The trap of win-lose thinking (and how to escape it) | John Mackey

The trap of win-lose thinking (and how to escape it) | John Mackey

March 16, 2026 · 13 min

About this episode

John Mackey discusses how a shift from a win-lose mindset to a win-win-win perspective transformed his business after a major crisis.

What do you get when you combine a major flood and near-bankruptcy? For Whole Foods cofounder John Mackey, the answer reshaped his business into a household name. He takes us back to the night his first store was destroyed, showing how shifting from a win-lose mindset to a "win-win-win" worldview helped him achieve success — and why it can work for you, too. After, Modupe teases what she would add to improve John's "win-win-win" perspective. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at  attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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