1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Had of Money. 2 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 2: I'm Joel and I am Matt and. 3 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Today we're talking conscious capitalism with Whole Foods founder John Mackie. 4 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 2: Yeah so. John mackey is the remarkable entrepreneur best known 5 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 2: as the co founder of Whole Foods Market. That's right, 6 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 2: that Whole Foods, the natural and organic food store. In 7 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: over forty years, I CEO. John has led the company 8 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: as it has grown from a single store in Austin, Texas, 9 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: to five hundred and forty stores in the US and 10 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 2: Canada and the UK. He also co founded the Conscious 11 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 2: Capitalism movement and co authored the New York Times and 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: Wall Street Journal bestselling book by the same name. He's 13 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: written a bunch of great books since then, but we're 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: really excited about his latest which came out yesterday. The 15 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: book is titled The Whole Story, Adventures and Love, Life 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 2: and Capitalism, And really that's what we're gonna get into today. 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 2: We're gonna talk about entrepreneurship, We're gonna talk about capitalism, life, 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: maybe even what it means to play at a higher level, 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: and we're going to discuss all this through the lens 20 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: of an incredibly successful business, Whole Foods. John MACKI thank 21 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: you so much for joining us today on the podcast. 22 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. It's I'm really looking forward to 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 3: our discussion. 24 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: Of course, No, John, We're so excited to get to 25 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: talk to you today. First question that we ask anybody 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: who comes on the show, though, is what's your craft 27 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: beer equivalent? And what we mean by that is Matt 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: and I spend a lot of money on good craft beer, 29 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: more than some people might think it's sane, but hey, 30 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: it's okay because we're still saving and investing diligently like 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: we know we need to be. So what's that for you? 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: What do you spend maybe what some people might think 33 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: is insane on that, Yeah, that you love even while 34 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: you're doing the smart thing with your money. 35 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. I'm a long distance backpacker, so I've liked on 36 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 3: the Appalachian Trail twice, the Specific Cross Trail, and there's 37 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 3: nothing all doing more than going out for several weeks 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 3: of long distance backpacking. And to do that, I have 39 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 3: to have really ultra light gear. So I keep and 40 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 3: they keep improving it. It keeps getting it keeps getting 41 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 3: lighter and lighter and lighter, exactly just like certain beers 42 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 3: get lighter and lighter. But in this case, the joke 43 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 3: is I'll spend about one hundred dollars to shave one 44 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 3: ounce off my pack load. So that's pretty crazy. So 45 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 3: whether so if a new tent comes out and I 46 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 3: can get an ounce or two off of that, I'll 47 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 3: buy the new tent and I give I give my 48 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 3: older gear away. But so if I ever added up 49 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 3: what I spend on ultra light hiking gear, it would 50 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 3: kind of terrify me. So I never added up. I 51 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 3: just know I can afford it, so I can't. I can't. 52 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 3: It's indefensible. I can't justify it except that I really 53 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: want to have it. So that's my craft beer equivalent. 54 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: I'll love it. 55 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it those are two trails that so the at 56 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: being here starting right in North Georgia, it's basically in 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: our backyard. And so I feel like this it's been 58 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 2: something that's been on both of our mind's duel as 59 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: we've kind of got one of these days. Yes, that's 60 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 2: what we keep saying to itself. But John, let's kind 61 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 2: of go back in time a little bit. What made 62 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 2: you start a natural food store back in the seventies, 63 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 2: Because at this point, like we're very much used to 64 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 2: whole foods and the clones that have sprung up since then. 65 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 2: But it's certainly not like that was a proven path 66 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 2: to success or riches. I'm curious what caused you to 67 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 2: get into it back in the day. 68 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 3: It's always interesting to say, where do I start the story? 69 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 3: In this case, I'll start the story when I'm twenty 70 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 3: three years old and I moved into There's vegetarian co 71 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: op and in Austin, and I called Prana House. I 72 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 3: wasn't a vegetarian, and I didn't really know much about 73 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 3: food at all. I just thought i'd meet some I 74 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 3: was interested to the counterculture. I thought, I admit really 75 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 3: interesting people in a vegetarian co op, and I did. 76 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 3: But I also had a food awakening. I learned that natural, 77 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 3: organic foods were healthier for people, for our health, for 78 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 3: the environment. I learned how to cook. I became the 79 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: food buyer for the co op, and I just got 80 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 3: super excited. Then I went to work for a small 81 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 3: natural food store called the Good Food Company. I became 82 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 3: the assistant managers of that store, and I remember coming 83 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 3: home back to the co op and talking to my girlfriend, Renee, 84 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 3: and I said Renee, What do you think if we 85 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 3: opened our own natural food store. It'd be fun, It'd 86 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 3: be an adventure. And she loved the idea. She said, 87 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 3: let's do it, mac Oman, and so we did. And 88 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 3: that first store was called Safer a Way, Safe Way, 89 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 3: Safer a Way. It was in an old Victorian house. 90 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,559 Speaker 3: It wasn't a good location for a business, but we 91 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 3: began to learn about how to do a business, and 92 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 3: after two years there, we relocated it to a bigger location, 93 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: merged with another natural food store that we was from, 94 00:04:55,880 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 3: a friendly competitors with, changed the name to Whole Foods Market. 95 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 3: Was we hit the jackpot. That location was a fantastic location, 96 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 3: kind of by luck, and we were at a time 97 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 3: when people, particularly the young generation, sort of the counterculture, 98 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 3: the hippies, were very interested in different ways of eating, 99 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 3: sides the processed foods that our parents were feeding us. 100 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: And so that store just took off and it became 101 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 3: the highest volume natural food store in the United States 102 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 3: within about six months of opening. Then we had this 103 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 3: terrible flood which we talk about in the book, that 104 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 3: wipes us out. We eventually are able to recover from 105 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 3: the flood because of help from basically all the stakeholders. 106 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 3: But that caused us to want to create a second 107 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 3: store so we wouldn't be so vulnerable to a second flood. 108 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 3: That was one hundred year flood that occurred in our 109 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 3: first year. 110 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, reading about that in the book, the one hundred 111 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: year Flood, how did that not just completely demoralize you 112 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: as a young business owner. And the coolest thing to 113 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: me when you relay that story in the book was 114 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: the response not just from the people who worked for you, 115 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: but from the people who patronize your store as well. 116 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: What did you learn from that experience? 117 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think the words stakeholders had been invented 118 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 3: back in nineteen eighty, but or if it had, it 119 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 3: wasn't aware of it. But we were bailed out By 120 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 3: the first day after the flood. All these people were 121 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 3: cleaning up the store that were basically our customers and 122 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 3: our neighbors. They come into shop and saw what had happened, 123 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 3: and they just got in and pitched in and helped 124 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 3: us clean it up. Our team members worked without pay. 125 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 3: It took us thirty days to reopen. Our suppliers gave 126 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 3: us a new inventory on credit, even though we owed 127 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: them for inventory that we'd already had go down the river, 128 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 3: so to speak. The bank loaned us one hundred thousand 129 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 3: dollars on my signature, and there's a sub story in 130 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 3: that it turns out that the bank actually turned the 131 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 3: loan down, but the banker himself personally guaranteed the loan. Wow. 132 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,679 Speaker 3: I didn't even find out about that until until maybe 133 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 3: twenty five years later. After that happened, and investors kicked 134 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 3: in some more money, so all of the stakeholders, they 135 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 3: didn't let Whole Food's Market died because why not? Because 136 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 3: they loved us, They cared about us. They wanted us 137 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 3: to come back from the dead, and we did. And 138 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 3: we never looked back after that except that we needed 139 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 3: to expand, and we started expanding and we never really 140 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 3: haven't never stopped since. 141 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: The way you described it almost sounds like a leave 142 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: it to Bieber kind of moment, something from Prehistorica America 143 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: that might not happen to that. I don't know, do 144 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: you think that kind of moment a small business and 145 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: the support that they could get from all of the 146 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: stakeholders involved in that business. Can that can that or 147 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: and does that still happen today? 148 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: In America. 