Starbucks has stores in America in many, many communities that are governed by many, many different municipalities. Starbucks cannot dictate to a municipality in Cincinnati or Kansas City or Sacramento how or why or when there should be a recycling program.

I was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.

When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.

I don't have any secret sauce and I'm no smarter than anyone else. I will say I have surrounded myself with unbelievable talent that has made my job easier.

Customers don't always know what they want. The decline in coffee-drinking was due to the fact that most of the coffee people bought was stale and they weren't enjoying it. Once they tasted ours and experienced what we call "the third place" ... a gathering place between home and work where they were treated with respect.. they found we were filling a need they didn't know they had.

The issue of managing through a crisis is you have to be decisive even if you don't have perfect information.

We think of Starbucks not as a coffee company but a media company.