$ 500 million company . I had a vision of reaching a billion dollars , and I know several people who thought I had totally lost it . But we worked more on continuous improvement than on the big dream . It was always there , but the focus was on the small steps .
JS : How did you encourage movement within the company as it grew ?
BS : Well , I would say I never specifically encouraged movement within the company . What we encouraged was for people to develop their skills . A lot of people joined just to get into the company , and then when jobs came up , they could move within the company . We had goals to hire from within , so that encouraged us to train people so they could apply for those jobs . But a lot of people were happy where they were . I thought it was important for people to understand how the company functions and how it makes money and to appreciate others ’ jobs . So , we had people go and spend time in other departments . For example , someone working on a production line might spend an hour or two in customer service or with service reps , just to meet people and see what their work is like . We also had a compulsory course where everyone had to understand how the company makes a profit . We ’ d take a case of coffee and explain the costs — like , two packs of coffee might represent the cost of the raw coffee beans . Another would represent the loss that happens during roasting . Then we ’ d look at sales , distribution , etc . At the end of the day , there ’ d be only three or four packs left , which represented the profit . And we had people from different areas explain their roles in that process so that everyone could appreciate each other ’ s jobs and see how small improvements can add up .
JS : On page 158 , you talk about “ building trust patiently .” How do you relate to patience ? Are you naturally patient , or is impatience what drives your success ?
BS : I definitely want things to happen faster than they do , but all you can do is focus on what you ’ re doing now . Sometimes , I feel like I haven ’ t worked as efficiently as I could have , but I ’ ve always worked at it . I ’ m happiest when I follow my plan for the day . It ’ s about being in that flow . And sometimes , when you desire something too much , it doesn ’ t happen . But if you let it go , it often comes into your life . It ’ s about intention and being in the flow . When you focus on mindfulness , spirituality , and meditation , things manifest more automatically , like being “ in the zone ” in sports .
JS : At the end of the succession chapter , you say , “ Plan for succession now . Don ’ t go it alone .” You also say , “ If you stay , back off .” What ’ s your relationship now to Green Mountain Coffee and Keurig — not professionally or stock-wise , but emotionally ? Are you happy with what you built , or are you saddened by how it ended ?
BS : I ’ m sad that it ended the way it did . We had such a powerful team . The people there loved it . So many of them have gone on to be successful elsewhere , and they all say it was the best time of their life when they were there . If I had stayed around , I would have wanted to keep the engagement of the employees , and I would ’ ve done a few things differently . For example , we had a better K-cup — one with more coffee and better quality . But for simplicity ’ s sake , we stayed with the current K-cup , focusing more on making money rather than being of service to the customer . The patent on the better cup would ’ ve lasted longer , and the company would ’ ve prospered more . I ’ m also disappointed the cold machine never made it . It was fabulous . People said it couldn ’ t be done , but we figured it out . We created carbonation in the K-cup , better than anything on the market . We could ’ ve sold it for less , and it was more environmentally friendly .
JS : I recently interviewed Judy Collins , who turned 85 this year . We talked about her career and her reflections on life . I ’ m curious — what would YOUR 21-year-old self say if he saw you now , and what would you say to him ?
BS : My 21-year-old self would never have imagined achieving what I have achieved , nor would anyone who knew me at that time . We don ’ t realize the power we have . Looking back , you understand more . When I was in military school , I got into a lot of trouble . I was very destructive . They told me they were calling my father and kicking me out of school . At the time , if you ’ d asked me what was going on , I wouldn ’ t have understood it . But now I can see that it was the year my father remarried , and my behavior was a reaction to that . It makes sense in hindsight , but at the time , I wasn ’ t aware of the influences on my life .
Life is richer when you can be mindful and tap into personal development . It ’ s like learning to drive a car — at first , it requires effort , but eventually , it becomes second nature . The same goes for mindfulness , meditation , and other skills . Once you have them , you use them to navigate life . It ’ s like your mind is the car , and once you learn to drive it — through mindfulness , meditation , and other techniques — you can manifest things without effort .
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