149 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 3: A great question. I'm not sure you'd have to know 150 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 3: what Austin, Texas was like back in nineteen eighty one, 151 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 3: very different than it is today. And everybody, nobody in 152 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 3: our store except for one of the co founders, Craig Weller, 153 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 3: was over thirty, so everybody was very young. There was 154 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 3: this sense of camaraderie. There was this there was this 155 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 3: sense of we're going to we're going to change the world. 156 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: We're gonna uh, we're different than our parents. We understand 157 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 3: things they don't understand. 158 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 2: That. 159 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 3: This was my generation, particularly in the counterculture. We were 160 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: in the New Age, and we really felt like we 161 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 3: were going to create, we were going to help change 162 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 3: the world for the better. That was, we were so idealistic, 163 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 3: and I think I don't know if that's still there today, 164 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 3: that there seems to be so much struggle in fighting, 165 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 3: and we're divided into these different tribes that seem to 166 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 3: have mutually mutual antipathy for each other. There was a 167 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 3: real feeling of love in that in that time, that 168 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 3: it was just something you did. Of course, you helped 169 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 3: your neighbor, you cared about your neighbors, you knew your neighbors, 170 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 3: so I can't speak for the rest of the world 171 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,119 Speaker 3: today whether something like that would happen, but it definitely 172 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: could happen back when it did, so we're very fortunate 173 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 3: that it did happen. 174 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 2: To want to take a step back, you talk about 175 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 2: making the transition from having that initial food co natural 176 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: food store combo in that Victorian house to opening a 177 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 2: legit storefront, because I think for a lot of listeners 178 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 2: that sort of like that pivot, that point in time 179 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 2: that is sort of the key moment when it comes 180 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 2: to entrepreneurship. What is it, I guess about that move 181 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: that caused you to be what you called a quote 182 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,079 Speaker 2: unquote instant success. I mean you talked about it was 183 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 2: a fortunate location. Was it just the fact that you 184 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 2: had a storefront that folks were walking by? 185 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: Was it? 186 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: Or was it something else? 187 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 3: It was a combination of several things. First, was it 188 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 3: really was a great location we did? It was in 189 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 3: central Austin. I'm literally a quarter mile from that location 190 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 3: that's sitting where I'm sitting right now. So it was 191 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 3: on a very busy strip thoroughfare. It had good visibility, 192 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 3: it had pretty good parking, but it was right in 193 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 3: the heart of you might say, you know, near the 194 00:09:54,360 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 3: University of Texas near downtown. Now it's in downtown, and 195 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 3: it had the population. DN City had the consciousness. We 196 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 3: didn't know any of that at the time. It was 197 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 3: only a half mile from where our other location had been, 198 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 3: but that was in a not on a busy street. 199 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 3: It was in an old house. We didn't know what 200 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 3: we were doing. I mean, Renee and I were just 201 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 3: you know, I was twenty four when we got safer 202 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 3: Way going, and she was only twenty. And then two 203 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 3: years later, so I guess I'm twenty six and Renee 204 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 3: is twenty two. And we just needed a bigger location. 205 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 3: Safer Way was too small. We were competitive disadvantage. And 206 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 3: I'd been awakened by a trade journal that showed up 207 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 3: on my house or showed up at our office one day, 208 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 3: called the Natural Foods Merchandiser, which was about sort of 209 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 3: these natural food supermarkets that were starting to spring up 210 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 3: mssus Gooch's in Los Angeles, Bredon Circus in Boston, Fraser 211 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 3: Farms in San Diego. And I got excited and I thought, well, 212 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 3: this is what we need to do. We need to 213 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 3: do a bigger store. And I went and toured those places. 214 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: I went to Boston, I went to la I went 215 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 3: to San Diego. Saw what they were doing, and I thought, 216 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 3: this will work in Austin. But we got to find 217 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 3: a location so and it did work in Austin. In fact, 218 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 3: it worked better in Austin than any other place. It 219 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 3: just we just took off. So there was a good 220 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 3: natural foods movement in Austin, but there was no store 221 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 3: like that first whole foods market, and it just captured 222 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 3: a huge market share. And because we were one stop 223 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 3: shopping I mean, Safer Way had been a vegetarian store. 224 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 3: We were selling whole foods, were selling meat, seafood, we 225 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 3: saw beer and wine. We weren't going to be holy 226 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 3: foods market. We were going to be whole foods market. 227 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 3: And so we became a place where you could get 228 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 3: all your groceries if you were living a natural, organic 229 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 3: food lifestyle. And that it was good timing, right location 230 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,439 Speaker 3: and honestly, merging with Clarksville Grocery and put those two 231 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 3: stores together was also key to our success because we 232 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 3: brought in a lot more intellectual capital, so to speak, 233 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 3: a lot more retailing talent was on the same team 234 00:11:58,360 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 3: working together. 235 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: Some of that Sam Walton playbook too, checking out those 236 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: other guys, what are they doing well? How can I 237 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: copy or mimic some of the good stuff which is 238 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: just smart business. And on that note, you know you're 239 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: getting this food education that's inspiring the launch of this business, 240 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: but you're also simultaneously having to get this business education. 241 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: You mentioned in the book that you're like devouring binging 242 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: business books. I think maybe as you put it, what 243 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: were you reading, what were you trying? Like, I'm guessing 244 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: you felt like with this launch, Hey, it's successful, but 245 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: I also feel like I'm underwater and I got to 246 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: come up for like, I got to figure this business 247 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: thing out at the same time. 248 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, there were two big things that really helped me. 249 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 3: The first one was my father. My father mentored me. 250 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 3: It was really good for our relationship. He was very 251 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 3: happy when a sort of hippie son college dropout son 252 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 3: wanted to start a business because he could relate to that. 253 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 3: He had been an accounting professor at Rice University for years, 254 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 3: and then he'd gone into business himself and had become 255 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 3: a first a chief financial officer and later he was 256 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 3: the CEO of a public traded company called Life Mark 257 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 3: that was a hospital management company, and he and I 258 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 3: got very close. He ended up being my best man 259 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 3: on my wedding, and the father son bond really really 260 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 3: see minute around me starting this business because I didn't 261 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 3: know what I was doing, so I basically for the 262 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 3: first sixteen years, we never really made a major decision 263 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 3: that I didn't get approved by my father, so he 264 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,839 Speaker 3: was very helpful. Secondly, it's I never took any business 265 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 3: classes when I went to school. If you look at 266 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 3: my resume, it's kind of like bus boy, dishwasher, boys, 267 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 3: camp counselor CEO whole foods market. 268 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 2: I did not progression. 269 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, I didn't have that kind of background. I didn't 270 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 3: have an MBA or But what I had was curiosity 271 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 3: and I'm pretty smart and I've always been a voracious reader. 272 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 3: So I just began to read business books like crazy 273 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 3: after that. And first I got books from my father 274 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 3: that he recommended, and then I just go to the 275 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 3: bookstores and I would and if it looked interesting, I 276 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 3: would buy and read it. So I literally read hundreds 277 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 3: and hundreds of business books. I read everything Peter Drucker 278 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 3: ever published as a book in English. I've read biographies 279 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: about business people, and I just I studied it. And 280 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 3: you know what, when you're really motivated to learn something, 281 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 3: you absorb information so much more rapidly than you would otherwise. 282 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 3: Because I'm having to live it every day. I like 283 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 3: to say I was working during the day and then 284 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 3: reading at night, and then synthesizing what I was learning, 285 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 3: plus asking my dad lots of questions and putting the 286 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 3: ideas into business. And yes, I was studying our I 287 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 3: was studying I to say our competitors. But a lot 288 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: of these natural food supermarkets we ended up acquiring as 289 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 3: we got bigger, but they were scattered around the United 290 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 3: States and they were innovating too, and so well Whole 291 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 3: Foods could innovate, we could also learn from others innovations. 292 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 3: I've always thought retailing, you don't have any You can't 293 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 3: trademark things in retailing. Right, if you have a good idea, 294 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 3: your competitors we'll see it and they'll copy it. And 295 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 3: you need to see the things they're doing that are 296 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 3: better than you and copy those things. So I think 297 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 3: continuous learning was what Whole Foods was doing in continuous innovation. 