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Book Club Newsletter #042 - Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz.

In today's issue of this book club newsletter, I am happy to share my notes on Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz.


“It wasn’t until I discovered Starbucks that I realized what it means when your work truly captures your heart and your imagination.” - Howard Schultz

 

⭐️ BOOK REVIEW


Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️ (Okay)

Topic: Non-fiction - Leadership, Management & Entrepreneurship.

  • Main Ideas - Okay.

  • Examples & Stories - Good.

  • Engagement - Medium.

 

💭 PERSONAL REFLECTION


The first time I started drinking coffee as part of my morning routine was when I returned to Mexico after a year of studying in Canada.

At that time, I was in a long-distance relationship with a 2-hour difference.

I was 2 hours ahead….

Meaning I had to wake up for school at 6:00 AM after sleeping at 1:00 or 2:00 AM the previous night.

I would ask my mom to make me some coffee to take with me.

That was my first coffee ritual.

My mom would hand me a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and I would drink it on the way to school.

As they say… “Part of the enjoyment of coffee is the ritual.”

The caffeine kept me awake on days when my sleep wasn’t the best.

After growing older into my twenties, I discovered the romance of coffee by doing my first "coffee cupping" or coffee tasting.

That made me want to learn more about Starbucks and its founder...

After all, Starbucks is one of the most well-known brands in the world, alongside Coca-Cola, Apple and Nike.

In this book, Howard talks about the initial journey of how Starbucks was born and his drive to make Starbucks one of the most respected brands in the world.

He shares stories of how he managed to raise money for the idea and how he fell in love with the Italian culture of how coffee and espresso bring people together, two main themes of what drove the company's success.

"Onward," his other book, is more of a returning ceo story, while "Pouring Your Heart Into It" is Starbucks' origin story.

My favourite part of the book was the beginning chapters and sections of the book as it gives you insights into Howard's main drive and his commitment to excellence.

This is a pretty long book to read, and it does not contain many lessons or powerful insights as other books.

It was nice, however, to learn more about the background stories of the brand and founder.

As I believe Howard is a great business leader. To understand this, you will have to understand his background...

His journey of resenting his father's lack of success drove him to despise mediocrity.

Perhaps unfairly, as he later admitted...

He became scared of failure...defeat, and helplessness.

As "I know too well the face of self-defeat.", as quoted in the book.

The drive for excellence came from his father...

“When Dad didn’t work, he didn’t get paid…He had tried to fit into the system, but the system had crushed him.

With low self-esteem, he had never been able to climb out of the hole and improve his life. The day he died… He had no savings, no pension.

More importantly, he had never attained fulfillment and dignity from work he found meaningful."

A lesson we can all learn from.

Hope this helps. Until next week!

- Agustin

 

QUOTES

  • “If your dad had been successful,” he said, “maybe you wouldn’t have had as much drive as you have.” My friend was probably right.

  • “You can’t create a world-class enterprise without investing in it.”

  • “But I’ve discovered how critical it is to exert strong, consistent leadership through both good and bad times, to be able to temper the morale swings of those around you.

 

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