John’s Must-Reads: Appalachian Trail Edition
I am an avid reader, typically reading or listening to three to six books at a time. And guess what - this doesn’t change while I’m out on the trail! During my recent 200-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail, I read several very interesting and engaging books that I...
Four Seats and Four Questions
I want to share one of my favorite stories with all of you. In 2005, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to dinner with Milton Friedman and his wife, Rose. I had long admired Milton’s work and was excited to enjoy what I thought would be a delicious meal filled...
Alcohol’s Impact on a Good Night’s Sleep
The quality and quantity of sleep you get every night directly impacts your health, mood, and brain performance - that’s why getting a good night’s sleep is so important! A good night’s sleep is not just about logging enough hours of sleep every night, but also about...
Popular Vegan Myths Debunked
As someone whose life calling involves healthy food, I think it’s great to see the elevated attention given to food and diet philosophies in today’s culture. When it comes to the pros and cons of various dietary paths, there’s such an abundance of information out...
John’s Advice for an Aspiring Long-Distance Hiker
While packing for my recent hike on the Appalachian Trail, I started thinking about things I wish I knew before getting into long-distance hiking. I had a lot of experienced friends who helped me early on, but I also learned a lot of lessons from my own trial and...
Five Lessons for a Successful Acquisition
For many companies, the ability to accelerate growth and scale the business will involve mergers and acquisitions. There are nuances to every acquisition and a one-size-fits-all approach to integration rarely works, but there are definitely best practices that can be...
Plant-Based Appetizer Ideas That Will Make Every Guest Want Seconds
With the spring season and warmer weather approaching, the time to start hosting is just around the corner. There are so many delicious and nutritious whole-food, plant-based options that your guests will love! Here are a few of my favorites: Roasted Vegetable Skewers...
John’s Five All-Time Favorite Movies
In addition to being an avid reader, I also love movies, television, podcasts, and listening to music. I have always believed that consuming these forms of entertainment can teach us so much about life, ourselves, and the world. Everyone loves a good story, and there...
Conscious Leadership
When you look back at jobs you’ve had throughout your career, the day-to-day details often fade, but the influence of the leaders you encountered along the way has a lasting impact. Now more than ever, people want to feel connected to a deeper sense of purpose in...
John’s Top Three Practices to Relieve Stress
Stress can be very harmful to the body. Chronic stress increases your cortisol levels, which over time, can lead to several physical health issues including insulin sensitivity or resistance, elevated blood pressure, muscle soreness, weakened bone tissue, or an...
Lead with Love
With today being Valentine’s Day, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about a topic I’m very passionate about: leadership and love. I think that love is one of the most powerful yet undervalued virtues a leader can practice. It’s time to let love out of the...
Three Tips for Making Homemade Soup
There’s nothing like a warm, delicious bowl of soup on a chilly day...or on any day for that matter! For someone on a plant-based journey, soup is an amazing, healthy meal that is simple to prepare. Soup has an endless variety of flavors, textures, and nutritional...
The Day of Our IPO
31 years ago today marks a very important moment for both me and Whole Foods - it was the day of our Initial Public Offering! Back in 1992, we had 12 stores and desperately wanted to grow, but cash constraints continued to be a problem. We needed a solution. The...
Five Vegan Pantry Must-Haves
When starting a vegan diet, knowing what to buy from the grocery store can be challenging. I follow a whole-food, plant-based vegan diet and have eliminated both refined sugars and oils, so I stick to simple, whole foods that allow me to make healthy, simple, and...
DIY Non-Dairy Milk
As a long-time vegan, I do not eat any dairy products. If you also choose to remove animal products from your diet, you’ll want a non-dairy alternative to use in instances when you would typically consume cow’s milk. Luckily, there are so many delicious, non-dairy...
The Value of Mentorship
January marks National Mentorship Month which is a great opportunity for me to talk about my dad, Bill Mackey. He was an original investor in Whole Foods Market, a long-time board member, and my greatest mentor. There is no doubt in my mind that Whole Foods would have...
Why I Always Root for the Underdog
I am a great believer in the underdog. I think this stems from when I was a little kid. I was always a bit young for my grade and was physically smaller than the majority of my classmates. Being a little different isn’t always the easiest - I was the “smart kid”...
What’s Your Superpower?
Each one of us has at least one superpower, and many of us have more than one. It can vary tremendously from person to person and is a unique reflection of an individual’s strengths and abilities. One of my superpowers is being able to discover and communicate a...
Three Easy and Delicious Vegan Meals
A whole-food, plant-based diet prioritizes eating whole unprocessed foods with 90-100 percent of your daily calories coming from plant foods. I have been vegan and 100 percent plant-based since 2003 for both ethical and health and vitality reasons and have experienced...
The Importance of Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the single most important keys to happiness in life. Oftentimes, it is assumed that gratitude needs an object; for example, expressing gratitude for a meal or a specific person. However, an object is not necessary to express gratitude - we can feel...
Thank You, Whole Foods Market
I made my retirement announcement internally a year before I left Whole Foods Market. In addition to transitioning responsibilities to the next CEO, Jason Buechel, I wanted time to focus my energy on doing things that would be most meaningful to Whole Foods. I spent...