298 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 3: So if you saw the way our stores progressed from 299 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 3: safer way to the first whole foods market to where 300 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 3: we are today. It's it's unbelievable. And it's just because 301 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 3: we kept learning, we kept growing, we kept evolving. I'm 302 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 3: a great believer in evolution. Yeah. 303 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 2: Well, and it sounds like you had such a passion 304 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 2: for the actual mission of what it is that y'all 305 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 2: were trying to I did. 306 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 3: But also, remember you're building a team, So there's a 307 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 3: tendency media oftentimes it takes a gut somebody like Elon 308 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 3: Musk or Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, and they're like 309 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 3: Superman that do these amazing things. And they certainly are. 310 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 3: I know all three of those guys that are all well, 311 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 3: Steve's past, but they were all really brilliant entrepreneurs. But 312 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 3: the reality is, of course they had brilliant people on 313 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 3: their teams as well. They were able to attract really strong, 314 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 3: talented people and then the team together does amazing things. 315 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 3: And it's not just me that was learning. Everybody in 316 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 3: our team was pumped up. We were so inspired about 317 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 3: what we were doing. There was that doesn't exist as 318 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 3: a company gets older and the and the initial founders 319 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 3: begin to move on and retire and you get more 320 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 3: professional in your management, your intelligence or average intelligence probably 321 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 3: goes up, but passion as you professionalize, begins to go down. 322 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 3: And what we were long on in the early days 323 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 3: was passion. We were so excited. We just you know, 324 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 3: it was it was kind of we worked really hard, 325 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 3: but it wasn't hard. It wasn't work, it was fun. 326 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 3: It was play because we were so inspired about what 327 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 3: we were doing and we were learning and growing and changing, 328 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 3: and we just saw this unlimited future ahead for us. Well, 329 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 3: it's hard to convey it. 330 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, I love I love that that 331 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 2: you are, including of course the folks that helped you 332 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 2: to build it into what it is today. But I guess, 333 00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 2: like I'm curious, So that sounds like a piece of 334 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 2: advice to take from this is just be cognizant of 335 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 2: the folks who that you're bringing in around you. But 336 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 2: not everybody has the same passion for the work that 337 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:10,400 Speaker 2: you do. And I don't know, I guess I'm thinking 338 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 2: about We talked to someone recently who talks about taking 339 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 2: many retirements. You talked about you splurging on your ultra 340 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 2: light gear, like you would take months off from work 341 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 2: to hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Do you think that 342 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 2: that's a part of the key to staying invigorated and 343 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 2: excited about your work is to actually do the exact 344 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 2: opposite and maybe providing some distance from it. 345 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's not quite accurate in the sense that for 346 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 3: the first from nineteen seventy eight to two thousand and one, 347 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 3: I never took very much time off at all. 348 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 2: Okay, well, he works for the. 349 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 3: First twenty three years, and I gave up my twenties 350 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 3: and thirties. But then I was in New York heading 351 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 3: down to Wall Street when nine to one one happened 352 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 3: the second plane. When the second plane hit the tower, 353 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 3: we were probably less than half a mile from it, 354 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 3: and our car got We were heading down to meet 355 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 3: with the bond raiding agencies, not in the towers, but 356 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 3: very close by, and our car was showered by debris, 357 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 3: and I got out of the car and I thought, 358 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 3: my god, both towers are on both towers are on fire, 359 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: and that's got to be a terrorist attack. And so 360 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 3: it was like, we got to get the hell out 361 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 3: of New York. They're going to shut this city down. 362 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 3: I figured the airports would already be closed, and they 363 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 3: were but they hadn't closed the train station yet, so 364 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 3: we went straight to the train station, caught the last 365 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 3: train out of New York, got as far as Philadelphia, 366 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 3: rented cars, and drove back to Austin in a rental car. 367 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 3: And on that drive back, I got to thinking. I 368 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 3: was driving through the Appalachians, and I was thinking that, Man, 369 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 3: I thought about hiking this trail. There'd be so much 370 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 3: fun to do that, And I thought, why not. I 371 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 3: could have died. I could have died in the last 372 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 3: few days, and there's you know, I wanted to do 373 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 3: some other things. So it was after that event that 374 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 3: I began to get more balance in my life and 375 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 3: I was less of a workaholic, and I began to Yeah, 376 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 3: I did take a sabbatical, took four and a half 377 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 3: months off, like the Apalachian Trail, but that was the 378 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 3: last time I threw hiked to a trail and took 379 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 3: much time off. Even the Pacific Crust Trail, I was 380 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 3: taking it off. I section hiked it. So I would 381 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 3: take off a few weeks in the spring, in a 382 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 3: few weeks in the late summer, and then I think 383 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 3: it took me about five or six years to do 384 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 3: the whole trail. 385 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: Okay, I want to talk about the products that are 386 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: being sold to Whole Foods, and it was certainly innovative, 387 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: and Whole Foods remains like a leader in the healthy 388 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: grocery space. In many ways, it seems like the unhealthiest 389 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 1: items on the shelves at so many grocery stores are 390 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: the most expensive, like per calorie, right, because you eat 391 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: like three bags of potato chips, it's really expensive and 392 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: you're still not full. So does being a healthy eater 393 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: in your opinion, does it have to cost a lot 394 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: of money. There are a lot of people who have 395 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: given Whole Foods a lot of flack over the years 396 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: because of expensive shelf prices. But I mean there's also 397 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 1: nutritionent is crucial to our ability to thrive as human beings. 398 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: I'm curious to hear your take on that. 399 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I have some definite views on that. The first 400 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 3: thing is is that it's not expensive to eat calories, 401 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 3: even healthy calories. What's more expensive is to eat nutrients. 402 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 3: So most of the processed foods we get are high 403 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 3: end calories. And there's a reason why we evolved. For 404 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 3: most of our evolutionary history, calories were scarce and so 405 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 3: humans evolved to crave calorie dense foods. We like things 406 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 3: that have a lot of fat in them, have a 407 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 3: lot of sugar or refined carbohydrates in it. We like 408 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 3: things that have a lot of protein in them, and 409 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 3: we like things that have a lot of salt. In fact, 410 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 3: we can easily get addicted to foods that provide that, 411 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 3: and most of our processed foods provide lots of calories 412 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 3: for people, but not very many nutrients. But the reality 413 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 3: also is is that we spend less on food today. 414 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 3: We spend less than ten percent of our disposable income 415 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 3: on food. Think about what it was like one hundred 416 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,479 Speaker 3: years ago. We spent up to fifty percent of our 417 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 3: calories on food if we didn't live on a farm. 418 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 3: Because food was relatively expensive. We didn't have the transportation, 419 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 3: we didn't have the processed foods. You couldn't get oranges 420 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 3: year round, you couldn't get people had gardens. And the 421 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 3: world's so much different today because food is relatively cheap. 422 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 3: People can complain about places like Whole Food's being expensive, 423 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 3: but in reality they're spending so much less money on food. 424 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: It's just expensive compared to what they think are the alternatives, 425 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 3: but those alternatives are giving them cheap calories. You can 426 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 3: go to a fast food restaurant and get calories cheap, 427 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,199 Speaker 3: but those you're not getting nutrients. The nutrients that you 428 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 3: will get in fresh produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, 429 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 3: whole grains, certain animal foods, but those are going to 430 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 3: be more expensive on a per nutrient basis. So if 431 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 3: you think to eat to maximize your nutrient density per calorie, 432 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 3: that's a whole different way to think about it. That's 433 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 3: not how most people think about it. But so I 434 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 3: don't think food's more expensive historically, and I still think 435 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 3: you can eat extremely healthy diet and not spend much 436 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 3: money on it if you will cook. The reality is 437 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 3: most people do not want to know how to cook, 438 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 3: and they don't want to cook. I cook. I like 439 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 3: to cook, and I get and I eat. I eat 440 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 3: a very very healthy diet, and it's because I prepare 441 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:25,640 Speaker 3: most of the food myself, and I don't eat out 442 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 3: that much. And if I eat out, I eat the 443 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 3: simplest foods I can find on the menu. 444 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:30,239 Speaker 1: I love it. 445 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 2: This is great money saving advice from John Mackie. Don't 446 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 2: have to do all these things of course, but he does. John, 447 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 2: We've got plenty more to talk to, and we want 448 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 2: to also make sure to cover sort of your view 449 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,959 Speaker 2: of capitalism, how it works, and maybe how it actually 450 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 2: should work, and maybe how more people should actually view capitalism. 