We are not in the coffee business serving people, we are in the people business serving coffee.

Europe has always represented a major strategic opportunity to achieve our goal of creating and building an enduring global brand.

When I returned as CEO in 2008, Starbucks had forgotten that meaningful innovations balance an organization's heritage with modern-day relevance and market differentiation, so we had to reorient. In one brainstorming session, we visited and observed great retailers, then asked ourselves, 'If Starbucks did not exist, what type of coffee experience would we create?

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

Beverages have to be created. And they're created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry - what color's hot right now.

Every step of the way, I made a point to underpromise and overdeliver. In the long run, that's the only way to ensure security in any job.

Many companies today are reducing hours of full-time people to get under the minimum so they don't have to pay health care costs. I just shake my head because that's not going to build long-term value and trust with your people.