McHugh Michael, Author at Michael McHugh

Sam Zemurray Legacy: How the Banana King’s Power and Innovation Redefined His Reputation

Entrepreneurship, Legacy / McHugh Michael

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”. – Benjamin Franklin Two Legacies Sam Zemurray’s legacy remains one of history’s great contradictions. Sam saw himself as a modern industrial baron—bringing jobs and wealth to a country desperate for both. He was a complicated […]

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Friday Five – Do what’s right, Speak what’s true, Lead with integrity

Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 303 | October 17, 2025 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a quick dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and purpose. Music of the Week Frank Sinatra was an American singer and actor, regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century. Born in New Jersey,

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Sam Zemurray’s Innovation: How Bold Risk-Taking Built a Banana Empire

1 Comment / Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship / McHugh Michael

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it”. – Albert Einstein Taking Risks Sam Zemurray’s innovation and willingness to defy convention redefined the banana industry. He was a calculated risk-taker. Whenever he spotted an edge, he pounced. The edge he exploited allowed him to win market share, pay off

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Friday Five – Accept fate, Practice love, Expect nothing

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 302 | October 10, 2025 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a quick dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and purpose. Music of the Week Chloé Herry, professionally known as CloZee, is a French musician, DJ, producer, and label manager. She developed an early love for guitar, later forming

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September Reading List: 4 Best Books I Read in September 2025

1 Comment / Book Insights, Books, Entrepreneurship / McHugh Michael

This month, I leaned hard into entrepreneurship in my September Reading List: 4 Best Books I Read in September 2025. I started my September reading list with Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in His Own Words—a collection of his speeches, interviews, and emails revealing the man behind Apple’s success. Next, I read The Fish That

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The Sam Zemurray Hustle: From Bananas to Empire

Business Biographies, Entrepreneurship, Grit / McHugh Michael

“Things may come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Elbert Hubbard Early Philosophy & the Sam Zemurray Hustle Samuel Zemurray was driven by the same force that pulled countless immigrants into the American dream—a hunger to climb. That Sam Zemurray hustle defined his life—he wanted more and wouldn’t wait

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Friday Five – Power in quiet, Strength in restraint, Excellence in silence

Friday Five, Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 301 | October 3, 2025 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a quick hit of insights, inspiration, and favorites to kick off your weekend with clarity and purpose. Music of the Week The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) keeps a full-scale orchestra alive for the people of the Gulf South. Formed in 1991, the LPO runs

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Steve Jobs Leadership Lessons from Make Something Wonderful

1 Comment / Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership / McHugh Michael

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” — G.W.F. Hegel Steve Jobs leadership lessons: Vision & Idealism One of the most enduring Steve Jobs leadership lessons was his ability to view technology through a liberal arts lens—a human-centered perspective. In Make Something Wonderful, Jobs used the Macintosh as an example. Its desktop

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Friday Five – Fear in thought, Power in choice, Calm within

Newsletter / McHugh Michael

No. 300 | September 26, 2025 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a quick dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and intention. Music of the Week Denis Jašarević—better known as Gramatik—is a Slovenian electronic music producer. His love of music began early—first with funk, jazz, soul, and blues—before shifting to

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Steve Jobs on People, Passion, and Culture: Building Apple’s Core Values

1 Comment / Apple / Steve Jobs, Entrepreneurship, Leadership / McHugh Michael

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” — Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Steve Jobs on People and Culture Hire A-players and develop them. Build a culture where passionate debate thrives. Align everyone around shared values and mission. It may sound like advice from a powerhouse football team—but it’s how Apple operated

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