451 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: We'll get to that more right after. 452 00:22:50,320 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 1: This our weak back to the break. We're still talking 453 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: with the founder of Full Foods, John Mackie and John. 454 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: We want to get into some more theoretical stuff and 455 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: some philosophical stuff, and particularly Matt and I, we love 456 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 1: the way you've talked about capitalism because yeah, it is 457 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: the best system ever devised by mankind, and it has 458 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: led to a burgeoning ability for people to build wealth 459 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: and enjoy a good life even I mean, just like 460 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: you talked about before the break, the last one hundred 461 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: years in the grocery business, prices have come down, options 462 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:29,959 Speaker 1: have come up, like we're all better off for it. 463 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: You said that it's a myth that consumption drives our economy, 464 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: even though stats show that our spending seems to be 465 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,719 Speaker 1: the main engine behind our economic growth. Why is that? 466 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,159 Speaker 1: Why do you think that that spending is not the 467 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: main driver. 468 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 3: That's putting the cart before the horse. It's Ultimately, innovation 469 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 3: and increased productivity that drives the economy upwards, not spending. 470 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 3: If there's no innovation, you can spend all you want, 471 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 3: but it doesn't make the economy get healthier and stronger. 472 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 3: It's the creativity of on entrepreneurs. It's the think about 473 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 3: the advancements we've had in the last thirty years. How 474 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 3: many people were using a smartphone thirty years ago, nobody was, 475 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 3: it hadn't been invented yet. How many people we were 476 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 3: just beginning to use the internet thirty years ago there 477 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,360 Speaker 3: was no AI. Look at how AI promises to drive 478 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 3: the economy going forward. 479 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: Even lightweight hiking and camping gear right. 480 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly, there was no today. Because of Zoom and 481 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 3: technologies like that, people don't have to go into the 482 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 3: office every day. That's one of the silver linings, I 483 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 3: suppose from the pandemic. So that's not coming from spending 484 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 3: or consumer spending. That's coming from innovation and creativity of business, 485 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,439 Speaker 3: mostly through entrepreneurs and the scientists that they that they 486 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 3: employ and align with. So progress is driven through entrepreneurship 487 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 3: and innovation. That's what keeps That's why capitalism so amazing 488 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 3: because it's this dynamic system of continued improvement, continued innovation, 489 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 3: continued progress. It doesn't ever stop if we allow it. 490 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 3: It just continues to move humanity up to higher and 491 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 3: hire and evolving levels. Most of people that don't like 492 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 3: capitalism are not good students of history. They don't compare 493 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 3: the world historically. I always like to put this challenge 494 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 3: to people, which is, I'll give you the entire history 495 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 3: of the human race. Tell me when it's better been 496 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 3: a better time to be alive than right now. There's 497 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 3: never been a time better to be alive than right now, 498 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 3: And almost every objective measurement you can come up with, 499 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 3: there's no comparison. If people don't realize that just two 500 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 3: hundred years ago, which is not very long ago, ninety 501 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 3: four percent of the people alive on the planet lived 502 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 3: on less than two dollars a day in today's dollars, 503 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 3: eighty five percent didn't even live on a dollar a day. 504 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 3: The average lifespan was thirty the illiteracy rate was eighty 505 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 3: eight percent. Only twelve percent of the world's population could 506 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 3: even read. It was a frigging nightmare. 507 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: So why are we connect to the dots? Why has 508 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: an anti capitalist sentiment kind of become in voting. 509 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 3: I think it's always going to be in vogue to 510 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 3: a certain extent because because human nature's not perfect and 511 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 3: capitalism's not perfect, capitalism gives people what they want to buy. 512 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 3: And we were talking about food earlier, and sometimes people 513 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,239 Speaker 3: want to blame the businesses for selling this food that 514 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 3: is not healthy for people. Well, they're selling that food 515 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 3: to people because that's what people want to buy. And 516 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 3: I explained earlier that's partly their evolutionary past that makes 517 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 3: us want to crave calorie dense foods. But business and 518 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 3: capitalism will always give people what they want, even if 519 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 3: it's not the best thing. They'll give you pornography if 520 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 3: that's what you want. They will give you drugs if 521 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 3: that's what you want. They'll give you whatever you want 522 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 3: because that's how business can prosper and make a profit. 523 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 3: And because human nature doesn't want always what's good for it, 524 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: business is frequently blamed, but really the sins of its 525 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 3: customer base. That's the first thing. And also people look, 526 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 3: they look and they see that there's inequality, there's environmental problems, 527 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 3: there's racism, and they tend to they don't have a 528 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 3: historical context like, Okay, is there racism in the United States? Well, 529 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,199 Speaker 3: sure there is, but a lot less than when I 530 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 3: was a boy, and when I was a boy there 531 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 3: was a lot less than one hundred years before that. 532 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 3: There's America has become less racist over time. Is there 533 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 3: income inequality? Well, yeah, sure there is. When hasn't there 534 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 3: been income inequality? I mean you could say, when when 535 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,120 Speaker 3: maybe everybody was living on less than a dollar a day, 536 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 3: we had income equality, but it was horrible. 537 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 2: Equally, is that a better alternative? 538 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 3: And they always compare real world capitalism not to real 539 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 3: world socialism, which has never worked. I mean, socialism has 540 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 3: been tried by forty one countries in the last one 541 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 3: hundred years. Every one of them's a failure. And then 542 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 3: what happens is they say, well, they didn't do it right, 543 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 3: or they gotta they got to Stalin and or they 544 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 3: gotta Mao, or they gotta Castro. They romanticize these socialistic 545 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 3: states until they're proven failures, and then they say, well, 546 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 3: they didn't do it right. So there's this utopian socialism 547 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 3: in people's minds that's just never been done right. So 548 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 3: capitalism gets compared against an imaginary socialism, not a real 549 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 3: world socialism. If people would be honest and look at 550 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 3: what socialism's done, it just fails every time. And you 551 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 3: know why it fails, because it goes against human nature. 552 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 3: People are not going to become altruists just because you 553 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 3: want them to become altruists. People are people are gonna 554 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 3: work in their own self interest. They're going to work 555 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 3: in the interests of their families. They want to get ahead, 556 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 3: they want they want a better life for their children, 557 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 3: they want a better life for their families, and that's 558 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 3: going to drive the economy. And socialism tries to get 559 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 3: people to sacrifice for the common good. That may work 560 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 3: in small groups or a family, but it does not 561 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 3: work on a larger scale. And that's been proven. It's 562 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 3: been proven so many times. It should just be empirically fact. 563 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 2: Okay, So, speaking of working in your own best interest, 564 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,959 Speaker 2: go ahead and define for us conscious capitalism and explain 565 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 2: why it actually differs from cold hearted capitalism, because I 566 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 2: think that's a lot of folks who point to capitalism 567 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 2: and they're thinking of what you said, which is well, 568 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 2: they're only certain looking to serve the shareholders. The shareholders, 569 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 2: they're seeking to achieve the highest profits possible, it's only 570 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,960 Speaker 2: in it for himself. But explain how conscious capitalism comes 571 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 2: into play. 572 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: Well, you know, it's very interesting when I explain conscious 573 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 3: capitalism to people who are are really diehard capitalists, and 574 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 3: I'll finish explaining it and they'll say, but that's just capitalism, 575 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 3: and I say, yes, that is exactly right. It is 576 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 3: just capitalism. But what ends up happening is is that 577 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 3: capitalism has been defined by its enemies, people that hate it, 578 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 3: mostly a Marxist critique of capitalism. It's all about the 579 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 3: money that they're exploiting, the workers, they are cheating their customers, 580 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 3: that they are spoiling, the environment that the people are 581 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 3: seeing as these you know, greedy bastards who only are 582 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 3: in it for the money. 