Howard Schultz stops mid-stride on a Manhattan sidewalk and stares at a bright red “80% off” sign screaming from a boutique window. The world is on clearance. It’s the peak of the financial crisis. Storefronts are plastered with “For Sale” signs. Even Madison Avenue is begging customers to buy. Retailers are cutting prices at any […]
Starbucks Pricing Strategy: Why Howard Schultz Refused to Discount Read More »
Read or subscribe at michaelwmchugh.com No. 320 | February 20, 2026 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus. Music of the Week Galactic is a New Orleans funk band formed in the mid-1990s, anchored by Robert Mercurio, Stanton Moore, Ben Ellman,
Friday Five — Take Up One Idea, Laser-Like Focus, and Saying No Read More »
Starbucks was in trouble. Nearly 20% of the new stores opened during its aggressive expansion were closing. Customers were pulling back. Construction costs were spiraling. Founder Howard Schultz was scrambling to steady the company. There was only one way out: refocus on the customer and rebuild the Starbucks turnaround strategy from the ground up. In
Starbucks Turnaround: How Howard Schultz Saved the Brand Read More »
Read or subscribe to the Friday Five at michaelwmchugh.com No. 319 | February 13, 2026 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus. Music of the Week Hermanos Gutiérrez was formed in Zürich a decade ago by two Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers, Alejandro (guitar,
Friday Five — Conquering Himself, Discipline Equals Freedom, and a Calm Mind Read More »
In the middle of trying to land a rocket that no one had ever landed before, SpaceX stumbled into the problem that became its greatest competitive advantage. The kind of problem that makes sensible companies quietly change the subject. SpaceX leaned in. Instead of asking whether a reusable rocket was practical, Elon Musk asked why
Elon Musk and SpaceX: Why Difficulty Is the Ultimate Moat Read More »
Read or subscribe at michaelwmchugh.com No. 318 | February 6, 2026 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus. Music of the Week Beats Antique is a U.S.-based electronic group formed in the mid-2000s, made up of David Satori, Zoe Jakes, and
Friday Five — Deeds of Kindness, Bias to Action, and the Roots We Plant Read More »
Talent density. A bias toward action. Working alongside your team to solve problems. These are the SpaceX leadership lessons baked into the operating system Elon Musk installed on day one. Liftoff tells the SpaceX story from the very beginning. Musk hired the best people in the world—and then pushed them relentlessly to act. That pressure
SpaceX Leadership Lessons: How Talent, Speed, and Presence Built the Impossible Read More »
Read or subscribe at michaelwmchugh.com No. 317 | January 30, 2026 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus. Music of the Week While most of the U.S. treads through winter, New Orleans is doing the opposite—it gets louder. Music is the
Friday Five — Power Over Mind, Leverage, and the Illusion of Control Read More »
The best product doesn’t always win. Power belongs to the person who controls distribution, access, and relationships. The Formula highlights three Bernie Ecclestone business lessons from his tenure at F1: control the game, not the participants; leverage beats authority; and the world revolves around relationships. He mastered all three. Bernie Eccelstone figured that out early—long
Bernie Ecclestone Business Lessons: From the Man Who Controlled Formula One Read More »
Read or subscribe at michaelwmchugh.com No. 317 | January 23, 2026 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus. Music of the Week Chris Stapleton is a widely respected singer-songwriter and guitarist from Kentucky. He’s won multiple Grammy Awards, Academy of Country
Friday Five — Power Over Mind, Conquering Yourself, See Clearly Read More »