Quotes from Chip Conley

We're all human. It's the most important, neglected fact in business.

I'd done my time in corporate America, from McDonald's making shakes to Morgan Stanley making deals and, yet, I felt awfully constrained by the uniform - not just my clothes, but how I felt I needed to conform - that a traditional job required me to wear.

Those of us who have been lucky enough to experience a calling in our work have a certain faith and peace of mind that it's exactly when we're supposed to be doing.

As leaders, we understand that intangibles are important, but we don't have a clue how to measure them.

Anxiety = Uncertainty x Powerlessness

Curiosity = Wonder + Awe

Joy = Love - Fear

This equation has helped many people I know identify the difference between practicing happiness and pursuing it. When my happiness feels elusive, I tend to ask myself, "What am I not being grateful for, and what am I pursuing that's distracting me from that gratitude?

EVENT + REACTION = OUTCOME Many people do not distinguish between something that happens to them and their reaction to it. Yet it isn't the event or situation that holds the emotional charge; it's our beliefs that create our response.

As Viktor Frankl wrote, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." You have the power to choose how you respond. You are a product of your decisions, not your conditions. In

Think of your emotions as messages that give you the freedom, rather than the obligation, to respond. Fear protects. Regret teaches. Sadness releases. Joy uplifts. Empathy unites. Emotions

Economic gloom lightens your wallet while weighing down your spirit. Five of the ten most stressful life events are related to whether you are employed and whether the quality of your work experience is good. Your work does more than affect your self-esteem; it organizes your day, connects you with others, and can give you a sense of purpose. Not

He summarizes his approach to change in this simple phrase (inspired by Aristotle's "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."): "We are what we practice and we're always practicing something. Thus, to make changes we need to practice something new and different.

That may seem like a brain tease, but think of it this way: "Wanting What You Have" is like practicing gratitude. It means appreciating the good fortune in your life. "Having What You Want," to me, means that you are pursuing something that will give you gratification, potentially to the neglect of what you already have. In other words, The

Perennials are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who know what's happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages. We get involved, stay curious, mentor others, and are passionate, compassionate, creative, confident, collaborative, global-minded risk takers.

Gravity can also shape our emotional selves. Emotional baggage, for instance, is a form of gravity; we acquire more of it as we get older, and it weighs us down. The more emotional gravity we're fighting, the more force we require to move forward. And force moving against gravity creates a lot of friction. On

Wanting What You Have" is like practicing gratitude. It means appreciating the good fortune in your life. "Having What You Want," to me, means that you are pursuing something that will give you gratification, potentially to the neglect of what you already have.

My life is scattered and busy. I think of my home as a resort. When I step through the door, I feel relaxed. I almost feel like I've taken a vacation.

Organizations that can diminish fear are those that are able to motivate, create, and innovate.

The best way we can encourage people to create companies that create jobs is to celebrate the diverse entrepreneurial stories and the variety of drivers that led these entrepreneurs to sticking their necks out.

When I started my hotel company, Joie de Vivre, at the age of 26, I saw this venture as my ticket to freedom.

Companies and leaders are role models - not just with the business community - but in the broader world.

If an employee told you he had the flu, you'd send him home. If an employee told you he was feeling anxious, you'd probably tell him to get back to work. But the emotion is just as contagious as a flu virus.

When the world is in the midst of change, when adversity and opportunity are almost indistinguishable, this is the time for visionary leadership and when leaders need to look beyond the survival needs of those they're serving.