John Mackey on scaling Whole Foods Market (co-founder & former CEO) | Masters of Scale
About John
- Co-founded and led Whole Foods Market from 1 store to 540+ locations (1980-2022).
- Orchestrated Whole Foods' $13.7B sale to Amazon in 2017.
- Pioneered the growth of organic and natural foods in mainstream retail.
- Co-authored the influential business book 'Conscious Capitalism'.
- Launched the integrated health & wellness venture, Love.Life.
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John Mackey, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market, started in the grocery business as a Texas undergraduate seeking the keys to a happy life. The self-described “hippie” opened one natural foods store in Austin and scaled beyond imagination from there. In his 44 years as CEO, Whole Foods grew to more than 500 locations and to a $13.7 billion valuation. In conversation with Masters of Scale host Jeff Berman, Mackey shares how tapping into passion and purpose can align an entrepreneur with larger waves of change. Even as traditional grocery chains cut costs and streamlined, Whole Foods focused on the in-store experience, and carefully selected locations for successful growth. Mackey shares lessons in being put to the test around politics and activist investors, and his belief in creating value for all stakeholders. Hear how and why he sold Whole Foods to Amazon, and how tapping into purpose led to a new venture, the health and wellness brand Love.Life.
