Ep. 252: John Mackey - The Former CEO of Whole Foods Market Shares The Whole Story
PLANTSTRONG Podcast
Rip Esselstyn
4.8 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 June 2024
⏱️ 145 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 2009, John Mackey, the then-CEO of Whole Foods Market, gave Rip Esselstyn the shot of a lifetime to showcase Engine 2 products and tour around Whole Foods Market stores as a healthy eating ambassador extolling the virtues of a whole foods, plant-based diet.
This opportunity and vision truly put PLANTSTRONG on the trajectory that exists today and has allowed Rip to live out his life’s purpose.
Today, Rip speaks with John about his new book, The Whole Story - Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism. Mackey describes it as a gift to past, present, and future employees of Whole Foods. It’s also a gift to entrepreneurs and dreamers who dare to envision something unconventional in a conventional-minded world.
John may be one of the most successful CEOs in business, but he’s also a philosopher, thinker, and teacher.
Mackey vulnerably shares his ideas around competition, authenticity, leadership, and overcoming obstacles in business and life. He delves into his difficult family dynamics, the importance of love, community, and acceptance, and his experience with psychedelics and spiritual awakenings. He also shares his experiences with “play” - something we all need to embrace a little more of in this life.
It’s so rare to get such an authentic glimpse into the mind and heart of a CEO, but John Mackey graciously opens his heart and his playbook for all to see. The Whole Story - Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism is out now wherever books are sold.
Upcoming Events:
Register for Plant-Stock August 16th-18th, 2024: https://liveplantstrong.com/
Sedona Retreat - October 8th-13th, 2024
https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/2024-sedona-retreat
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer
Leave Us a Voicemail Question
Leave us a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/plantstrong
Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
https://plantstrongfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong
https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/
https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Use Code: KALE20 for $20 off Annual Subscription at https://home.mealplanner.plantstrong.com/
https://myplantstrong.com/b/trailblazer
Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating
Theme Music for Episode
https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/10845
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I'm Ray Besselston and you're listening to the Plan Strong Podcast. |
| 0:05.5 | Today I sit down with co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods market stores for over |
| 0:11.6 | 44 years, John Mackie, and we discuss the whole story. |
| 0:20.5 | It's not just the title of his latest book, but really it's a preview of our very open and very beautiful conversation. |
| 0:30.0 | That's coming up right after this message from Plant Strong. |
| 0:37.0 | I want to personally invite you to join me and all the other Brock Stars for this year's 13th live and in-person plan stock event |
| 0:47.5 | outside a Asheville, North Carolina in the little town of Black Mountain. It's 1500 acres is loaded with wildlife, trees, trails, streams. It is a nature wonderland, and what's also a wonderland are all the incredible |
| 1:08.2 | speakers that you get to hang with all weekend long, like Jane and Anne Esselston, Dr. Will |
| 1:15.5 | Balschowitz of fiber-fueled, Carly Baudrugg, Miss Plant U. |
| 1:20.1 | Dr. Jemma Newman is over from the UK. We have Dr. Dawn Mus Salem from the Mayo Clinic. |
| 1:27.0 | John Mackie, the ex-CEO of Whole Food Market stores. |
| 1:31.0 | Myself, Brian Hart, in a special appearance by the Plant Bros. |
| 1:37.0 | Here's the kicker. |
| 1:39.0 | All these Brockstars are there from Friday till Sunday, and they want to rub elbows with all of you |
| 1:45.0 | whether it's over buffets of plant strong fair for breakfast, lunch, and dinner |
| 1:49.6 | whether it's going on an afternoon hike, a swim, pickleball, frisbee golf, kickball, cornhole, dancing, |
| 1:59.4 | we're having live music, it's all there in this fun weekend extra |
| 2:04.4 | that we affectionately call plant stock. |
| 2:08.4 | Simply go to live Plant Strong.com |
| 2:12.1 | and then click on Plantstock 2024 and grab yourself a ticket |
| 2:17.0 | before they sell out. See you there. |
| 2:22.0 | In 2009, See you there. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in -299 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Rip Esselstyn, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Rip Esselstyn and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.