Page 152 - The Starbucks Experience

Embrace Resistance

from it.” The key, when responding to negative business pre-
dictions, is a willingness to examine how any new venture fits
naturally and meaningfully into your current business model.
In other words, be open to innovation as long as that idea is
true to the original mission of your company.
The Starbucks brand has come a long way with the music
business in the last decade or so. It has been a persistent jour-
ney from its 1995 collaboration with Blue Note Records,
when it produced an initial compilation CD. Mileposts along
®
the way have included the 2004 Grammy Award –winning
album with Ray Charles and successful relationships with
Herbie Hancock, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and many
other musical forces. Starbucks now is a springboard for
the careers of new artists like Antigone Rising and Sonya
Kitchell.
The positive media coverage that Starbucks has garnered 137
in recent years is evidence of how far it has come in refuting
its critics. In an article published at www.foxnews.com,
columnist Michael Y. Park wrote, “What may be the most
powerful name in music doesn’t belong to a record label, a
powerful industry executive, or an influential band. In fact, it
doesn’t belong to a company associated with music at all. . . .
Starbucks Coffee may be the future of music in America.”
Nothing soothes the sting of criticism as much as success that
disproves the skeptics.
The world is filled with people who will tell you that you
and your business will fail. While critics can be helpful in iden-
tifying potential stumbling blocks, their doomsday forecasts
are little more than opinions (and often ill-informed ones at
that). Successful business leaders figure out how to determine
whether the sky is falling or the sky is the limit. Ultimately, by
focusing on values, objectives, and feedback that can make