In 2008, I returned to Starbucks amidst a financial crisis, where the market cap had plummeted from $30 billion to less than $7 billion, and we faced negative sales growth for the first time in our history.

When we first opened Starbucks, we were focused on no debt because of my childhood experiences with financial struggles.

Starbucks had a 6:1 debt-to-equity ratio, which limited our ability to innovate due to high debt service payments.

When I acquired Starbucks, we had six stores and ended the year with eleven stores and 100 employees.

I faced significant challenges raising $3.8 million to buy Starbucks, including competition from investors who wanted to take over the company without due diligence.

Starbucks pricing was linked to rising labor costs and the responsibility to shareholders, especially as a public company.

Maintaining intimacy and trust with customers was crucial as Starbucks grew, ensuring we didn't lose our core values.

I communicated transparently with my team and investors about our financial situation, ensuring everyone understood the challenges we faced.

We struggled in China for nearly a decade, facing significant financial losses until Belinda Wang joined and changed the course of Starbucks in that market.