In an interview he did a while back for Adweek, Stanley talked about his start at the coffee giant:

"One of the first things I presented to Howard Schultz was the redesign of the whole bean packaging, and it was dark green with a geographic flavor [i.e., maps]. He asked me if it was something I'd be proud of 10 years from now. I said no. He said, 'Everything that you do here, I want you to make it transformative.' That was permission to do what I thought I'd been hired to do."

Eventually Stanley went on to create five emotional filters that guide and direct all things Starbucks. These filters are five emotional words that capture the identity and soul of the company: Handcrafted, Artistic, Sophisticated, Human and Enduring.

A few years ago, I heard Stanley speak at a national design conference and had the opportunity to meet and chat with him. I was inspired by his approach to shepherding the Starbucks brand. So inspired in fact that I came home and went to work trying to figure out how Stanley's philosophy could be translated into a formal process for small and medium sized businesses without the luxury of giant creative departments and Madison Avenue gurus. Since we've been using it, we've seen first hand, how powerful five words can be for a company's growth and success.

An AdAge article this week announced that Stanley has moved on from Starbucks and taken the plunge to start his own agency in Seattle--Tether Inc.

I wanted to take a moment in the odd chance that Stanley might stumble upon this to say thanks and wish him luck.

I'm sure you'll be hearing more from the guy with the crazy hair in the months ahead.