---
title: "2 Austin Quotes By John Mackey"
description: "2 Austin quotes by John Mackey. Plus more from John Mackey and more Austin sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/john-mackey-5640_about_it-started-when-i-moved-into-a-vegetaria_2139592.jpg"
---

> [It started when I moved into a vegetarian co-op back in the '70s, and that's really when I had my food consciousness awakened. I learned how to cook, and eventually I became the food buyer for the entire co-op. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/it-started-when-i-moved-into-a-vegetarian-co-op-back-in-the-70s-and/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/john-mackey-5640_about_it-started-when-i-moved-into-a-vegetaria_2139592.jpg)

> [They said our first store in Austin would not work. Then they said it would not work outside Austin, that it would not work outside Texas, that we would never succeed in California or Chicago or New York. People dismissed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/they-said-our-first-store-in-austin-would-not-work-then-they-said-it/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/134/john-mackey-5640_austin_they-said-our-first-store-in-austin-woul_2930658.jpg)

## Other authors on Austin

## More by John Mackey

> [The world is getting more connected through technology and travel. Cuisines are evolving. Some people are scared of globalization, but I think people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/the-world-is-getting-more-connected-through-technology-and-travel/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [The way most people approach business - and the way they mostly teach in business school - involves the analytical mind. It divides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/the-way-most-people-approach-business-and-the-way-they-mostly-teach/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [“I realized that with everything I did from that point onward, I would have to ask myself this question: "How would I feel if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-realized-that-with-everything-i-did-from-that-point-onward-i-would/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [At a lot of companies founded on principles, the notion of making money is almost antithetical to the ethos of the place. From the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/at-a-lot-of-companies-founded-on-principles-the-notion-of-making/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [I think it's absolutely essential that the people that work for a company need to feel that they're part of something bigger - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-think-it-s-absolutely-essential-that-the-people-that-work-for-a/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [If you have a mental model that says big corporations are fundamentally greedy and selfish and exploitative, you don't really want to have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/if-you-have-a-mental-model-that-says-big-corporations-are/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [The great thing about a culture is that once you really get it going, it evolves on its own. It's self-organizing. It's dynamic. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/the-great-thing-about-a-culture-is-that-once-you-really-get-it-going/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [A healthy society rests on three pillars: business, government and civil society, or non-profits. Each has a distinct and important role to play, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/a-healthy-society-rests-on-three-pillars-business-government-and/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [Human beings are made up of many different values, and sometimes those values are in tension with each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/human-beings-are-made-up-of-many-different-values-and-sometimes-those/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [I was looking for the meaning of life when I was in college. And my deal with my dad was as long as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-was-looking-for-the-meaning-of-life-when-i-was-in-college-and-my/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [Starting my own business was kind of a wakeup call in a number of different ways. I had to meet a payroll every week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/starting-my-own-business-was-kind-of-a-wakeup-call-in-a-number-of/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [Free enterprise capitalism has been the most powerful creative system of social cooperation and human progress ever conceived, but its perception and its role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/free-enterprise-capitalism-has-been-the-most-powerful-creative-system/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [I've been doing long-distance backpacking since 2002 when I hiked the Appalachian Trail. You start to calm down and relax and get into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-ve-been-doing-long-distance-backpacking-since-2002-when-i-hiked-the/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [We knew it was going to be a market, and we knew it was a food market. Well, what kind of food market? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/we-knew-it-was-going-to-be-a-market-and-we-knew-it-was-a-food-market/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

> [As a company grows, its purpose grows with it. It has the potential to evolve your purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/as-a-company-grows-its-purpose-grows-with-it-it-has-the-potential-to/)

[John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/)

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