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The Whole Story

Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism

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About this listen

Whole Foods Market's cofounder and CEO for forty-four years, John Mackey offers an intimate and provocative account of the rise of this iconic company and the personal and spiritual journey that inspired its remarkable impact.

The Whole Story invites listeners on the adventure of building Whole Foods Market: the colorful cast of idealists and foodies who formed the company's DNA, the many breakthroughs and missteps, the camaraderie and the conflict, and the narrowly avoided disasters. Mackey takes us inside some of the most consequential decisions he had to make and honestly shares his regrets looking back.

Beyond the Whole Foods story, Mackey also dives into his:

- Spiritual journey: from Christianity to New Age mysticism, Eastern wisdom, and life-changing awakenings through psychedelics.

- Political and intellectual development: from countercultural co-op dweller to libertarian and Conscious Capitalist.

- Philosophical and ethical awakenings: especially with regard to animal welfare and the tension between his personal values and industry practices.

- Personal passions: most notably, his love of long-distance, ultra-light backpacking on the great trails of our country and planet.

©2024 John Mackey (P)2024 Ascent Audio Leadership Management & Leadership
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Mr Mackey's account of his perosnal development journey, together with that of the creation of Wholefoods is a very interesting read indeed.

As a retailer/ leader I find it very hard to find books that give such personal insight into this dynamic industry . His balancing of personal idealist values, with the common sense pragmatic approaches that any business requires is very helpfull.

His down to earth approach towards his stakeholders , as well the journey from a single store to a large multinational helps show anyone that if you have the right idea at the right time, you should go for it.

I also liked his Win Win philosophy, whereby everyone can win , as opposed to just 1 party.

Mr Mackey , I understand it is not the right place to get in touch with you, but I would be very greatfull if we can get in touch for some advice, even if I live in sunny Malta , half way across the world.

A thorough and honest account of his trials and tribulations. A inspiration for any person in a leadership position !

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He seems showing his true feelings for whole food, good to introduce the concept of healthy eating. This book help me understand the journey of a retailer.

The whole story

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I found this a real trip through John Mackey’s journey as a Founder, entrepreneur, conscious capitalist, a public figure, a man of his time turned community Elder. Loved so many parts of this story and I was never bored listening to it - which is quite amazing in itself.

Inspiring + wonderful storytelling

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