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...
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...
Nine months after opening the first Whole Foods, what’s known as the “100-year flood” came through Austin and severely damaged the store and destroyed all our inventory. I thought that this was the end and that Whole Foods would never recover given the extensive...
For many years, I considered myself well-informed on animal husbandry and believed that Whole Foods had rigorous standards that were best in class. That all changed at our annual shareholder meeting in 2003. For anyone who has ever led or attended this type of...
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...
