I was born on the other side of the tracks, in public housing in Brooklyn, New York. My dad never made more than $20,000 a year, and I grew up in a family that lost health insurance. So I was scarred at a young age with understanding what it was like to watch my parents lose access to the American dream.

I never took classic business classes in college, so I don't have the background that any of the people running large companies have.

Managing a business, small or large, today requires an extremely disciplined, thoughtful approach with regard to the pressure that people are under.

Success is something that has to be earned every day.

The response to the Starbucks brand has been phenomenal in our international markets.

The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.

Anybody can leverage celebrity for profit.