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Grounds for Success: How Schultz Reached the Top

Article Overview: “I can’t give you any secret recipe for success, any foolproof plan for making it in the world of business,” says Schultz. “But my own experience suggests that it is possible to start from nothing and achieve even beyond your dreams.”

Grounds for Success: How Schultz Reached the Top

“I can’t give you any secret recipe for success, any foolproof plan for making it in the world of business,” says Schultz. “But my own experience suggests that it is possible to start from nothing and achieve even beyond your dreams.”

Schultz has gone from living in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in New York to being founder and chairman of a company that makes over $6 billion in sales each year. How did he do it?

He Trained for Success: Much as he trained like an athlete when he was a child, Schultz used the same attitude of endurance and perseverance to overcome the obstacles that arose throughout his career. He stayed strong, he stayed balanced and he stayed focused on the tasks at hand.

He Had Vision: With Il Giornale, Schultz had launched a successful café in Seattle. His dream of an Italian café experience in the U.S. had been realized. So why didn’t Schultz stop at that? Because he had bigger dreams for himself and his company. He knew he could be more; he knew he could achieve greater things. With a goal of “creating and building an enduring global brand,” Schultz continues to go to work each day and make it happen.

He Built a Brand: “Starbucks is rekindling America’s love affair with coffee, bringing romance and fresh flavor back to the brew,” says Schultz. But, Starbucks is doing much more than that. By focusing on the total experience of the Starbucks customer, Schultz has created a powerful brand that stretches beyond the simple cup of coffee. “We believe that Starbucks can ultimately change the rules of the game,” says Schultz. Indeed, that is the power of a strong brand.

He Fostered a Sense of Teamwork: “Giving back to the community has always been a huge focus for Starbucks and each year we strive to create new ways to become more involved in the neighborhoods where we do business,” says Schultz. From the communities around his stores to the employees within them, Schultz has made people his priority. By giving his workers a stake in the company and the respect his father never got, Schultz has generated impressive loyalty and enthusiasm for good service.

He Partnered Up: Schultz was never one to get ahead of himself. Despite having visions of grandeur, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. Schultz took it upon himself to keep fostering those visions, but brought in others to help him implement the nuts and bolts of the operation. It was only with the help of those around him that Schultz was able to take his company to the top.

Schultz believes that his success can serve as a model for other entrepreneurs looking to achieve their own dreams. “It's a great example for other young people about execution and doing things the right way,” he says. “You don't have to have a cure for cancer, this is just a basic business.”

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  Lesson #4: Pull For Your People
  The Coffee King: Howard Schultz is Born
  Lesson #2: Dream Big
  Lesson #5: Know When to Get Help
  Lesson #1: Think Like An Athlete

Article Tags: athlete, attitude, cup of coffee, dreams, endurance, foolproof plan, global brand, il giornale, neighbourhoods, new ways, obstacles, perseverance, priority, recipe for success, romance, rules of the game, secret recipe, starbucks, teamwork, worke



Related Forum Posts
Brand Babble - I recently read another great book called "Brand Babble" The book debunks a bunch of branding 'myths' that have seem to get passed around as conventional branding wisdom. The authors are Don E Schultz & Heidi F Schultz. ISBN 0-538-72714-4
Quote of the Day - "Expect more than others think possible. - "Expect more than others think possible. Care more than others think wise." - Howard Schultz, goo.gl/SLcI4
Entrepreneurs to profile - Here are my suggestions: Howard Schultz, Founder of Starbucks Jason Jiang, Founder of Focus Media
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert
Re: How do you overcome the fear of rejection while selling? - Evan you are killing with the video replies. Think I may have to follow suit;-) I'm a former sales rep for several Fortune 500 companies and the secret to overcoming rejection is ... sadly keep trying. I love autobiographies. One of my top 3 is the Howard Schultz Starbucks story. He told how daunting it was getting the company off the ground. When he had to raise funds to start, he made a list of the richest people in Seattle and started making the rounds. He said even if he had received No's from his previous 9 meetings, he'd make sure to pump himself up for the 10th meeting of the day. He said if the 10th meeting person knew that the other 9 had turned him down, they probably would turn him down too. I can't remember the exact number but of the 162 people he had meetings with only 44 or so said Yes. Cool huh. So keep going. And only dwell on the successes NOT the misses. Jalanda [New member link in profile]


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