"I was born on the other side of the tracks, in public housing in Brooklyn, New York. My dad never made more than $20,000 a year, and I grew up in a family that lost health insurance. So I was scarred at a young age with understanding what it was like to watch my parents lose access to the American dream."

"I think we are living in a time where the consumer has lots of choices, whether it's coffee, newspapers or whatever it is. And there is parity in the market place, and as a result of that, the consumer is beginning to make decisions, not just on what things cost and the convenience of it."

"Pouring espresso is an art, one that requires the barista to care about the quality of the beverage."

"I do feel, in a sense, the rules of engagement for citizenship has changed, and we must encourage other people to speak up and to take action."

"Expect more than others think possible."

"I think there is probably no better person to aspire to emulate than Steve Jobs and what he has done at Apple in terms of his leadership, his innovation, not settling for mediocrity."

"There's an energy and excitement when you're building a company. You have so much tail wind. You're planting new seeds. But it's also scary, because there's no safety net."

"We can't wait for Washington. Business leaders are going to have to galvanize their own constituencies and do everything they can to demonstrate confidence in the economy, and I think that can be contagious."

"Certainly the caffeine in coffee, whether it's Starbucks or generic coffee, is somewhat of a stimulant. But if you drink it in moderation, which I think four or five cups a day is, you're fine."

"We need to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers. That is my new battle cry. Live and breathe Starbucks the way our customers do."

"Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising."

"Customers have different need states and life experiences."

"China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers."

"A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not."

"We sell tea in Starbucks, but I think the experience is very different. I think coffee is something that is quick - it's transactional. I think tea is more Zen-like. It requires a different environment."

"Often, organizations need bold, grand gestures to galvanize people towards a new mission or refocus their attention."

"You must find something that you deeply love and are passionate about and are willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve."

"We live in an age where everything is based on the short term."

"Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy."

"You can't build any kind of organization if you're not going to surround yourself with people who have experience and skill base beyond your own."

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

"Profitability is a shallow goal if it doesn't have a real purpose, and the purpose has to be share the profits with others."

"Do I take criticism of Starbucks personally? Of course I do."

"The premium single-cup segment is the fastest-growing business within the global coffee industry."