The first thing that comes to many people’s minds when they hear “Starbucks” is overpriced lattes. But behind the empire is a man who grew up in a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, in a family that struggled to make ends meet. He saw what it meant to live without stability.
When Howard was just seven years old, his father broke his leg at work. There was no support, no insurance, no safety net. Everything fell apart, and that moment changed him. He made a decision that if he ever had the chance, he would build a company that provided the security his father never had. A place where employees are treated with dignity.
Howard was the first in his family to graduate from college. He started his career in sales at Xerox, where he learned discipline and cold-calling skills.
By age 29, he left a comfortable corporate job in New York and moved to Seattle to join a small company called Starbucks. At the time, it wasn’t the giant that we know today. It only sold coffee beans, not drinks.
During a trip to Milan in 1983, Schultz was fascinated and inspired by the atmosphere of Italian espresso bars. He realized that a café wasn’t just a place about the drink.
That’s when the idea clicked: a cafe could be more than a shop.
It could be a “Third place,” a space between home and work where people can connect and feel a sense of belonging.
When he shared his vision of turning Starbucks into a place where people don’t just visit but belong, the original owners weren’t interested. They didn’t see the potential. He pitched his ideas to 242 investors, and by 217, he was rejected. The concept felt too risky, but that didn’t stop Howard. He kept going until he found the backing to buy Starbucks and transform it into a global community.
Why this story matters:
- The Power of “Why”: His drive didn’t come from money. It was about something deeper—his childhood and the decision that things would be different.
- Calculated Risk: At age 29, he walked away from his comfort zone and moved across the country for a tiny bean shop. Sometimes you have to leave “comfortable” to find “extraordinary.”
- Resilience: Most people quit after 5 to 10 rejections. Howard faced 217. Success isn’t just about the great ideas. It’s about stamina to stay when everybody says no, but you keep following your dream.
“Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. Care more than others think is wise.“
– Howard Schultz
Sources: Forbes, CNBC
Read also: Sara Blakely: The Billion-Dollar Idea No One Took Seriously
