November 27, 2020, will go down as a bad day in my memory henceforth as we lost one of the biggest visionaries from the world of business. Tony Hsieh, ex-CEO of Zappos passed away on Friday and left a big void in the world of "real" entrepreneurship.
What do I mean by "real" entrepreneurship? Real entrepreneurship stands for a cause, cares about the culture and people more than the profits, invests in them, and believes in giving back to society. And if I had to choose a torch-bearer of "real" entrepreneurship, Tony would have been a frontrunner for the post.
His entrepreneurship and venture capitalist achievements are famous, but what made him special was his people skills and empathy. His relentless drive for delivering exceptional customer experience built on a foundation of people-centric company culture is lore for every organization across industries. If you think about Customer Experience as a field, Tony Hsieh is the "real" influencer who walked the talk in all sense.
Zappos is the best example of a case study that company culture is the biggest determinant of a successful customer experience strategy. He built a billion-dollar company in 9 years by leveraging his people and culture-based business mantra. I believe Tony Hsieh will remain as a beacon of company culture and customer service excellence for every business across the globe forever.
I am a big fan of quotes from famous and non-famous people like philosophers, entrepreneurs, and common people. Tony has shared some of his wisdom during interviews and other events and most of them have become the best quotes for culture, entrepreneurship, people, personal growth, customer service, and business.
Here are 16 of my favorite quotes from Tony Hsieh. Hope these will inspire you on your journey of serving your purpose.
Your brand is your culture.
“Good service comes naturally from satisfied employees who embraced the company culture.”
“Open, honest communication is the best foundation for any relationship.”
“People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said but they always remember how you made them feel, that’s what matters the most.”
“The best leaders are servant leaders – they serve those they lead.”
“I’d rather spend money on things that improve the customer experience than on marketing.”
“It’s important to constantly challenge and stretch yourself, and not be stuck in a job where you don’t feel like you are growing or learning.”
“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.”
“The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.”
“When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny.”
Don't be cocky. Don't be flashy. There's always someone better than you.
I made a list of the happiest periods of my life & I realized that none of them involve money.
Customer service shouldn’t just be A department; it should be the entire company.
The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.
“Read books and learn from others who have done it before. Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.”
“We must all learn not only to not fear change, but to embrace it enthusiastically and, perhaps even more important, encourage and drive it.”
Tony Hsieh - Rest in Peace & You will never be forgotten.