"I was not born in a golden cradle... I was born in public housing, surrounded by poverty, but with a vision that no broken roof could hinder." I grew up in Brooklyn, in a neighborhood where dreams seemed like luxuries. My father was an underpaid truck driver who got injured at work and was fired without insurance, without help, without anything. I was only seven years old... and that moment was etched in my soul. From that moment, I swore that if I ever had power, I would treat people with dignity.
I worked hard, I was the first in my family to go to college. But don't think it was easy. I sold blood to pay for my studies. Literally. After graduating, I found a small company called Starbucks... they only sold coffee beans. But I didn't see just beans. I saw a movement, a ritual. I saw the opportunity to create a space where people felt seen, heard, and valued.
No one believed in my idea of turning Starbucks into a meeting place, an experience. I was rejected more than 200 times when I wanted to invest in it. But I didn't stop. I fought, I cried, I got back up. Today, that idea that was shut in my face... has more than 30,000 stores around the world.
"You don't need to inherit an empire to build one... you just need faith, hunger, and a reason bigger than fear."
Howard Schultz
