Michael Hyatt

And they said the thing came totally beat up. And in fact, I've written a blog post that I want you to read about how bad your customer service is. The truth is it wasn't our fault. It was the carrier's fault, right? So because I understood social media, I called my head of customer service up and I said, I want you to overnight a package to this bookstore owner who's complaining about this.

And they said the thing came totally beat up. And in fact, I've written a blog post that I want you to read about how bad your customer service is. The truth is it wasn't our fault. It was the carrier's fault, right? So because I understood social media, I called my head of customer service up and I said, I want you to overnight a package to this bookstore owner who's complaining about this.

The truth was they were embarrassed with their customer. And I said, overnight the Bible, reverse the charge on the one they bought and don't charge them for this one. And they said, do you know how much that's going to cost? I said, no, tell me. They said, that's going to be like over $100 a postage. And I said, no problem, do it. So they got that. They were floored. They took the post down.

The truth was they were embarrassed with their customer. And I said, overnight the Bible, reverse the charge on the one they bought and don't charge them for this one. And they said, do you know how much that's going to cost? I said, no, tell me. They said, that's going to be like over $100 a postage. And I said, no problem, do it. So they got that. They were floored. They took the post down.

They completely wrote a new one about our extraordinary customer service. But that's just the world of social media that we live in. I had the same thing happen just two weeks ago with a customer that somehow got my phone number and texted me. And it's just amazing. You can talk directly to customers, and that's the world we live in today.

They completely wrote a new one about our extraordinary customer service. But that's just the world of social media that we live in. I had the same thing happen just two weeks ago with a customer that somehow got my phone number and texted me. And it's just amazing. You can talk directly to customers, and that's the world we live in today.

I think a lot of that is just having a sense of purpose and the feeling that if I'm still alive, I haven't completed my purpose. And I've always been against retirement. You know, if you look at the statistics, I think I'm right on this. Somebody can fact check me on this, but most people die within five years of retiring. They don't run out of life, they run out of purpose.

I think a lot of that is just having a sense of purpose and the feeling that if I'm still alive, I haven't completed my purpose. And I've always been against retirement. You know, if you look at the statistics, I think I'm right on this. Somebody can fact check me on this, but most people die within five years of retiring. They don't run out of life, they run out of purpose.

And even if you are retired in the traditional sense, you better have a purpose, something that gets you up in the morning, something that gives you a sense of responsibility for this one life that you've been given and to invest it in other people. And so I just felt like I wasn't done yet. I was 56 years old when we started the company. I'm almost 70 now. I'll be 70 this summer.

And even if you are retired in the traditional sense, you better have a purpose, something that gets you up in the morning, something that gives you a sense of responsibility for this one life that you've been given and to invest it in other people. And so I just felt like I wasn't done yet. I was 56 years old when we started the company. I'm almost 70 now. I'll be 70 this summer.

And I feel like I'm 35. I'm probably self-deceived, but I feel like I'm 35. And I'm super excited. Like this last year, I spent a year doing a deep dive on AI, and I am all in on that. I'm totally geeking out on that. But I think if you're curious and always willing to learn, there's always going to be a future.

And I feel like I'm 35. I'm probably self-deceived, but I feel like I'm 35. And I'm super excited. Like this last year, I spent a year doing a deep dive on AI, and I am all in on that. I'm totally geeking out on that. But I think if you're curious and always willing to learn, there's always going to be a future.

But to come back to the personal brand thing, I think everybody has to realize that they have a brand, whether they know it or not. And it's simply... your reputation. Inside your company, if you're an individual contributor, you have a brand. People know you for certain things. And those may be good things or bad things. You may have a good brand image or a bad brand image.

But to come back to the personal brand thing, I think everybody has to realize that they have a brand, whether they know it or not. And it's simply... your reputation. Inside your company, if you're an individual contributor, you have a brand. People know you for certain things. And those may be good things or bad things. You may have a good brand image or a bad brand image.

And the good news is you can change that. And one of the best ways you can do that is keep your word, fulfill your promise, give people what you commit to do, whether that's your boss, whether it's your customers, whatever. And if you attend to that, it creates trust. When people are faithful to keep their word, and that's what I regard as integrity, making your actions line up with your words.

And the good news is you can change that. And one of the best ways you can do that is keep your word, fulfill your promise, give people what you commit to do, whether that's your boss, whether it's your customers, whatever. And if you attend to that, it creates trust. When people are faithful to keep their word, and that's what I regard as integrity, making your actions line up with your words.

That's my definition of integrity. If you do that, then it creates trust. And trust is the foundation of every business. And it's so easy to lose. And so if you decide you want to build your brand, I would say don't build it because you want to become famous. That's a really bad reason to do it. But because you want to be a good steward of who you are and what you've been given and your calling.

That's my definition of integrity. If you do that, then it creates trust. And trust is the foundation of every business. And it's so easy to lose. And so if you decide you want to build your brand, I would say don't build it because you want to become famous. That's a really bad reason to do it. But because you want to be a good steward of who you are and what you've been given and your calling.

And to be honest, building a personal brand is kind of a double-edged sword because if you're going to start a new company, the best way to do it is with a personal brand because people will connect with you more than they'll connect with an idea or a concept. The bad news is it doesn't scale as well because you only have 24 hours a day and some of those got to be given to sleep.

And to be honest, building a personal brand is kind of a double-edged sword because if you're going to start a new company, the best way to do it is with a personal brand because people will connect with you more than they'll connect with an idea or a concept. The bad news is it doesn't scale as well because you only have 24 hours a day and some of those got to be given to sleep.