. This is a cornerstone of my leadershi… - Howard Schultz

The point of a coffee store was not just to teach customers about fine coffee but to show them how to enjoy it.

When companies fail, or fail to grow, it’s almost always because they don’t invest in the people, the systems, and the processes they need.

"Protect and preserve your core customers," he [Jim Sinegal, cofounder and CEO of Costco] told our marketing team when I invited him to speak to us. "The cost of losing your core customers and trying to get them back during a down economy will be much greater than the cost of investing in them and trying to keep them."