A well-built brand is the culmination of intangibles that do not directly flow to the revenue or profitability of a company, but contribute to its texture. Forsaking them can take a subtle, collective toll.

Some corporations are built, or rebuilt, on data-driven business plans and hired guns with formulaic strategies. They may succeed, but they lack soul.

But like crafting the perfect cup of coffee, creating an engaging, respectful, trusting workplace culture is not the result of any one thing. It's a combination of intent, process, and heart, a trio that must constantly be fine-tuned.

The merchant's success depends on his or her ability to tell a story. What people see or hear or smell or do when they enter a space guides their feelings, enticing them to celebrate whatever the seller has to offer.

As I stared at the list of 600, a lesson resonated: Success is not sustainable if it's defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me—40,000 stores!—are not what matter. The only number that matters is “one.” One cup. One customer. One partner. One experience at a time.

“Life is a sum of all your choices,” wrote Albert Camus. Large or small, our actions forge our futures, hopefully inspiring others along the way.

My tone was somber as I wondered aloud, “When did we stop hearing our own music?” Was it in the march to 40,000 stores? When did we forget that our business is about the customer and our love and passion for the coffee? As we got tangled in bureaucracy and quarterly comp growth? And why did we stop holding our business operations to the same

I strove to be authentic and frank while threading optimism into every communication. Yes, we had hard work and challenges ahead of us, but we would get through this difficult time.

“The cost of losing your core customers and trying to get them back during a down economy will be much greater than the cost of investing in them and trying to keep them.”