583 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 2: It's like a rapacious capitalism. 584 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly. Here's the thing. Are there people like that 585 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 3: in business? Absolutely? There are a rapacious capitalists because human 586 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:37,479 Speaker 3: nature has that in it. Are there rapacious lawyers? Yes? 587 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 3: What about politicians? Yes? What about doctors? 588 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: Yes, I means yes, some of them are. 589 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 3: That's why you guys are a team. But the reality 590 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 3: is business is not any worse than any of the 591 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 3: other professions or any of the other fields. Of work. Human 592 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 3: nature is in business. Human natures everywhere, and so you're 593 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 3: going to get some greedy, selfish people. But that's not 594 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 3: built in to business. In fact, just the opposite. Business 595 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 3: flourish is when it serves others. It has to serve 596 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 3: its customers. It has to create value for customers or 597 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 3: business fails. You can't make profits unless you're creating value 598 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 3: for customers. That's the fundamental truth. It's based on voluntary 599 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 3: exchange for mutual gain from mutual benefit. So business has 600 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 3: to serve customers. Business also ultimately has to serve its employees. 601 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 3: What do you mean it serves its employees. Well, of course, 602 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 3: because employees have choices. They don't have to work for 603 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 3: the business. If they can find a better job that 604 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 3: pays better, they'll go take that job. So you compete 605 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 3: for good workers and you provide jobs, You provide paid benefits, 606 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 3: opportunities to grow and learn, and then if you have 607 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 3: a good relationship, people stick around, they gain more intellectual 608 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 3: they learn more, and they get become more productive over time. 609 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 3: So your stake second stakeholder is going to be your employees. 610 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 3: And then you're trading with all these suppliers. They're trading 611 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 3: with you for mutual gain and mutual benefit. A business 612 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 3: like coal foods market literally has tens of thousands of 613 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 3: suppliers small around the world selling us food from every 614 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 3: which place on this planet. They're gaining, we're gaining. It's 615 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 3: a win win win relationship. So you have all of 616 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 3: these different stakeholders that are interdependent on each other. Most 617 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 3: people that don't like capitalism see it as this zero 618 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,719 Speaker 3: sum game. Somebody's winning and somebody else is losing. If 619 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 3: Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, these are just greedy people 620 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 3: who took a bigger piece of the pie than they 621 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 3: really should have taken. That's not accurate. There's not this 622 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 3: fixed pie, and these guys aren't stealing a bigger piece. 623 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 3: They've earned a bigger piece because they've created more value 624 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 3: for their customers who voluntarily have exchanged with the business, 625 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 3: and they've prospered because of the value they've created. They've 626 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 3: become rich because of the value they've created. So business 627 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 3: is fundamentally and it gets into the second major principle 628 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 3: of conscious capitalism. Besides, all the stakeholders matter and they're 629 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 3: interdependent on each other, a principle. Actually the first principle 630 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 3: is every business has this potential for higher purpose besides 631 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 3: just making money. Does business have to make money? Of 632 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 3: course it does. If it doesn't make money, it will fail, 633 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 3: and it won't create value for any of the stakeholders 634 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 3: if it fails, if it's not successful. It's like z 635 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 3: Ed Freeman, the founder's stakeholder theory likes to say, my 636 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 3: body produces red blood cells. If I stop producing red 637 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 3: blood cells, I will die. It does not follow logically 638 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 3: that the purpose of my life is to produce red 639 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 3: blood cells. Similarly, business has to make money or it 640 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 3: will die. But it doesn't mean it exists to make money. 641 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 3: Doctors make a lot of money, but that's not their purpose. 642 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 3: Their purpose is to help heal people. Teachers educate, architects 643 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 3: design things, engineers construct things. They all are creating value 644 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 3: for other people. But they have to make money doing so. 645 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 3: So does business. It's really not any different, and it 646 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 3: has just been defined by its enemies. Is somehow or 647 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 3: another greedy because it has to make money. Food for people, 648 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 3: not for profit, as the food co op movement says. 649 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 3: But guess what If you don't make a profit, then 650 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 3: your business cannot grow. It cannot meet crises. It cannot expand, 651 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 3: it cannot buy new equipment. So profits are absolutely essential 652 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 3: to the business. So conscious capitalism higher purpose, the higher 653 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 3: purpose of business will always have something to do with 654 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 3: the value creation for its customers. Whole foods a highest purpose, 655 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 3: higher purpose is to nourish people in the planet. That's 656 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 3: why we started the business in the first place. We 657 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 3: want to sell healthy food to people, but had to 658 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 3: earn a living, and we had to make money in 659 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 3: order to be able to grow and give a return 660 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 3: to our investors to risk their capital with us. So 661 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 3: capitalism is this dynamic system. Conscious capitalism just means you 662 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 3: understand it and you know it has a higher purpose 663 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 3: than just make only making money. You know that it 664 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 3: has these interdependent stakeholders. You know that you have to 665 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 3: create a culture that people enjoy being in. So culture 666 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 3: is very important, and you need culture. You need conscious leadership. 667 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 3: You need leaders who are servant, leaders who are serving 668 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 3: the higher purpose of the business and are not just 669 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 3: trying to line their own pockets. 670 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: It seems like in in the kind of maybe cold 671 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: hearted capitalism, if we're talking about that, we might be 672 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,279 Speaker 1: talking about a short sighted effort as well. Maybe not 673 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: creating a business that stands the test of time. If 674 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: you want to create a business, if you want to 675 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,760 Speaker 1: create a podcast that lasts for a decade or longer, 676 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: you have to serve the people, the listener's ears. What 677 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: is going to be helpful to them, what they want 678 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,280 Speaker 1: to hear, not just what Matt and I want to create. 679 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 1: It's the same as any business out there. And guess 680 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: what if we start being becoming too self indulgent with 681 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:48,759 Speaker 1: the content, then people are going to tune out and 682 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,040 Speaker 1: go find somebody who actually helps teach them the things 683 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:53,399 Speaker 1: they want to know about personal finance. We talk about 684 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: competition all the time in UH when we're talking about capitalism, 685 00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:59,360 Speaker 1: but you talk about cooperation and the importance and the 686 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,560 Speaker 1: necessity of cooperation. I feel like competition gets all the 687 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: love and it gets all the score and too Maybe 688 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 1: why why is cooperation so key to making business work? 689 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,760 Speaker 3: Very very good insight? Of course they're both important. Both 690 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 3: competition and cooperation are important, But people focus on competition. 691 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 3: I think it's largely because of sports and games. That's 692 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 3: the metaphor we oftentimes use in business. It's about winning. 693 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 3: The thing about a game is that our sports is 694 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 3: there's one winner and a lot of losers. But in 695 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 3: business there's lots of winners. The sports metaphor breaks down, 696 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 3: and yet most people think in a kind of winner 697 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 3: take all mentality, which is the wrong way to think 698 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 3: about business. And in terms of cooperation, the cooperation you're 699 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:52,800 Speaker 3: cooperating within your organization to create value for your customers, 700 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 3: and that camaraderie, that team work, that working together is 701 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,839 Speaker 3: the way you business will be successful. If you don't 702 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 3: have that, if you have all this bureaucratic infighting, your 703 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 3: business is very vulnerable to other organizations who have that 704 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 3: higher degree of cooperation, they'll beat you in the competitive marketplace. 705 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 3: And the competition is important because unlike again a socialistic 706 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:19,760 Speaker 3: situation which lacks competition, you don't have these businesses competing 707 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 3: with each other. So it's like going down to the 708 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 3: department of Motor Vehicles and standing in line and nobody. 709 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,720 Speaker 3: None of the bureaucrats have any motivation to serve you well. 710 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,399 Speaker 3: They're not rewarded and they're not punished based on their 711 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 3: service levels. But as you say it, if you don't 712 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 3: do a good job with your podcast, if you're not 713 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 3: creating value for your listeners, they have other alternatives. You're 714 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 3: not the only podcast out there, You're not the only 715 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 3: personal finance podcast out there, So you have to create 716 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 3: value for your listeners or your business will ultimately fail 717 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 3: in the long run. So you're right about their long 718 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 3: term nature of business. Business has to Yes, the ones 719 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 3: that cheat their customers, exploit their workers, steal from their suppliers. 