Whatever You Do, Don't Play It Safe.

Always Challenge The Old Ways.

It's Ironic That No Matter Where I Go, I Meet People From Brooklyn. I'm Proud Of That Heritage. It's Where I'm From, Who I Am.

I Realize That Idealism Is Out Of Sync With The Cynicism Of Our Age. Skepticism Has Come To Be Synonymous With Sophistication, And Glibness Is Mistaken For Intelligence. In Such An Atmosphere, Why Bother Aiming High? Far Too Many People Don't. I Just Want To Reassure People To Have The Courage To Persevere, To Keep Following Their Hearts Even When Others Scoff. Don't Be Beaten Down By Naysayers. Don't Let The Odds Scare You From Even Trying.

We Woke Up One Day, And All The Sudden Starbucks Was In The Middle Of This Political Crossfire Between The People Who Want To Bring A Gun Into Starbucks And The People Who Want To Prevent It. It Is A Very Difficult, Fragile Situation.

I Am Concerned About Any Attrition In Customer Traffic At Starbucks, But I Don't Want To Use The Economy, Commodity Prices Or Consumer Confidence As An Excuse.