Howard Schultz: Biography The Starbucks Billionaire

By Thomas Stewart

Poor and destitute, he grew up in Brooklyn, New York in the 1960s. His father sustained an injury at work and was laid off without health insurance. Getting by during his darkest days, he managed to get a basketball scholarship to Northern Michigan University. Driven to perform and harboring a talent for showmanship, he moved to Seattle and began selling coffee beans for Starbucks Coffee. It was not long after that he bought the company and the rest is history. This is the story of Howard Schultz.

 

He transformed an entire industry. After his trip to Italy, he had a revelation, and following his vision made Starbucks part of the American culture where people went to do more than just have coffee. Now, people go there to meet friends, read a book in an ambient environment,, get work done, or just relax.

 

But behind the glitz and glamour, there is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. At one point, Howard Schultz had to sell his blood just to pay his university fees. Come meet the man who defied the odds and even went against the advice of "experts", to create an enviable coffee brand that we love and admire.

 

Here's a preview of what you'll discover in this book:

• Howard Schultz's early childhood, family life, and education
• From Brooklyn to Seattle, and experiencing a moment of epiphany
• His trip to Italy as formative to develop his business vision
• Leading with passion and the opportunity to buy the company
• Pioneering the development of a company as a corporate citizen
• Entering the unknown and expanding overseas
• Starbucks Coffee and the continuation of the modern-day zeitgeist
• Going strong and the next chapter in Schultz's life

….. And much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MG Publishing
• Release date: Dec 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393159094

Book preview

Howard Schultz Biography

The Starbucks Billionaire

Thomas Stewart

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Who is Howard Schultz?

Leadership style

Mission

Chapter 2: Early Life and Career

Chapter 3: The Birth of Starbucks

Chapter 4: Schultz’s Continued Success

Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Storm

Awards

Books

Chapter 5: Social Causes

The Schultz Family Foundation

Debt

Taxes

Environment

Racism

Healthcare

Gay Marriage

Chapter 6: Retirement and Presidential Speculations

Factors impacting the decision to run for president

What would a Schultz presidency look like?

How could Schultz get elected?

Reactions to Schultz’s consideration of the presidency

Campaign platform

Conclusion

Introduction

Howard Schultz, the mastermind behind the success of Starbucks and a possible candidate for the 2020 presidential election, has been the CEO of the company and served as a chairman for almost 40 years. Howard has worked day and night to make Starbucks into a global brand. He wanted Starbucks to be a safe and secure place for people, regardless of their gender, race, or ethnicity. Today, the coffee shop has inspired and nurtured the human spirit and developed a sense of community and engagement. When Schultz bought Starbucks in 1987, he had just an idea to work with. But gradually, Starbucks gained its prominence because of his innovative approaches, promotional campaigns, and customized services for consumers. As an adaptable person, he has looked into every nook and cranny where he can make improvements.

Howard has always believed that the frappucino is a billion-dollar business, but having an innovative product line opens the business up to new experiences, which will enhance its business. This is what he is certain that Starbucks will do in the future and will eventually lead to game-changing innovation in the coffee industry. Being in the business for coffee, it is impossible to not love coffee. He has a habit of drinking five cups every day and his favorites include a French press of espresso and doppio coffee macchiato. It has never been just business and over the years, especially in the last six of his time at Starbucks, he has stated that his intuitive sense has grown tremendously and has helped him become a better businessman.

When America was expanding and developing new ways to promote fast food chains countrywide, Schultz wanted to introduce the concept of coffee and how a coffee place can be comfortable and safe for building relationships. He improved his employees’ working conditions by increasing their benefits to retain them long term. Customers can enjoy baked items and salads along with tea, coffee and fruit juices at all Starbucks locations. You can customize the size of the cups and order according to your convenience. Schultz has worked to promote and broaden the product range since the beginning and that’s what has kept customers coming back again and again for a one-stop opportunity. He is well known in the food service and business management sectors worldwide and an inspiration to millions around the world.

Apart from his business, Schultz is a family man and has had the support of all his family members in all his endeavors. His wife and children have delved into diverse interests in their own lives but never fell short of helping Schultz whenever he needed it. Howard was the previous owner of the Seattle NBA team, the SuperSonics, and is one of the board members at Square Incorporated. His transition from being a member of a struggling family to a billionaire has been nothing less than a miracle. He is very enthusiastic about building a progressive USA and believes that there is power in the youth and the working population. He encourages the youth to be more active and believes that no dream is too big to achieve. If a nation can value its citizens, the path will become easier. He shares his concerns about the legislative system in the country but is certain that with proper changes in administration, things can be improved. Overall, Schlutz’s view of life can be summed up in two of his quotes:

Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable.

If you dream small dreams, you may succeed in building something small. For many people, that is enough. But if you want to achieve widespread impact and lasting value, be bold (Clifford, 2016).

Chapter 1: Who is Howard Schultz?

Howard Schultz is known for his great success as the American businessman who served as the CEO of the international coffee chain Starbucks. He dedicated 40 years to leading the company, connecting coffee with the community as well as developing lifelong relationships with his customers and employees.

He graduated from Northern Michigan University and eventually joined Starbucks, then a one-store operation in Seattle as a retail and marketing operations director in 1982 (Elkins, 2017). That gig lasted until 1985 when he struck out to build his own coffee chain, Il Giornale. The biggest turning point in his life was when he decided to purchase Starbucks, then a six-store enterprise in 1987 and began building it to make it what it is today.

He is a self-made billionaire who has single-handedly created a revolution in the world’s coffee industry. He was not interested in building a company that looked for profits only; he has had the knack and leadership skills to bring people together, through his company and its employees. He has led the company through years of cutting-edge customer service and benefits for both customers and employees, making valuable partners across the globe. Due to his leadership, Starbucks is worth $84 billion today, starting from its humble beginning decades ago. People in the U.S. and 77 countries have fallen in love with the essence of Starbucks.

At the beginning of 2019, Schultz had a net worth of approximately $4.6 billion and is currently number 617 on the Forbes list of billionaires. After his retirement, he became interested in the prospect of running for president and took