720 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 3: In the long run, they're going to fail as businesses 721 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 3: because people have other alternatives in the marketplace, because competition 722 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,440 Speaker 3: to serve customers is the basis of capitalism. And if 723 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:16,399 Speaker 3: you fail in serving your customers and you won't serve 724 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 3: your customers well, if you're trying to cheat them, and 725 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 3: if you're exploiting your workers, they're the ones that have 726 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 3: to serve the customers, then you're also going to have 727 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:27,399 Speaker 3: struggles in succeeding in the marketplace. So capitalism is this 728 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:34,800 Speaker 3: system that channels cooperation and competition to create more value 729 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 3: in the world, and that's why it's so powerful and 730 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 3: why it continues to drive human progress upward to higher levels. 731 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 2: I think that's the biggest difference between folks who have 732 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 2: an understanding of conscious capitalism and those who don't, is 733 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 2: just the timeframe because yeah, I don't want to say 734 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 2: any company, but you can cut corners in manufacturing, or 735 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,439 Speaker 2: you can treat people poorly or underpay employees. And yeah, 736 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 2: maybe for a year or for like for quarterly earning 737 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,799 Speaker 2: earnings or something like that, like yes, you will see, well, 738 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,839 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, this guy is so good, Like how 739 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 2: was he able to turn this around? I think in 740 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 2: conscious capitalism you talk about Toyota who actually did this, 741 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,040 Speaker 2: and there's an individual who was noted for some of 742 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 2: the Toyota's profits. But a few years later, those shortcuts 743 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 2: that he took started to. 744 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,239 Speaker 3: Come General motors, the general motors, they. 745 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 2: Started started to come back and bite them and bite 746 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,919 Speaker 2: them in the butt because of those those corners cut. 747 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, they started squeezing their suppliers. Yeah, and in the 748 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:32,760 Speaker 3: short run, the suppliers had they had to go along 749 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,160 Speaker 3: with it and swallow it. But they didn't have to 750 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 3: renew those contracts and they could begin to favor other 751 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:42,879 Speaker 3: automobile manufacturers who treated them better. So you can get 752 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,799 Speaker 3: away with cheating somebody for a while, but you also 753 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 3: then develop a reputation. People hear about it and they 754 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 3: don't want to do business with you. So it in 755 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 3: the long running backfires. Yeah. 756 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 1: John, In the wake of COVID, we've heard so much. 757 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:59,040 Speaker 1: We've heard the term greed flation bandied about quite a bit, 758 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:03,120 Speaker 1: and we've specifically seen the finger pointed at grocery store 759 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:06,919 Speaker 1: operators a lot. As someone who started a grocery store, 760 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,360 Speaker 1: a highly successful one, it seems like the competition is 761 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: incredibly stiff, the margins are thin in that industry. It's 762 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: not like the internet business right where there's like two 763 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: competitors going out each other. There's a bunch of grocery 764 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 1: stores that people can choose from. Talk to us about greedflation, 765 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:26,799 Speaker 1: is that accurate? And how do you combat those accusations? 766 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:30,799 Speaker 3: The food business is so competitive. I mean, it's one 767 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 3: of the most competitive businesses out there. And think about 768 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 3: who you've got as major players. You've got Walmart. That's 769 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 3: Walmart's biggest category of sales as food. They are the 770 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 3: biggest supermarket, the biggest food retailer in the United States, 771 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:49,719 Speaker 3: and they're famous for their low prices. And then after 772 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 3: that you got cost Co, who's even cheaper than Walmart. 773 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 3: And so between those two golias that are incredibly difficult 774 00:40:57,480 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 3: to compete in price. 775 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: You get the European entrance too, all illegal. 776 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:02,359 Speaker 2: Right, we can have an interview with John mackew without 777 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:07,319 Speaker 2: bringing up Aldi, my favorite low cost food provider where 778 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,760 Speaker 2: you can also buy organic foods more now. 779 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, they have a because it's a limited assortment model 780 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:14,319 Speaker 3: and they focus on just a few products that they 781 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:17,440 Speaker 3: can buy us very aggressively on those few products, so 782 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 3: it's kind of a treasure hunt. You can't always get 783 00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,359 Speaker 3: what you're looking for. But that's and Trader Joe's, i think, 784 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,200 Speaker 3: falls into that category as well as a as a 785 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:29,799 Speaker 3: natural food sort of limited assortment, lower price. They keep 786 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 3: their overhead down, they keep their cost down. Whole food's 787 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:38,439 Speaker 3: competed on the basis of service, quality and selection and ambiance, 788 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 3: so that people would we always believed correctly, I think 789 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 3: that people would many people, not everyone, be willing to 790 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 3: pay a little bit more to get highest quality, great service, 791 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 3: and a deeper selection in natural and organic foods and 792 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:54,600 Speaker 3: as commonly you could find inte Trader Joe's, for example. 793 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 3: So that's the point. Like capitalism, rightly understood is like 794 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 3: a very complex ecosystem, and there are all these different 795 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,920 Speaker 3: niches that exist within that ecosystem. So you can have 796 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 3: a cost Co and a Walmart and a Kroger, and 797 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:11,400 Speaker 3: an HB and a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's 798 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,839 Speaker 3: and a Legal and an Aldi. You can have all 799 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 3: of these diverse food retailers all flourishing, all succeeding because 800 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 3: they have got different places in that ecosystem. They serve 801 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:27,240 Speaker 3: different customers' desires. There's not one size that fits all. 802 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 3: Everybody doesn't want the same thing, and that's what allows 803 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 3: shared prosperity. And the market's complex because people have different 804 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 3: needs and desires. So the answer to your question is 805 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,280 Speaker 3: the reason. If food prices are going up, it's primarily 806 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,440 Speaker 3: due to the government's prices are going up because the 807 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 3: government continues to print more dollars than it has demand, 808 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 3: and that raises prices through the whole economy. It's not 809 00:42:56,000 --> 00:43:00,239 Speaker 3: Food is not singled out. If food has temporarily pricingre is, 810 00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:02,839 Speaker 3: it's probably more on the supply side because you had 811 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:06,360 Speaker 3: something happened to crops that might have might raise the 812 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,200 Speaker 3: or you have oil prices go up since most of 813 00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 3: the agricultural business is based on fossil fuels, so there 814 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,239 Speaker 3: can be a lot of factors, but it's not going 815 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 3: to be because there are these greedy grossers out there 816 00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 3: trying to squeeze the last nickel out of you. They're 817 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 3: in competitive situations if their prices get out of line. 818 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 3: There are other alternatives in the marketplace. There is not 819 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:31,400 Speaker 3: a grand conspiracy between all the food retailers to raise prices. 820 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,120 Speaker 3: If anything, they're trying to figure out how to sell 821 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 3: it cheaper so that they can get a competitive advantage 822 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:37,839 Speaker 3: on everybody else. 823 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:40,400 Speaker 2: I think what you said is true, the fact that 824 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:43,799 Speaker 2: it seems so prevalent. It's just where that's where most 825 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:45,799 Speaker 2: people spend most of their money every single month. It's 826 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:47,520 Speaker 2: one of the points of transaction. It's one of the 827 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:50,800 Speaker 2: transactions that we have where there's a very tangible feeling 828 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:54,040 Speaker 2: of either handing over literal cash or you adding things 829 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 2: to your cart and taking that cart to the cashier 830 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,759 Speaker 2: and then running ringing it up. It's sort of like the. 831 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:00,279 Speaker 1: Satin gas prices. 832 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:02,479 Speaker 2: It's like exactly, It's like it's like seeing the gas 833 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,799 Speaker 2: prices per gallon. It's the gasoline price phenomena where we're 834 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 2: crazy sensitive to that because it's something that we frequent 835 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 2: so often that and that we look at as opposed 836 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,399 Speaker 2: to it being something true, like you said, where there's 837 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 2: some sort of cabal if you. 838 00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 3: Kept all your expenditures, and you guys might do that 839 00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:20,359 Speaker 3: since you're personal finance guys. If you tracked all your expenditures, though, 840 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:23,720 Speaker 3: you'd find that your grocery bills were far less today 841 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 3: than they would have been again twenty five, thirty, forty 842 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 3: fifty years ago. And we're spending a lot more money 843 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 3: on housing today than we used to have spend, and 844 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 3: we spend a lot more on more consumable you know, 845 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 3: look at the how much people every people Some people 846 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:40,560 Speaker 3: trade their iPhone in every time a new addition comes out, 847 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 3: and you know, that's a lot of groceries every time 848 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,880 Speaker 3: you buy a new iPhone. Or you might even have 849 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 3: a passion like idea for ultra light camping gear, and 850 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 3: I'm spending I probably spend more money on ultra light 851 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:54,680 Speaker 3: camping gear than I do on groceries. So it's it's 852 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,080 Speaker 3: it's you've got to have these things in the right context. 