Jim Sinegal didn’t mince words in his Wall Street Journal sit-down when he reminded America what real leadership looks like: “You can’t say, ‘people are our most important product,’ and then treat them like shit.” The co-founder’s account of building Kirkland Signature into an $86 billion private-label powerhouse is a lesson in old-school American management — focused on quality, fairness, and common sense rather than flashy PR slogans.
Sinegal’s “green ink” approach — personally signing off on product quality — and his reluctance to jump into gasoline until the numbers made sense show why Costco long stood apart from the short-term thinking that rules many boardrooms today. He even resisted the gas business eight times before relenting, a stubbornness that paradoxically protected members and preserved the brand’s integrity.
Listen up, because this is where conservatives should cheer: Sinegal built success by putting people and product first, not by bowing to Wall Street’s quarterly hunger. Too many corporations now measure loyalty in stock ticks and treat employees like disposable line items; that rot begins at the top and infects everything below. The Sinegal model proves that treating workers and customers with respect is not softness — it is the foundation of sustainable, profitable business.
We should also call out what happens when founders leave and spreadsheets take over: culture shifts toward short-term profit and away from duty to employees and consumers. That change isn’t abstract — it’s real life for hardworking Americans who clock in, do the work, and watch executives celebrate gains while cutting hours and benefits. Americans deserve companies that honor the social compact between leadership and labor, and Sinegal’s remarks are a reminder of that obligation.
Kirkland’s meteoric rise is proof that free-market competition and high standards win for the public, not some curated culinary of corporate virtue signaling. Private labels that deliver real value force national brands to do better and put more money back in families’ pockets — exactly the kind of market dynamism conservatives should defend. If we want thriving communities and strong paychecks, we should celebrate businesses that earn trust the old-fashioned way: by delivering quality and treating people decently.
So here’s the simple takeaway for patriotic, hardworking Americans: reward leaders who lead like Sinegal — with backbone, decency, and an eye on the long game — and hold accountable those who replace principle with profit. Shop with your conscience and your wallet, demand respect for the workers who keep America running, and refuse the hollow slogans of corporate executives who talk empathy but deliver cuts. That’s how we keep capitalism honest and keep power where it belongs — in the hands of people who earn it every day.
