The Carpenter: A Story About the Greatest Success Strategies of All

Chapter 21Value

The next morning as the carpenter was putting the final touches on his masterpiece, Michael wrote him a check. He decided to pay him more than what J. had quoted him. The carpenter didn’t just talk about loving, serving, and caring; he lived those words, and that increased his value tenfold. He wasn’t just a carpenter. He was a teacher, mentor, and coach who loved, served, and cared about Michael.

Michael realized that when you love, serve, and care it shows you value others and, in turn, your value to the world increases. For the first time, he realized the time away from work had been good for him. He needed to heal his heart so he could give all of it to his team. The carpenter had showed him The Way and Michael was ready to improve the way he lived, led, and worked. He was both excited and nervous about going back to work. He had a powerful model to share, but he wondered if there would be enough time to share it before their biggest client was officially gone. Could he acquire a few more clients? Could they improve customer service quickly enough? Could he stay calm and healthy in the process?

The carpenter walked over and stood next to Michael as they looked at the entertainment center. It was the most magnificent work of craftsmanship Michael had ever seen. It was absolutely beautiful. Michael called it a work of art. Now if he could just use the carpenter’s success strategies to build his business into a masterpiece.

When they made their way to the front ...