853 00:44:57,160 --> 00:45:00,400 Speaker 3: But you're right. Food is something you see for equently 854 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 3: when if you shop yourself, and so you'll notice prices 855 00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:06,840 Speaker 3: going up and it bothers you because it's in your face. 856 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, So to speak totally. And I get the desire 857 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 1: to maybe point the finger, but it's a misplaced desire because, yeah, 858 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 1: there again so much competition in that industry. All right, John, 859 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: we have just like a couple more questions to get 860 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:20,760 Speaker 1: to with you, including we want to talk about people 861 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 1: listening to the audience who want to start their own 862 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 1: business what is the best way for them to go 863 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:26,680 Speaker 1: about doing so? In twenty twenty four, we'll get to 864 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:28,880 Speaker 1: a couple more questions with John Mackey. Right after this, 865 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:37,439 Speaker 1: we are. 866 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,760 Speaker 2: Back from the break speaking with John Mackie, the founder 867 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:43,160 Speaker 2: of Whole Foods. And John, you say that you want 868 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 2: to and this is a quote, empower individuals to contribute 869 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:50,880 Speaker 2: their creativity and that human creativity is not limited. And 870 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 2: so what does it look like you think to just 871 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,120 Speaker 2: raise up a new generation of entrepreneurs in order to 872 00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:58,880 Speaker 2: unleash their creative spirit in order to build businesses that 873 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 2: are that are going to thrive today. 874 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,040 Speaker 3: You know, it's one of the reasons I wrote I 875 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 3: wrote my new book, The Whole Story. I wrote it 876 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 3: for many reasons, but one of the reasons I wrote 877 00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:10,520 Speaker 3: it was for entrepreneurs. This is an entrepreneur's story from 878 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:13,359 Speaker 3: the very beginning, when I didn't know anything and we 879 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:16,160 Speaker 3: were making lots of mistakes. Could we almost didn't survive 880 00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 3: to learning, growing, changing, evolving. So it's my friends and 881 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:23,400 Speaker 3: our entrepreneurs that have read the book gets super excited. 882 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:25,759 Speaker 3: It's like, then this just spoke to my heart. I 883 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 3: really loved your book. So it's easier to start a 884 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:32,239 Speaker 3: business today than it used to be. Capital is so 885 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,399 Speaker 3: much easier to get than it was to get when 886 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 3: we started out Whole Food's Market. I mean, the venture 887 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 3: capital business had just been born in any kind of 888 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:44,439 Speaker 3: It was just getting started really back in the late 889 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 3: seventies and early eighties down in Silicon Valley. So now 890 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:52,120 Speaker 3: you have angel investors you have, it's so much easier. 891 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:55,280 Speaker 3: And because of the social networks that we the social 892 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 3: networks we have today that we didn't have then, as 893 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:02,359 Speaker 3: well as you have all these incubators. The capital used 894 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:06,399 Speaker 3: to be scarce. It's not scarce any longer in terms 895 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,600 Speaker 3: of businesses. So if you have a good idea, you 896 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:10,440 Speaker 3: can get it funded. 897 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 1: You can also start a digital business. And thirty years 898 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:17,440 Speaker 1: ago digital businesses is starting a business online on the 899 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,640 Speaker 1: Internet wasn't a thing. And now there are so many 900 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:22,360 Speaker 1: successful people who launched something online. They have an idea 901 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:24,800 Speaker 1: and they can create a one person, two person business 902 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: that supports their whole family. 903 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 3: And it could be a worldwide business as well. 904 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:31,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, with just a few people working for which is 905 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:34,720 Speaker 1: insane to think about. Really. And by the way you mentioned, yeah, 906 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:37,520 Speaker 1: you're kind of your book and kind of the vibe. 907 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,520 Speaker 1: I feel like your book had Shoe Doog vibes, which 908 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:42,880 Speaker 1: is like the highest praise I can give to a 909 00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:46,440 Speaker 1: business memoir because Phil Knight's book is just so classically excellent. 910 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: But you get put in not just you can put 911 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,480 Speaker 1: in your shoes as an individual going through all this stuff, 912 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:54,479 Speaker 1: but you also learn like a lot of business stuff 913 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:57,000 Speaker 1: along the way. And that's what made Shoe Doog so powerful, 914 00:47:57,400 --> 00:47:59,280 Speaker 1: just like, hey, this is the story of how business 915 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:02,520 Speaker 1: gets built and it's not always pretty, uh and yours 916 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:04,560 Speaker 1: wasn't always pretty either, but there's so much we can 917 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:07,160 Speaker 1: learn from learn from it. What advice would you have 918 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:10,120 Speaker 1: for listeners who have a burning desire to start something, 919 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:12,839 Speaker 1: who who want to start a business, who are hear 920 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,160 Speaker 1: what you've been able to accomplish, granted through a lot 921 00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 1: of hard work, a lot of effort, but who say 922 00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:18,879 Speaker 1: I want to do something similar, I want to create 923 00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:21,720 Speaker 1: something great. Where would you tell them to start first? 924 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:24,040 Speaker 3: I want to say, Shoe Dog was the book. That's 925 00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:27,279 Speaker 3: my favorite business book I've ever ready. That was the 926 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:32,400 Speaker 3: benchmark we used in writing the whole story. It's like, 927 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:34,400 Speaker 3: that's our benchmark. Well, not a book is good or 928 00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:36,799 Speaker 3: better than Shoe Dog, So that was, Uh, that's I 929 00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 3: praise if we're in the same category with them. And 930 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:42,880 Speaker 3: another point I want to make is that compared to 931 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:45,080 Speaker 3: the past, like when we started to try to do 932 00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:48,560 Speaker 3: Wholefoods dot com and then Whole People dot com, there 933 00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:51,200 Speaker 3: was no software as a service. There was no that 934 00:48:51,239 --> 00:48:54,399 Speaker 3: didn't exist, a salesforce. Dot Com hadn't really gotten going. 935 00:48:54,480 --> 00:48:58,759 Speaker 3: I hadn't done their business yet. There was no uh, 936 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,680 Speaker 3: no shop of if you wanted to do a digital business, 937 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 3: there was You had to build everything from scratch, super 938 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:08,840 Speaker 3: expensive to do and the tech talent was very expensive 939 00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:11,960 Speaker 3: and it was scarce. So today you can start a 940 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 3: business and you pretty much you don't all your account 941 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,080 Speaker 3: and you're legal. Everything you want you can pretty much 942 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:19,680 Speaker 3: get as software as a service, and so you don't 943 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:22,120 Speaker 3: have to make the same capital allocations. So so much 944 00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:22,719 Speaker 3: easier today. 945 00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:25,640 Speaker 1: But there's another business, typically a fairly inexpensive one there 946 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:27,359 Speaker 1: to support you in the stuff that you don't want 947 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:28,399 Speaker 1: to do or you're not great at. 948 00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:31,239 Speaker 3: That's exactly correct. So you can really focus on what 949 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:34,759 Speaker 3: you are good at, and you can outsource pretty much 950 00:49:34,760 --> 00:49:37,759 Speaker 3: everything else. So you know, the best advice I can 951 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,520 Speaker 3: give people that want to start a business is started, 952 00:49:41,239 --> 00:49:44,400 Speaker 3: just get going on it. Most people are too afraid 953 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 3: to just get going and afraid of failure. They're afraid 954 00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:50,879 Speaker 3: of they don't know enough. But as my book points out, 955 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,000 Speaker 3: I didn't know enough either. I didn't know what we 956 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:56,440 Speaker 3: were doing, but I was willing to make mistakes and learned. 957 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:59,400 Speaker 3: And if you're waiting, I'll tell you, I'll tell you 958 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:02,160 Speaker 3: a story. So well, I get it. Invited to speak 959 00:50:02,160 --> 00:50:04,120 Speaker 3: at business schools a lot, and one of the if 960 00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 3: I speaking in an NBA class, one of my questions 961 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:08,800 Speaker 3: I get when we get into Q and A. And 962 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:10,520 Speaker 3: then I ask questions too, And one of the questions 963 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:13,560 Speaker 3: I asked the group of students is how many of 964 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:16,399 Speaker 3: you plan on starting a business someday like I did. 965 00:50:17,040 --> 00:50:19,799 Speaker 3: Dependent's on the business school, but oftentimes I get at 966 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:23,360 Speaker 3: least three quarters of the people raise their hand some 967 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:25,960 Speaker 3: day they want to start a business, and then I say, okay, 968 00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:28,879 Speaker 3: how many of you going to do that? Immediately after 969 00:50:28,920 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 3: you get your MBA very few hands stay up, and 970 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,439 Speaker 3: I say the ones and hands are up. You guys 971 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:37,080 Speaker 3: are going to start your own business. The rest of 972 00:50:37,120 --> 00:50:40,719 Speaker 3: you are kidding yourselves. And what happens is people have 973 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 3: a dream to start a business, but they always have 974 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:46,000 Speaker 3: excuses not to. In the case of the NBA students, 975 00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:47,600 Speaker 3: it's like, well, I got a lot of school debt, 976 00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:50,920 Speaker 3: I've got I got a two hundred thousand dollars offer 977 00:50:51,000 --> 00:50:55,000 Speaker 3: from Amazon or from Goldman Sachs and a bonus. I'm 978 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,640 Speaker 3: going to take that, but someday, I'm going to come 979 00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:59,520 Speaker 3: back to my business dream. Somedays then they get it, 980 00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:02,040 Speaker 3: and they get they have families and they have big houses, 981 00:51:02,080 --> 00:51:04,560 Speaker 3: and their lifestyle goes up and they never find their 982 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:07,520 Speaker 3: way back, so to speak. So my best advice I 983 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:09,080 Speaker 3: can give you, if you're going to start a business, 984 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:14,600 Speaker 3: stop waiting and start it. And they oftentimes say, I 985 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:17,040 Speaker 3: hear VC say, I only want to invest in an 986 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,759 Speaker 3: entrepreneur who's got at least one or two failures under 987 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,600 Speaker 3: their belt, because they all learned from that. The point 988 00:51:22,719 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 3: is that you'll not learn until you start. But once 989 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:30,200 Speaker 3: you start, there's a certain power in starting. There's a 990 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:34,680 Speaker 3: great quote quote by Gerda that talks about once you 991 00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:39,840 Speaker 3: truly commit to something boldly and you move forward, the 992 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:43,919 Speaker 3: whole universe kind of shifts. You start having, you start 993 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:48,120 Speaker 3: meeting the right people. You have all these interesting synchronicities 994 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:52,080 Speaker 3: if one thing. Once your entrepreneurial mind is turned on, 995 00:51:52,520 --> 00:51:56,920 Speaker 3: you start to see other possibilities and people become possible 996 00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:59,640 Speaker 3: resources to you that you've never thought about before, and 997 00:51:59,719 --> 00:52:02,920 Speaker 3: so you have to begin it. But once you begin it, 998 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:06,000 Speaker 3: I'm going to actually say that world, the universe begins 999 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:09,720 Speaker 3: to shift and work your way, work for you instead 1000 00:52:09,719 --> 00:52:12,759 Speaker 3: of against you. And you'll have to do that to 1001 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:16,600 Speaker 3: understand what I'm saying. But I've talked to lots of entrepreneurs. 