Know What Matters Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations

Named one of the best business and management books for 2023 by the Globe & Mail

"...this mix of history, memoir, and business guidance delivers insight on running successful chain restaurants by focusing on customers. Shaich's account of creating fast-casual dining is the most intriguing." - Library Journal

Advance Praise for Know What Matters:

"While there are many accounts of enterprises successfully disrupted by their founders, what distinguishes Ron Shaich's book is his willingness to share how his relentless questioning of his companies, even on the heels of their greatest successes, took them to even greater heights. For those of us who have experienced his companies as consumers, competitors, and observers, this book finally describes how his extraordinary track record seems to repeat itself over and over again." - Brad Bloom, cofounder, Berkshire Partners

"Ron Shaich is a true pioneer of conscious capitalism-a purpose-driven leader with a relentless focus on the long term and a deep love for the transformative power of business. I've long valued his wisdom in the boardroom and beyond, and I have no doubt that Know What Matters will be instrumental in shaping the next generation of conscious leaders." - John Mackey, cofounder, Whole Foods Market; author. Conscious Capitalism

"Know What Matters is packed with practical advice and real-world examples to help readers create businesses of value and lives with meaning." - Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution; cofounder, AOL

"Ron Shaich's Know What Matters is a must-read for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone who wants to be more effective in life. Ron was obsessed with delighting his customers and coworkers at Panera long before it was fashionable to do so, and in the process produced a truly amazing 70x return from his IPO in 1991 until he sold Panera in 2017." - Will Danoff, Portfolio Manager, Fidelity Contrafund

"Ron Shaich shares his compelling journey from budding entrepreneur to seasoned CEO, navigating the professional and personal twists and turns he's experienced while seeing a compelling idea early on, building it to scale, and then persuading a lot of other people to come along for the ride. The stories in this book are chock-full of enormously valuable lessons for business builders at any stage of their careers." - Danny Meyer, author, Setting the Table

"In a decade covering Ron Shaich's career at Panera Bread, I have found him to be thinking ten years in advance of everyone else and usually proven right. He has done this while staying humble, true to himself, and bringing entire teams along for the ride of a lifetime. Read this book if you want to know what true leadership is all about." - Brian Sozzi, Executive Editor, Yahoo! Finance