Howard Schultz—the long-time CEO of Starbucks and the entrepreneur who turned around the company amidst the 2008 economic crisis—is a role model on how to invigorate growth. Remember, Starbucks is selling a commodity after all. The quintessential entrepreneur worked as a manager at Starbucks Coffee Company in the early 1980s and a visit to Italy introduced him to the ‘romance’ of coffee houses, which he brought back to his company ‘II Giognale’. In a turn of events, Schultz would buy his previous employer, Starbucks, and retain the brand name to turn it into one of the most recognizable ‘third place’ in the world. With revenues of over $24 billion and 28,000 stores, it is hard to imagine that the company once had a near-death experience during the last know recession.......to be continued
