In Search Of Excellence

John Mackey’s Wild Story: From Dishwasher Showers to a $13.7B Amazon Deal | E188

May 19, 2026

John Mackey built Whole Foods Market from a small natural foods store into a $13.7 billion company acquired by Amazon — but his greatest lessons came from moments of crisis, not victory. From the emotional relief of going public to the life-changing impact of 9/11, the pressure of activist investors, and the cultural battle after the Amazon merger, Mackey reveals what it really takes to build a mission-driven company that lasts.Key TakeawaysBoldness creates momentumJohn Mackey says that when ...

John Mackey: How Whole Foods Grew From One Store to $22 Billion in Sales | E187

May 12, 2026

What does it really take to build a company from one store in Austin, Texas into Whole Foods Market, a global brand with more than 540 stores, $22 billion in annual sales, and a $13.7 billion acquisition by Amazon?John Mackey, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods, joins Randall Kaplan to reveal the hard-earned lessons behind entrepreneurship, resilience, fear, failure, raising capital, work ethic, conscious capitalism, and the life-changing moments that shaped one of America’s most iconic...

Brian Grazer: Academy Award Winner Brian Grazer on Success, Creativity, and Greatness | E186

May 05, 2026

What do you do when the world keeps telling you no? Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer reveals how rejection, curiosity, creativity, and relentless belief helped him build one of the most extraordinary careers in Hollywood history.In this powerful episode of In Search of Excellence, host Randall Kaplan sits down with Brian Grazer to explore the real lessons behind success in film, business, and life — from mentorship and intellectual property to storytelling, resilience, preparation,...