#11: Starbucks—The Brand that Changed How the World Drinks Coffee

Business Made Simple Podcast

StoryBrand.ai

Marketing, Story, Bmsu, Businessmadesimple, Brand, Business, Bms, Storybrand, Entrepreneurship, 474622, Storytelling

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If someone told you in the ’90s that people would happily pay $5 for a cup of coffee, you probably would’ve laughed. Before Starbucks, coffee was just… coffee. It wasn’t an experience, a ritual, or a “third place” between home and work. So how did one company transform a simple commodity into a global phenomenon? The rise of Starbucks wasn’t just about caffeine—it was about community, habit-building, and a relentless pursuit of consistency.

In this episode, hosts Don and Kyle dive into the fascinating story of Starbucks, breaking down how a small Seattle coffee shop grew into a 35,000-location empire. They explore the visionary leadership of Howard Schultz, the brand’s impact on American culture, and how Starbucks managed to make coffee both an addiction and an experience. Plus, they debate whether Starbucks is still as great as it once was—or if its best days are behind it. Listen in for a deep dive into what made Starbucks work.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Why That Work podcast presented by storybrand.a.I.
0:07.7	If you've ever wondered why certain brands, trends, or cultural phenomena find success while others don't,
0:12.6	you're in the right place. Every week we unpack why something worked,
0:15.9	then give you actionable insights that you can use in your own life.
0:19.4	Now let's dive in with your hosts,
0:21.1	Donald Miller and Kyle Reed. At what point in your day, Don, do you have to stop drinking
0:28.2	coffee? It's a great question. That's an old guy question. It is. Yeah. Well, I didn't want to
0:33.0	imply that. I was going to let you infer that and figure that out because I can't imply that you're old, but what day do you stop?
0:40.4	Not much past 10 a.m. Yeah, if I'm after 10 a.m., it's going to do two things. It's going to affect my sleep and it's going to make me anxious. Like, I'll have this feeling that I didn't pay my taxes.
0:54.6	Oh, that's a bad feeling.
0:56.1	And my mind will try to find why I'm feeling that.
1:01.1	It's not, there's no reason for it.
1:03.2	It's just the feeling and the feeling tries to find something.
1:05.4	It's the coffee.
1:06.1	Yeah, it's the coffee.
1:07.1	Okay.
1:07.3	So it's the, now, however, I've switched coffee.
1:10.1	Yeah. And I don't have that anymore. I switched to a freeze-dried packet of coffee.
1:16.7	What's your, well, let's go with your coffee ritual. What's your coffee? Let me share mine.
1:19.9	What I do, I get this organic, freeze-dried coffee that I bought off Amazon that a friend of mine, David, who runs a company making, what are they
1:32.2	called supplements.
1:33.2	Yeah.
	...

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