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.

In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we're made of.

In life, you can blame a lot of people and you can wallow in self-pity or you can pick yourself up and say listen, I have to be responsible for myself.

The Starbucks customer and the Teavana customer are two very different customers, two different need states that are highly complimentary.

Great companies that build an enduring brand have an emotional relationship with customers that has no barrier. And that emotional relationship is on the most important characteristic, which is trust.

If you want to achieve widespread impact and lasting value, be bold.

Do I take criticism of Starbucks personally? Of course I do.