McHugh Michael, Author at Michael McHugh

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Friday Five — Believe You Can, Customer-First Thinking, and Why Quality Wins

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 326 | April 3, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short dose of ideas to start the weekend with clarity. Choosing a positive headspace is hard when building anything of value. But focusing on your customer puts everything into perspective. In the end, creating quality products and offering unparalleled service is what matters. That’s […]

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Why Saving Customers Money Is Sam Walton’s Ultimate Customer-First Business Strategy

3 Comments / Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship / McHugh Michael

It was the early 1960s in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walmart founder Sam Walton wanted to spend less on marketing so he could charge less. That meant unconventional, low-cost ways to get attention. It was all part of his customer-first business strategy. As part of it, he offered discounted watermelons and free donkey rides. The goal was

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Friday Five — Reputation, Character, and the Power of Choice

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

Read or subscribe: michaelwmchugh.com No. 325 | March 27, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short dose of ideas to start the weekend with clarity. Most success looks like talent. Up close, it’s usually a set of decisions made earlier than everyone realized mattered. That’s the thread running through this week’s Friday Five: true success,

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Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s Success: The System That Built an Empire

1 Comment / Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Leadership / McHugh Michael

In 1954, Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s success story almost didn’t happen. At the time, he was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman with diabetes and arthritis—and very little to show for it. Most people his age were slowing down. Kroc was just getting started. That year, he visited a small restaurant run by the McDonald brothers in

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Friday Five — The Right Thing, The Person You Decide to Be, and Human Choice

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

Read or subscribe: michaelwmchugh.com No. 324 | March 20, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five—a short dose of insights to start the weekend with clarity. This week’s theme: the power of choice. From Ray Kroc’s strategy to Roger Federer mastering his craft, the biggest returns come from choosing what fits you best. If this issue resonates,

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Ray Kroc Business Strategy That Built McDonald’s

1 Comment / Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship / McHugh Michael

A McDonald’s franchisee in Knoxville once called Ray Kroc with a problem. A competitor down the street was selling hamburgers for a lower price. The franchisee wanted permission to match the price. Kroc said no. If a competitor could win on price alone, Kroc said, McDonald’s deserved to lose. It sounded irrational. It wasn’t. The

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Friday Five — Trust the Process, Patience and Time, and the Pace of Nature

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 323 | March 13, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short dose of insights to start the weekend with clarity. This week’s theme: trust the process. From Ray Kroc’s work ethic to the Japanese idea of ikigai, the biggest results come from patience and consistent effort. This Week in Friday Five 🎸 Luke Combs

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Ray Kroc Lessons: The Risk That Built McDonald’s

1 Comment / Entrepreneurship / McHugh Michael

In 1954, Ray Kroc received an order that made no sense—an order that would later become one of the most famous Ray Kroc lessons in entrepreneurship. One hamburger stand in San Bernardino wanted eight milkshake machines. Eight. Kroc had spent years selling the machines and rarely convinced anyone to buy even one. Most restaurant owners

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Friday Five — Courage of Your Convictions, Never Giving Up, and What Convinces

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

Read or subscribe at → michaelwmchugh.com No. 322 | March 6, 2026 Welcome to Friday Five, a short dose of insights to start the weekend with clarity and focus. This Week in Friday Five 🎺 Miles Davis and three songs to start with☕ The conviction that built Starbucks📚 Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s early lessons🎙️ Instagram

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Howard Schultz Leadership Style: Conviction Built Starbucks

1 Comment / Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Leadership / McHugh Michael

It’s the early 1980s. Milan. Howard Schultz is in town for a housewares show. The city’s espresso bars stop him cold. They are community gathering spots, a “third place” between home and work. This is the seed of the Howard Schultz leadership style. Baristas knew customers by name. Coffee wasn’t a transaction. It was a

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