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There is nothing better than a freshly brewed hot cup of coffee on a cold rainy day. My parents were both coffee drinkers and the smell alone is nostalgic to me. I probably thought I would never grow up to drink this dark liquid, but here I am, so I guess it just runs in my genes. Sadly, I can not function in the morning until I have coffee. I crave the jolt of attention and adrenaline it gives my body to start a full day. There is a ton of science behind the bean and its benefits, but that is for another discussion all together.

If you watch our YouTube videos or follow me on Instagram, you know I love Starbucks. I’d like to say it is because I grew up in Seattle, but really it is a lot more than that. With kids, I appreciate a coffee drive-through and I love their rewards app. In Seattle, there are plenty of options for independent drive-through coffee stands, but those don’t exist in Georgia yet, so Starbucks it is. Now that I’ve had it, I am hooked and my drink of choice is a grande coconut milk latte.

Yes, there are those on the flip side of this argument, that shake their heads and think we are not drinking real coffee. Those are the artisanal coffee drinkers that write comments on our videos while drinking heavy cappuccino’s or black Turkish coffee from the comfort their homes or independently run coffee shops. I get a lot of flack from those people that claim even the previous CEO Howard Schultz doesn’t drink his coffee at Starbucks anymore.

 

But to me, its like a Tesla or an Apple thing. I feel once you are hooked on the way a company does its business, you are sold. Did you know that with more than 23,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has maintained their fundamental values while being flexible to innovate? They find new ways to surprise, delight and attract coffee drinkers around the world. Did you know they were the first privately owned company to introduce stock options to all their staff (part time and full time) back in 1991 proving they are focused on employee happiness? They call their employees baristas. They even sent countless baristas to their coffee fields around the world to better understand their process and appreciate the work and time that goes into creating the coffee. They were also the first coffee shop to offer free WIFI showing their commitment to their customer. Did you also know that the founder of Starbucks was not Howard Schultz? Just like Elon Musk, Schultz bought out the 3 founders after he saw a vision to make Starbucks more than just a coffee bean roaster. He was laughed out of investors’ board rooms and was told “no” 217 times when he was seeking to raise capital to start!

 

Just like Tesla, Starbucks was against marketing and they advertised very little and rarely try to sell anything. Even their cups don’t carry their name on it, just the unmistakable green mermaid icon. Yet they attract one of the largest loyal customer base. Today they have the second most popular Facebook page of consumer products. In essence, Starbucks is a luxury brand that is selling more than a cup of coffee. With 15 billion dollars in sales, they are selling an experience; a comfortable space, a community meeting point, a worktop, and a lifestyle.

Of course they have had their issues over the years and they even nearly collapsed, but that doesn’t mean I will stop drinking my Starbucks coffee anytime soon. Do you drink coffee? Starbucks? Let me know in the comments what your favorite drink is. Maybe I’ll try something new.

 

XO Kim