John Mackey recently published his latest book. The whole story: an adventure in love, life and capitalismAfter writing thoughtful books on a variety of subjects, Conscious Capitalism and Whole Foods DietMcKee’s latest book is an autobiography about how he found his own path outside the restrictive norms of his parents and society, and his struggle to build a multi-billion dollar business that serves millions of people.
After reading this book, you will feel more courageous to face life and business challenges and dare to be different — a huge accomplishment compared to any other book on business.
Here are some reasons why you should read McKee’s latest book.
The entrepreneurial journey and its sacrifices
Too many people shy away from capitalism and its many benefits. Opponents of the free market system are quick to claim that CEOs are greedy and exploit others. Mackey’s life is a powerful testimony against this notion. From the business’s humble hippie roots to Whole Foods’ acquisition by Amazon, Mackey charts all of its ups and downs.
Does the Amazon-Whole Foods partnership mean a “monopoly”? Let’s look at why it doesn’t and why monopolies are unstable.
The book is written like a thriller novel, with complex villains including misguided government officials trying to sabotage the business and its growth. McKee has to invest tens of millions of dollars fighting the lawsuits, but finds that different rules apply in Washington DC, forcing him to adjust his strategy. The book is full of intimate, personal stories like these, making it a fascinating read.
John Mackey dedicates the book to his team members at Whole Foods, acknowledging that it took tens of thousands of people to make this business a success, which is true, but it doesn’t change the fact that he was the founder of Whole Foods and fought for it every step of the way, from saving the first big-box store from a once-in-a-century flood to fighting activist investors who tried to destroy his legacy and the very essence of the company.
Just months after opening their first big-box store in downtown Austin, Texas, a massive flood wiped out hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. McKee waded through foul-smelling water, got a tetanus shot, and nearly lost all of their operating funds to looters. What saved the store was the community they’d built.
Neighbors and customers rushed to help and cleaned up the store. This incident taught Mackey the importance of stakeholder management and the emphasis on win-win situations. Though difficult, it is possible to create a win-win scenario for all stakeholders: customers, the company, suppliers and employees.
Mackey had to make many sacrifices, including receiving only a $1 salary for decades, and made nearly impossible decisions, like firing his father from the board. If you want to know what it means to build an ethical, conscious, and impactful business, read this book. You will come away with a greater appreciation for the businesses around you, especially John Mackey’s.
Spiritual and professional growth go hand in hand
What’s unique about McKee’s books is their honesty, authenticity and transparency. Readers get to know the author and understand his world, even as it is full of seeming contradictions: vegan, capitalist, CEO and all-round spiritual seeker. Most Whole Foods customers would be, and sometimes were, horrified to learn he is a capitalist. He likes thinkers and Nobel Prize winners such as Milton Friedman and Friedrich von Hayek.
For more on Hayek, see Did Hayek Predict Bitcoin?
His classical liberal peers raise eyebrows when he speaks about the need for more conscious business and spirituality. Mackey’s story and character don’t fit the typical profile one might associate with the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, which makes the evolution of Whole Foods and its protagonist Mackey an interesting one.
While believing in the genius of individualism, it is all too easy to become content with becoming what the world, our families, and our socio-economic circumstances want us to be, McKee always sought the truth and carved out his own path.
One of the powerful lessons in the book is how his own spiritual growth and quest for knowledge and gnostic experiences helped him make tough business decisions.The book actually begins with an LSD trip, and takes young McKee’s life on a trajectory that neither his parents nor himself could have predicted.
Psychedelics, breathing exercises, meditation, and a variety of other techniques have helped McKee become the incredible business leader he is today, someone who has changed the way tens of millions of people eat and live. This is not your typical suit-and-tie corporate success story. If this different approach to life and business isn’t fascinating, we don’t know what is.
The obstacle is the way
Life is tough. There are many ups and downs, and we often feel overwhelmed when we don’t know why we are suffering, why others are attacking us or disappointing us. McKee’s leadership was questioned and undermined by some of his closest friends.
This happened many times over his long career, but one incident that stuck in my memory was when he groomed a colleague to be co-CEO and gave him broad responsibilities while Mackey was spearheading another business opportunity and was physically and mentally removed from the core business. This later led to a bitter boardroom fight, with the co-CEO asking the board to replace Mackey with him.
The author shared hikes, sports, and games with others. Intimate relationships that ended with deep sadness. The author humbly shares all of this as he takes responsibility and mourns the end of relationships. Though McKee often triumphantly persevered, those battles came at a great cost. Those struggles taught him important lessons and made him, and his business, better for himself.
This is an incredibly hard lesson to learn and believe during a time when life seems bleak. Not all of us will face hundreds of letters and phone calls demanding our firing, or have friends plot to have us fired, for writing an anti-Obamacare op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. Still, readers can learn from McKee’s experience and apply it to their own situations.
McKee is an example of constantly striving towards love and understanding, not anger, resentment and fear. One of his life mottos is to surrender to love, not to give in to fear. This may sound too trite for some, but I encourage you to read the book and discover the wisdom contained within. It is also a motto, because neither McKee nor the reader can choose love all the time and in all situations. Struggles are part of the path and a necessary product of life.
In summary
McKee’s book contains much more than one might assume an autobiography is merely a celebration of a life and achievements. That’s not what McKee is. He is a down-to-earth, naturally competitive person who seeks to share his passions and ideas. He acknowledges others and shares credit with dozens of people who played a key role in his success.
This book is humble, full of wisdom and honesty. It’s a beautiful book about the power of love, markets and entrepreneurship that challenges readers to think about what’s possible in life. It’s an inspiring book that everyone should read.
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