Pour Your Heart into It

How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time

By: Howard Schultz, Dori Jones Yang

Narrated by: Eric Conger

The success of Starbucks is one of the most remarkable business stories in decades. Since 1987, the coffee merchant has grown from a single retail store on Seattle's waterfront to a company with more than 1,000 stores nationwide and a new one opening somewhere every business day. According to Fortune magazine, Starbucks "has changed everything...from our tastes to our language to the face of Main Street."

In Pour Your Heart Into It, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz shares the passion, values, and inspiration that drive this fascinating company. Placing as much importance on employees as on profits, paying as much attention to creativity as to growth, motivated by enduring principles including "Don't be threatened by people smarter than you", and "Everything matters", Starbucks is living proof that a company can lead with its heart, nurture its soul, and still make money.

©1997 Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang. Published by arrangement with Hyperion (P)1997 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Several moments - Schultz scoffing at the idea of Frappuccinos...striding into a beverage pow-wow, demanding 'What is going on with the eggnog latte?' - turn out richer than a cup of Kona." ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Here is what makes a great business audio: real business wisdom passed along as stories within stories." ( Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

a must read for entrepreneur spirit.

very educational, together with excitement. good for encouragement. must review to keep it fresh,for inspiration

The story of Starbucks - Well done!

I have often shared the story of Howard Schultz vision and commitment to Starbucks. This comes from the man himself and is inspirational. My only complaint is that it is too short. Believe in yourself and focus on what you want.

Inspiring

Truly inspiring and gives great inside on the inception and continued growth, from a small business to a large conglomerate.

Good to know where things come from.

Would you try another book from Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang and/or Eric Conger?

Given this initial experience with Howard Schultz, I'd have to say yes, I would try another book. Mainly because of the story, I'm interested in the Starbucks business, so I'd give it another shot.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting: The story behind Starbucks is interesting... not novel, not very inspiring, just interesting.

The least interesting thing about this story: at times it feels like we're being sold on the concept of Starbucks... possibly because the book was written during the time when SB was up and coming.

What does Eric Conger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not sure. I'm relatively new to audio books.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Negative. It's a business book.

Any additional comments?

It's short, a bit out dated. Folks on Amazon.com are pretty harsh about this book. I don't see what all the negativity is all about. It's fine.

MBA Student's Review

I listened to this book to learn more about Starbucks. The book provided a great insight into the history of the company, the passion of the leadership team, and as a bonus and central theme - conveyed the unique culture of the company.

It was a very easy listen and was well writen. My opinion of the company and Howard Schultz improved with each minute. I found that I fit squarely in Starbucks target market and believe the company's value proposition is achieved in my circumstance.

Worth a listen for any business professional interested in corporate culture, Starbuck's History, or Howard Schultz's autobiography.

Loved it

Where does Pour Your Heart into It rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

What an inspiring story, vision, and achievement. I wish all of the executives out there associate the brand with the strength of the people they hire/have/maintain.

What happened to the coffee?

This is a very good business book. An inspiring story from beginning to end, and well read by both the author (foreword) and actor who reads it. My one objection is I do NOT recognize the product he's talking about. The Starbuck's coffee I know is sweet, foamy and more like a liquid lollipop. Far from the motto stated by the end of chapter one "Starbuck's will always sell the highest quality, fresh bean coffee. That's our legacy". I guess the high quality manifesto went out the window when they partnered with Pepsi in the mid-1990s and invented the 'Frappuccino'. I know Starbuck's as a great place to relax, watch people or listen to some music, but it's not where I go for really good coffee. This is why I only gave the book 4 stars, because it sometimes sounds like a marketing pitch. Nevertheless, I'd recommend it to anyone whether you're looking for business inspiration or just curious about the Starbuck's story.

Growth

What seems to be a reoccurring theme for Mr Schultz is the passion for coffee to make it the best for the community even when it grows very quickly.

short and sweet

Glad I read this book. I have learned that persistence is key to success in business. This book reiterated that and much more!

Good read, would like to see a refresher

Would like to see how the vision has changed as a result of the pandemic.