Tony Hsieh is an American internet entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is the CEO of the online shoe and clothing company Zappos. Prior to joining Zappos, Hsieh co-founded the internet advertising network LinkExchange, which he sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265 million. May his quotes inspire you to take action so that you may live your dreams.
1. “Customer service shouldn’t be a department, it should be the entire company.” Tony Hsieh
2. “There’s a big difference between motivation and inspiration: Inspire through values and motivation takes care of itself.” Tony Hsieh
3. “I view my role more as trying to set up an environment where personalities, creativity, and individuality of all the different employees come our and can shine.” Tony Hsieh
4. “Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.” Tony Hsieh
5. “Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.” Tony Hsieh
6. “For me, the most fun is change or growth. There are definitely elements of both that I like. Launching a business is kind of like a motorboat: You can go very quickly and turn fast.” Tony Hsieh
7. “Our business is based on repeat customers and word of mouth. There’s a lot of value in building up our brand name and what it stands for. We view the money that we spend on customer service as marketing money that improves our brand.” Tony Hsieh
8. “Good service comes naturally from satisfied employees who embraced the company culture.” Tony Hsieh
9. “Every employee can affect your company’s brand, not just the front-line employees.” Tony Hsieh
10. “Whatever you’re thinking, think bigger.” Tony Hsieh
11. “Your culture is your brand.” Tony Hsieh
12. “For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny. ” Tony Hsieh
13. “I think the most important thing is you hire people whose personal values match the corporate core values – and not just the stated ones.” Tony Hsieh
14. “A bigger business is like a cruise ship: There are lots of amenities and you can go a lot further but it’s harder to turn quickly.” Tony Hsieh
15. “Without conscious effort, inertia always wins.” Tony Hsieh
16. “Our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service or building a great long-term brand or empowering passionate employees and customers will happen on its own.” Tony Hsieh
17. “Open, honest communication is the best foundation for any relationship.” Tony Hsieh
18. “Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.” Tony Hsieh
19. “Your personal core values define who you are, and a company’s core values ultimately define the company’s character and brand.” Tony Hsieh
20. “Our philosophy is about delivering happiness to our customers and employees.” Tony Hsieh
21. “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.” Tony Hsieh
22. “It’s more important that we make an emotional connection with the customer.” Tony Hsieh
23. “Don’t play the games that you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.” Tony Hsieh
24. “In business you must do something that’s above and beyond what’s expected.” Tony Hsieh
25. “The best leaders are servant leaders – they serve those they lead.” Tony Hsieh
26. “I’d rather spend money on things that improve the customer experience than on marketing.” Tony Hsieh
27. “I thought about how easily we are all brainwashed by our society and culture to stop thinking and just assume by default that more money equals more success and more happiness when ultimately happiness is really just about enjoying life.” Tony Hsieh
28. “Never accept or be too comfortable with the status quo, because the companies that get into trouble are historically the ones that aren’t able to adapt to change and respond quickly enough.” Tony Hsieh
29. “Happiness is really just about four things: perceived control, perceived progress, connectedness (number and depth of your relationships), and vision/meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself).” Tony Hsieh
30. “For me, my role is about unleashing what people already have inside them that is maybe suppressed in most work environments.” Tony Hsieh
31. “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.” Tony Hsieh
32. “The ultimate definition of success is: You could lose everything that you have and truly be okay with it. Your happiness isn’t based on external factors.” Tony Hsieh
33. “The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.” Tony Hsieh
34. “Learn by doing. Theory is nice but nothing replaces actual experience.” Tony Hsieh