1002 00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:19,040 Speaker 3: I know hundreds of entrepreneurs, and they all tell me 1003 00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:22,239 Speaker 3: the same thing. Once I really committed, the world started. 1004 00:52:22,560 --> 00:52:24,600 Speaker 3: You know, the right people showed up at the right time, 1005 00:52:24,960 --> 00:52:28,640 Speaker 3: the right circumstances happened, and we moved forward and became successful. 1006 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:29,799 Speaker 1: I love it. 1007 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:33,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, until you start, you are still behind the veil. 1008 00:52:33,560 --> 00:52:35,600 Speaker 2: And once you step out from behind that veil, that's 1009 00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:37,680 Speaker 2: when you start to begin to see those possibilities. 1010 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:40,560 Speaker 3: I'm a great believer in Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey, 1011 00:52:41,040 --> 00:52:44,200 Speaker 3: and I really believe you know, I felt called at 1012 00:52:44,200 --> 00:52:46,560 Speaker 3: this Hero's Journey. I think entrepreneurs feel a call to 1013 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:49,279 Speaker 3: a hero's journey. I think everybody gets a call to 1014 00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:52,120 Speaker 3: a hero's journey, but most people are too scared or 1015 00:52:52,160 --> 00:52:54,800 Speaker 3: too frightened to answer that call. I just want to 1016 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:57,920 Speaker 3: encourage you that to answer the call whatever is in 1017 00:52:57,960 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 3: your heart, to go out and do the thing. So 1018 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:02,080 Speaker 3: that are your call to do that your heart is 1019 00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:04,799 Speaker 3: calling you to do. Your life will be so much 1020 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:06,759 Speaker 3: more interesting and so much more fun. It'll be a 1021 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:10,120 Speaker 3: grand adventure if you just had the courage to answer 1022 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:13,240 Speaker 3: that call and pursue it. So I urge your listeners 1023 00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:14,319 Speaker 3: to do that exact thing. 1024 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:16,759 Speaker 2: Well, I heartily agree, John Mackie, thank you so much 1025 00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:19,000 Speaker 2: for talking with us today. We're gonna, of course, link 1026 00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:21,839 Speaker 2: to your new book that just came out yesterday, and 1027 00:53:22,400 --> 00:53:24,720 Speaker 2: I know you've got it is John mackey dot com. 1028 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:26,840 Speaker 2: We're folks can learn more about you. What you're up to? 1029 00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:27,319 Speaker 2: Is that right? 1030 00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:29,560 Speaker 3: That's John pmacky dot com. 1031 00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:32,120 Speaker 1: Oh I forgot. Okay, there you go. Yeah, well we'll 1032 00:53:32,120 --> 00:53:35,040 Speaker 1: link to everything, John, and man, we so appreciate your 1033 00:53:35,040 --> 00:53:37,359 Speaker 1: wisdom and your time today. Thank you for joining us. 1034 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:39,880 Speaker 3: I've really enjoyed our conversation. Guys. I wish you the 1035 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:41,759 Speaker 3: very best in everything that you do in your own 1036 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:43,719 Speaker 3: entrepreneurial journey. 1037 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:47,640 Speaker 2: So that was an incredibly fun conversation. And my only 1038 00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 2: regret is that we hit stop after we officially ended 1039 00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:52,799 Speaker 2: the podcast, and we thought we were about to leave, 1040 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:54,520 Speaker 2: and then we just fired back up for like another 1041 00:53:54,560 --> 00:53:57,080 Speaker 2: ten or fifteen minutes. Yeah, and we don't freaking have 1042 00:53:57,239 --> 00:53:59,959 Speaker 2: any of that to share with listeners, but I am sorry. 1043 00:54:00,120 --> 00:54:01,680 Speaker 2: A lot of wisdom, lot of money, listeners, a lot 1044 00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:04,080 Speaker 2: of joy I mean, yes, oh my gosh, John, I 1045 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:07,000 Speaker 2: think it came through in our conversation, in our interview 1046 00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:08,719 Speaker 2: with him, but like I feel like, I don't know 1047 00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:10,440 Speaker 2: when when the interview's over, I feel like he had 1048 00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:13,120 Speaker 2: the freedom to be even more of yourself. And folks, 1049 00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:15,759 Speaker 2: I'm happy to let you know that John was even 1050 00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:18,600 Speaker 2: cooler than he seemed on the interview. 1051 00:54:18,600 --> 00:54:20,040 Speaker 1: I've always been a big fan, so I was glad, 1052 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: so glad to get to have him on and okay, 1053 00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:26,319 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna give my bigel he said he talked about, 1054 00:54:26,360 --> 00:54:29,879 Speaker 1: he said, just start it going right. But the cool 1055 00:54:29,920 --> 00:54:32,520 Speaker 1: thing too, is it that's that's not just empty rhetoric 1056 00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:34,799 Speaker 1: for him to mind, That's not just advice to somebody else. 1057 00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:38,080 Speaker 1: He's taking his own medicine because he has launched another business, 1058 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:40,200 Speaker 1: which we didn't even get into in the conversation, a 1059 00:54:40,239 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 1: new business, Love dot Life, and it's, uh, the first 1060 00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:47,160 Speaker 1: location is launching in Los Angeles here in a few 1061 00:54:47,160 --> 00:54:50,000 Speaker 1: months time. And so I don't I guess I love 1062 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:51,919 Speaker 1: that John takes his own medicine. And then he talks 1063 00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:53,799 Speaker 1: about it as being this passion pursuit all the way 1064 00:54:53,800 --> 00:54:56,319 Speaker 1: through founding Whole Foods, and his new business, Love dot 1065 00:54:56,360 --> 00:54:59,520 Speaker 1: Life is also another passion business. And so yeah, if 1066 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:01,040 Speaker 1: you want to start business. I love what he said 1067 00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:02,680 Speaker 1: too about the guys holding their hands up whether or 1068 00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:03,920 Speaker 1: not they're going to start a new business or not. 1069 00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:06,799 Speaker 1: You're filling yourself. It's a passion, isn't there. You're you know, 1070 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:08,440 Speaker 1: And because like let's say, Matt, there's. 1071 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:09,759 Speaker 2: Some I think it's I think maybe for them what 1072 00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:11,520 Speaker 2: they would say it was like, well, no, no, no, I'm passionate, 1073 00:55:11,640 --> 00:55:14,200 Speaker 2: but life gets in the way and all these other 1074 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:16,400 Speaker 2: things stack up against you, and you've got to be 1075 00:55:16,600 --> 00:55:18,800 Speaker 2: I'm in a dovetail. Okay. So this is gonna be 1076 00:55:18,840 --> 00:55:20,160 Speaker 2: my big takeaway too, which is that you've got to 1077 00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:22,640 Speaker 2: be willing to take the risk. And you know, we 1078 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:25,440 Speaker 2: kind of talked about the the upsides and the benefits 1079 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:28,120 Speaker 2: of starting a business today, where like where you have 1080 00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,960 Speaker 2: all of the technology at your fingertips in order to 1081 00:55:31,080 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 2: get a business started. And while that is true, what 1082 00:55:34,239 --> 00:55:37,799 Speaker 2: we also have is this thing called social media that 1083 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 2: raises to the highest level perfection. And if you are 1084 00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:45,400 Speaker 2: so obsessed with perfection and the fear of making a 1085 00:55:45,440 --> 00:55:48,480 Speaker 2: mistake keeps you from taking risks, well you're never going 1086 00:55:48,560 --> 00:55:50,800 Speaker 2: to get started to begin with. And so it's man technology. 1087 00:55:50,800 --> 00:55:53,919 Speaker 2: It's this double edged short and so therefore I think 1088 00:55:53,920 --> 00:55:56,040 Speaker 2: we have to make sure that we are including the 1089 00:55:56,080 --> 00:55:58,600 Speaker 2: aspects of technology and innovation the things that make our 1090 00:55:58,600 --> 00:56:02,120 Speaker 2: life better, including the things that are leading. 1091 00:56:01,920 --> 00:56:03,839 Speaker 1: Us astray and just yeah, distracting us too. It's part 1092 00:56:03,840 --> 00:56:06,000 Speaker 1: of being us where our larger life goals may build 1093 00:56:06,120 --> 00:56:08,600 Speaker 1: something easier than ever before. You can also get distracted 1094 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:11,759 Speaker 1: by the technology of the tools than ever before. So yeah, 1095 00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:14,400 Speaker 1: use them to your advances. The digital minimalism strategy that 1096 00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:17,320 Speaker 1: Cal Newport talks about absolutely using the proper tools to 1097 00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:19,600 Speaker 1: your advantage in the right quantity and discarding the rest. 1098 00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:22,279 Speaker 2: So all right, let's introduce our beer, because you and 1099 00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:26,040 Speaker 2: I enjoyed a peak mosaic and this was a beer 1100 00:56:26,040 --> 00:56:29,359 Speaker 2: by Hot Butcher for the world. What did you think, buddy, This. 1101 00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:30,719 Speaker 1: Is one of the best beers I've had in a 1102 00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:35,160 Speaker 1: long time. So good. I was overjoyed drinking this beer. 1103 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:36,200 Speaker 1: While we talked to John, I. 1104 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:38,439 Speaker 2: Just looked at Yeah, this is a big beer, which 1105 00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:40,640 Speaker 2: is which is why it was what ten? 1106 00:56:41,320 --> 00:56:43,920 Speaker 1: That's right? So okay, So in my mind this was 1107 00:56:44,160 --> 00:56:47,880 Speaker 1: basically the juiciest hot Bomb that I've had in recent memory. 1108 00:56:48,160 --> 00:56:50,680 Speaker 1: To Hot Butcher, I've only had a few of their beers. 1109 00:56:50,719 --> 00:56:52,880 Speaker 1: I think they're out of the Chicago area maybe, but 1110 00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:55,799 Speaker 1: it was right. I love what they're doing and I 1111 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:58,400 Speaker 1: will drink all the Hot Butcher beers until they stop 1112 00:56:58,520 --> 00:56:59,720 Speaker 1: making them or sending them to Atlanta. 1113 00:56:59,719 --> 00:57:06,200 Speaker 2: It's like New England Hazy Concentrate and all other breweries 1114 00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:08,360 Speaker 2: should make their beers based on this beer like this 1115 00:57:08,360 --> 00:57:10,279 Speaker 2: should be like the Mother got like the mother or 1116 00:57:10,280 --> 00:57:12,200 Speaker 2: the starter or whatever when it comes to sour dough 1117 00:57:12,200 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 2: for all the all the sour dough lovers out there, 1118 00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:16,440 Speaker 2: and I feel like this should be the mother for 1119 00:57:16,640 --> 00:57:18,640 Speaker 2: all the other hazy New England's out there. 1120 00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:22,000 Speaker 1: If our local Georgia breweries would try to replicate this, 1121 00:57:22,040 --> 00:57:24,560 Speaker 1: I'd be thrilled, even just like their their half hearted 1122 00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:26,080 Speaker 1: attempt would be them. 1123 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:26,600 Speaker 2: Among the stars. 1124 00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:29,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, this was delicious. So all right, everyone, we'll put 1125 00:57:29,840 --> 00:57:32,840 Speaker 1: links to everything that it's related to John his new book, 1126 00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:35,360 Speaker 1: which of course is a fantastic read. We'll put that 1127 00:57:35,400 --> 00:57:37,440 Speaker 1: in the show notes up at how tomoney dot com. 1128 00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:40,200 Speaker 2: That's right, and so until next time, Buddy, best Friends Out, 1129 00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:41,520 Speaker 2: Best Friends Out,