In his book “Pour Your Heart into it: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time,” Schultz put forward this challenge to fellow business owners: “Care more than others think wise. Risk more than others think safe. Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than others think possible.”
Before Schultz, few others had seen the potential in the U.S. for the Italian-style espresso bar. For decades, businessmen had traveled back and forth to Italy but none had seen the same thing that Schultz had seen. What was popular with Italians was good for Italy, but it would never fly in America – or so they thought. Just because it hadn’t been done before didn’t stop Schultz from trying to make his vision a reality.
“I believe life is a series of near misses,” says Schultz. “A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see and pursuing that vision.”
Early on in his career, before Starbucks had become the international phenomenon that it is today, Schultz said, “We are going to shock people in terms of what Starbucks is going to be.” Today, despite having over 10,000 stores worldwide, Schultz continues to dream big.
“We have a big opportunity in China,” he says. “We think the number of stores here can rival the number in North America. China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers.” Schultz doesn’t just want to take Asia. He wants to make his Starbucks logo one of the most recognized symbols in the world. And, he is on his way to making that goal a reality.
“We have just begun to realize how large the global growth prospects are, and we anticipate many years of significant development in existing and new markets,” says Schultz. “We believe that we are still in the very early days of Starbucks growth cycle and that we can surpass 20,000 Starbucks stores worldwide.”
From Asia to Europe to North America, there are no limits to Schultz’s dreams for his company. “We think we're on track to become one of the most recognizable brands in the world,” he says. “We're in 35 markets already. There are some new markets that we're very interested in, such as Russia and Eastern Europe. India is another unique place to be in but it's not going to happen tomorrow. But at the same time, we're more focused on filling in the markets we're already in.”
While others warn that Starbucks needs to concern itself with not over-saturating the market, Schultz claims that he will not stop dreaming big dreams so long as people continue to buy his coffee and make his company a success.
“It's still so early on for us,” says Schultz. “We're in the embryonic stages of the growth of the company. Our dream is to continue to grow the company and become one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world.”
“Most people can achieve beyond their dreams if they insist upon it,” says Schultz. “I'd encourage everyone to dream big, lay your foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom. Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean you shouldn't try.”
Lesson #2: Dream Big
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