Howard Schultz quotes

Howard Schultz is an American businessman best known for transforming Starbucks into a global coffee powerhouse. His leadership and vision turned the company from a small regional chain into an international brand. He is also recognized for his advocacy of employee benefits and responsible business practices. Here are 112 of his quotes:

Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising.

Howard Schultz

Companies should not have a singular view of profitability. There needs to be a balance between commerce and social responsibility... The companies that are authentic about it will wind up as the companies that make more money.

Howard Schultz

I was born on the other side of the tracks, in public housing in Brooklyn, New York. My dad never made more than $20,000 a year, and I grew up in a family that lost health insurance. So I was scarred at a young age with understanding what it was like to watch my parents lose access to the American dream.

Howard Schultz

I think we are living in a time where the consumer has lots of choices, whether it's coffee, newspapers or whatever it is. And there is parity in the market place, and as a result of that, the consumer is beginning to make decisions, not just on what things cost and the convenience of it.

Howard Schultz

Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march.

Howard Schultz

What I would say to young entrepreneurs is there's so many moments in your life where you have these dreams, and people are trying to protect you, and they say, perhaps, friends, family, parents sometimes, they don't agree with it, they think, 'This is just too high of a hurdle.' And I don't agree with that.

Howard Schultz

China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers.

Howard Schultz

I was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.

Howard Schultz

People around the world, they want the authentic Starbucks experience.

Howard Schultz

We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.

Howard Schultz

I never wanted to be on any billionaires list. I never define myself by net worth. I always try to define myself by my values.

Howard Schultz

The challenge of the retail business is the human condition.

Howard Schultz

My mother taught me something at a young age - she said 'you are the company you keep.' To define yourself by some label or some level of resources - that's pretty shallow.

Howard Schultz

We need to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers. That is my new battle cry. Live and breathe Starbucks the way our customers do.

Howard Schultz

Business leaders cannot be bystanders.

Howard Schultz

Social and digital media is a bullet train, and that bullet train is not coming home.

Howard Schultz

Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy. The other side of it is that you can't cut enough costs to save your way to prosperity.

Howard Schultz

Europe has always represented a major strategic opportunity to achieve our goal of creating and building an enduring global brand.

Howard Schultz

This may sound a bit naive, but I got here by believing in big dreams.

Howard Schultz

At an early age, my mother gave me this feeling that anything is possible, and I believe that.

Howard Schultz

Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy.

Howard Schultz

I can't imagine a day without coffee. I can't imagine!

Howard Schultz