John Mackey, a 25 year-old college dropout, started a small natural foods store in 1978 called SafeWay. Booted from his apartment for storing food there, he just lived in the store. There was no shower stall, so he bathed in the dishwasher with the attached water hose.
In a supermarket Industry with shrinking sales, razor-thin margins and chronic labor troubles – their annual sales reached $11 Billion before Amazon acquired them.
Mackey describes Whole Foods as a "community working together to create value for other people." He went on to say, "I try to communicate the mission and values of Whole Foods Market at every opportunity and I try to live those core values myself with complete fidelity."
· Strategy: “Purpose Inspires People, and Purpose Releases Creativity”
· Motto: Whole Foods, Whole People, and Whole Planet
· Post-Bureaucratic Working Ideals: Transparency, Innovation, Trust, Teamwork, Empowerment, Competitive Advantage Focus
What sacrifices do you make to build a community that creates value?
