“ Believe in your dreams and dream big.” – Howard Schultz.
Born : 19th July, 1953 in New York, US
Nationality : American
Education : Bachelor Degree from Northern Michigan University
Spouse(S) : Sheri Kersch(m. 1982)
Children : 3(Eliahu Jordan Schultz, Kyle Schultz, Addison Schultz)
Awards : Received the FIRST Responsible Capitalism Award in 2007
The smell of coffee brewing is so amazing. Coffee lovers will agree that a good cup of coffee at any given time is like a breath of fresh air. One young man did not just enjoy his cup of coffee; he made a decision to turn it into a business that would later make him a billionaire hence realizing his American dream. This young man is none other than Howard Shultz. He was the CEO of Starbucks a multi-billion company known for its amazing coffee. This article seeks to let you in on the life of a young man who believed in his American dream and never gave up until he realized it.
7 Amazing Facts about Howard Schultz the Starbucks Boss –
1. Raised in Extreme Poverty
Howard was raised by poor working parents who were uneducated. His dad had a blue-collar job that did not earn him enough to give his family a better life. He did not have health insurance. Howard went to a school that was so poor it did not even have a football field. This was all the motivation he needed to create a business that had all the benefits that his father never had.
2. His Career before Starbucks
Howard started working at the age of 12. His first job was selling newspapers; he then worked at a local café and a fur store when he was 16 years old. Due to his athletic success, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Northern Michigan University. After graduating from the University he got a job as a sales manager at Xerox he later joined Hamamarplast a company that dealt in house wares including coffee makers. It’s at Hammarplast that he had his first encounter with Starbucks. He was so intrigued by Starbucks that he sort employment there.
3. II Giornale
While on holiday in Italy Howard realized that coffee shops not only offered coffee but also they offered the coffee lovers space to lounge and hang out for hours. This amazed him so much that he tried to convince the owners of Starbucks to try it. They refused to implement Howard’s suggestions and him taking no for an answer decided to quit and start his own coffee shop that would offer the services he had seen in Italy. His shop was called II Giornale. He was so successful that one year later he bought Starbucks.
4. He Owned a Basketball team
He ones owned the Seattle Supersonics and the Seattle storm. He later sold The Seattle Supersonic to the Professional Basketball association chairman Clay Benet. This caused bad blood between him and the people of Seattle because Benet had intentions of moving the team to Oklahoma. He later sold the Seattle storm to a group of four women who retained it in Seattle.
5. Loving and Caring
Howard is known to love his business with the same intensity as his family. Growing up in extreme poverty and seeing the way his father suffered at a job that could not take care of him when he broke his leg. Howard has always ensured that his employees are made as comfortable as possible in their working environment. His employees are provided with a comprehensive health cover and a stock-option plan. He is also known to encourage people to share. This was inspired by a story he heard from a Jewish Rabii about how the Jewish people shared blankets with others during the Holocaust. He strongly believes in the power of sharing resources among each other.
6. He Has no Particular Success Formula
For many people who have made it big in business, there’s always been a business plan for it. Howard on the other hand just saw an opportunity and embraced it. He used it to achieve his Dreams. According to him, there’s no particular formula for success. He believes hard work and good luck put him where he is today. He challenges young people to hold onto their dreams until they come true.
7. Political and Philanthropic interests
Howard will always be sensitive to politics. He believes that Americans deserve to live in an environment of honesty and civility regardless of one’s political stand. Through the Shultz Family Foundation, he works to enable youths and veterans get jobs. They are also keen on healing rifts in American society. He believes that all this can be achieved if the American leadership adopts the Servant leadership style.
Finally, Howard’s story encourages people not to lose sight of their dreams. Passion and hard work is key to achieving whatever one desires. Above all this love and care for your people. Do not forget your roots, celebrate your failures exceed expectations and stand for something important. This way you will make it.
