After 4 years of college (longer ago than I'd like to mention) and two of those in the business college at OSU, I never thought I would read a "business" book for pleasure. So when I saw the book Onward, By Howard Schultz the CEO of Starbucks at my library, I thought "Nah". But as I LOVE Starbucks Coffee, (Yes I am a coffee snob) I picked it up and read the jacket. Hmm....well it seemed worth checking out.
There was some discussion in the book about the business practices that Mr. Schultz used to help turn Starbucks around starting right at the begining of the recession. What I found most interesting was Mr. Schultz's and the company's desire to remain true to their core values. One thing that stood out among all others was that during the cost cutting measures necessary to set the company right, Mr. Schultz refused to entertain the option of cutting health care and stock benefits for partime employees.
It surprised me how much I enjoyed the book! As a customer of Starbucks, it was intriguing to hear about the decades long development of their instant coffee product, VIA and of a couple of failed product attempts. I recalled Starbucks giving away a free cup of coffee on the day President Obama was elected. In addition, I remember the free coffee tasting held in New York city and across the country when they introduced their everyday blend, Pikes Place.
It was a fun walk down memory lane since I am a big Starbucks fan. Plus it's a great business read for the average Joe, with your morning Joe :-)!
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