Sports was a great equalizer. It didn't have color. It didn't matter whether you were rich or poor, black or white. It really shaped me in many ways to be able to deal with a lot of different personalities and different cultures. Sports were the common thread.

I am concerned about any attrition in customer traffic at Starbucks, but I don't want to use the economy, commodity prices or consumer confidence as an excuse.

My passion. My commitment. This is the most important thing in my life other than my family.

Don't settle! Embrace a dream--and keep dreaming. Don't be a bystander. Take it personally.

Everyone must have a shot at the American Dream.

Americans reading the paper, listening to the news every single day, and all you hear is things are getting worse and worse. And that has a psychological effect on consumer confidence. That's what consumer confidence is.

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