During my 44 years as CEO of Whole Foods Market, I learned that the role of a leader, especially a founder, doesn’t stay fixed. As the company grew and evolved, from one store in 1978 to over 540 stores when I retired in 2022, my role as CEO evolved too. In the early...
I recently gave a talk in London at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship on the need to reshape the narrative around capitalism. As an unapologetic capitalist, I believe capitalism is the greatest driver of human progress and value creation in history. I want to...
Looking for something to read this winter? Here are a few of my recent favorites— let’s dive in! The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson takes readers inside Winston...
One of the biggest differences I see between entrepreneurs and most people is how we approach risk. While many contract into fear, constantly worrying about what could go wrong, entrepreneurs acknowledge the risks but tend to focus more on what could go right. Most...
As we head into 2025, I’d like to highlight five blogs that stood out as moments of interest, learning, and reflection in 2024: The Rebel in Me Back in September, I had the privilege of sitting down with Rich Roll on his podcast. Rich is an excellent interviewer, with...
With the holidays around the corner, I’d like to share ten books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. Whether you’re looking for a new book to read this holiday season or are looking for a great gift for someone on your list this year, I think there’s...
This fall, I had an interesting conversation with Michael Moynihan on Bari Weiss’s Honestly podcast. One topic we discussed is sometimes considered controversial and has sparked negativity in the past: labor unions. I want to use this as an opportunity to clarify a...
Looking for compelling reads to dive into this fall? Sharing three books that I have read recently and really enjoyed: I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World by Rachel Nuwer As I share in The Whole Story, I support the use of psychedelics...
I often talk about my relationship with my father, Bill Mackey. He was my best man at my wedding, an original investor in Whole Foods Market, a long-time board member, and my greatest mentor in business. In my new book The Whole Story, I talk in detail about our close...
I often share my story of becoming a vegetarian and later transitioning to an ethical vegan lifestyle. However, there's an important chapter I don’t often discuss—the step towards adopting a whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet. To take you back to the beginning, I...
Now that I’m in my 70s, brain health is something I’ve become increasingly more interested in. Maintaining brain health is crucial for overall health and well-being, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and by adopting healthy lifestyle habits, we can support and...
Long-distance hiking is a great passion of mine. Although I have enjoyed hiking for the majority of my adult life, I developed my passion for long-distance, ultralight after thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2002. Since then, I have hiked the Appalachian and...
