When
Howard was just 8 years old, his father lost his blue collar
job due to injury, with no opportunities for sick leave or disability pay.
Howard’s parents became unable to pay bills, afford healthcare, or even
put food on the table. Howard wanted a better life, but he
also wanted to make a difference for others. As the first member
of his family to attend college, he earned a degree in Communications, after
which he worked his way upward with sales and marketing positions.
His
incredible drive and work ethic eventually got him hired
as Vice President of a fairly large housewares company. Among his
clients was a small company that sold coffee beans, loose teas, spices
and beverage accessories. Howard became intrigued by this company
when they began purchasing more and more of his
company’s products. On a business trip to their location, he
fostered a relationship with the company owners and
eventually became their Director of Marketing.
Soon
after, while Howard was on vacation in Italy, he noticed coffee shops on every
corner, all brimming with customers day in and day out. People used the coffee
shops as meeting places and hangouts. When Howard returned home, he pitched the
idea to his bosses. However, the small coffee company owners wanted no part of
the ‘restaurant business’ and they quickly dismissed his idea.
Howard
was disheartened by their response to his idea, so he left the company to start
a chain of coffee shops on his own, called Il Giornale. Two years later,
he had enough capital to buy the rights to the small coffee bean company he had
left. It cost him $3 million to purchase and he quickly rebranded Il Giornale
to combine the two concepts into a colossal money making machine.
Of
course, the name of that small coffee bean and tea company was Starbucks, and
as of 2012, it is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, and Howard
Schultz has a net worth of approximately $1.5 billion. True to his promise to
himself when he was just a youngster, every Starbucks employee working 20 or
more hours a week receives healthcare options, which are also extended to their
spouses.
I
often think about Howard when my motivation is low, and I realize that if he can
accomplish such amazing feats, having grown up in a housing project in the Canarsie
area of Brooklyn, then surely the rest of us can find the motivation to accomplish our goals, too.
Until
your motivation returns, let the stories of people like Howard stoke your
fire. You only need one ember burning to keep your dreams from going up in
smoke.
Spread
the word!
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