Topic: Howard Schultz

Thinking Outside The Cup

Surprise! Starbucks barista-in-chief Howard Schultz is making a big, bold push into the music business. He aims to transform the record industry -- and turn Starbucks into the world's biggest brand, period.READ»

Thinking Outside the Cup

Surprise! Starbucks barista-in-chief Howard Schultz is making a big, bold push into the music business. He aims to transform the record industry -- and turn Starbucks into the world's biggest brand, period.READ»

Do You Hear What Starbucks Hears?

The nation's leading coffee chain's step into music retail is a strategic extension of the Starbucks brand. In a candid QA, Howard Schultz expands on the company's attraction to Hear Music, the importance of the customer experience, and how the partnership could remake the music industry.READ»

Thinking Outside The Cup

Surprise! Starbucks barista-in-chief Howard Schultz is making a big, bold push into the music business. He aims to transform the record industry -- and turn Starbucks into the world's biggest brand, period.READ»

Mr. Schultz Goes to Washington

Remarkable story about Starbucks today in the Wall Street Journal regarding its initial, tentative forays into the murky world of Washington lobbying. (Subscription required, so no link. Sorry.) It's worth seeking out because it's a ...READ»

Thinking Outside The Cup

Surprise! Starbucks barista-in-chief Howard Schultz is making a big, bold push into the music business. He aims to transform the record industry -- and turn Starbucks into the world's biggest brand, period.READ»

Innovating with Meaning: Mind the Garden!

Innovative breakthroughs come from people who are not afraid to challenge “the facts” and “the way it’s done in this industry.” What if Columbus had never challenged "the fact" that the world was flat? What if ...READ»

Lifelong Value of Your Commodities?

The New York Post yesterday covered the business model and practices of Britain-based Sanctuary Group, an investment firm that represents two of the heavy-metal bands performing as part of the Ozzfest; produces T-shirts, DVD's, and ...READ»

Growing Smart

Unit of OneREAD»

The Power of One

Amazing what impact a single individual can make on a company with tens or hundreds of thousands of employees. In this month's issue, FC highlights a great story about Starbucks and how Chairman Howard Schultz continues to redefine ...READ»

Starbucks Brews a New Strategy

In the physical world, Starbucks seems to be everywhere. Two years ago, its leaders hoped to build an equally strong presence on the Internet. Now they're trying to reach customers with a more modest blend of Net-related offerings.READ»

Everything You Wanted to Know About Courage... But Were Afraid to Ask.

We asked some of the world's foremost leadership thinkers 15 questions to get to the core of courage.READ»

Who's SuperFast!

A Spy in the House of WorkREAD»

The Soundtrack of Success

In conjunction with Fast Company's July cover story about Howard Schultz's brand extension activities with Starbucks (accessible now by subscribers and newsstand readers), we're working on a side project -- and we'd like your ...READ»

The Soundtrack of Success II

Response to my previous Soundtrack of Success entry has been quite impressive and active. Beyond the comments people have made, I've received almost 50 email submissions. To repeat: In conjunction with Fast Company's July cover ...READ»

What Obama Can Teach You About Your Business

Fast Interview: John Della Volpe, founder and managing Partner of SocialSphere Strategies and director of polling at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, contends that Obama campaign marks a once-in-a-generation innovation in American politics.READ»

• How to Build a Brand Like Obama
• The Brand Called Obama
• What Sarah Palin Might Have in Common With Your Boss

Fast Pack 1999

For the second year in a row, we invited some of the smartest people we know to consider four of the toughest questions around. Fast Company celebrates its third anniversary with the ultimate business round table.READ»

Henry Kissinger had a Point

In business today, there's too much focus on what is bad, what is threatening, who did what to whom. Imagination and innovation are our greatest weapons. Lack of using them is the only thing strong enough to stop any of us from achieving our goals. Factually, we can each get more done in less time if we simply take note on establishing WHERE we are going.READ»

Rwanda Rising: A New Model of Economic Development

Fifteen years after the genocide, the small African country has embraced a new model of economic development. Its strategy: Build a global network of powerful friends to lure private investment -- and market the brand of Rwanda.READ»

• Slideshow: The Rwandan Genocide 15 Years Later

Starbucks Instant Coffee: Our Be-All, End-All Taste Test

Most coffee-drinkers – at least the ones I know – don’t want their pick-me-ups in packet form, especially when Starbucks (or Caribou or Peet’s or Coffee Bean or Seattle’s Best) is right around the corner. But that didn't ...READ»

The Cost of New Year's Resolutions

Our omniscient government has a list of the most popular New Year's resolutions.  Ironically, each one inidividually leads to a healthier happier life. A wish list?  Perhaps, but if we the people fulfilled these important ...READ»

Like Life, Branding Needs Vision Too

Do the Beatles, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and the invention of the radio have anything in common?READ»

It's Not About the Doughnuts

Can an old New England pastry purveyor find new life as a hip coffee shop? Dunkin' Donuts plans to give Starbucks a run for its latte.READ»

Small Business Strategies

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS Who's Zooming You?You're out there. On the Web, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of references to you -- in company newsletters, college alumni notes, and friends' blogs. (As a tech writer, I'm especially ...READ»

Are Fair-Trade Goods Recession Proof? Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and Cadbury Hope So

Global economic crisis. Financial collapse. The current climate. Whatever term you want to use to describe our present state of affairs, I've heard it in the halls and meeting rooms at the Skoll World Forum on Social ...READ»