I stood at the rental car counter and the lady said, "You're going to hate me."

It had been a long day. I spoke in Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon, flew out early evening, connected through Detroit, and landed in Omaha much, much later in the evening.

I just wanted to get to my hotel. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

"Last name," she said, as I approached the rental car window.

"Welle."

[Long pause as she types at her computer.]

She looks up timidly.

"Uh, oh, you're going to hate me."

"Oh, God, you're giving me a minivan, aren't you?" I responded.

"Worse."

I'm thinking in my head, What's worse than a minivan?

Disclaimer: I have nothing against minivans. If you drive one, they've come a long ways in recent years. They're practical, efficient, spacious—I just don't need to be driving one when it's ONLY ME and my carry-on bags. 😊

She rotates her computer screen.

"Because you chose the 'Mystery Manager's Special' and we're completely oversold on cars, all I have are these 12-passenger vans."

Hotel shuttle? Party bus? Whatever you need, I got you.

I look at it and wonder, Am I even qualified to operate that thing?

I'd never driven one in my life.

"You're positive that's all you have? Nothing else available?"

"Yes," she says. "I'm sorry. You hate me, don't you?"

I smiled at her. She looked tired, too.

"I don't hate you. It's a first-world problem that's not worth getting worked up about."

--

I challenged myself long ago to be same person offstage as I am onstage.

I can't hold the audience to a higher standard than I hold myself.

I believe that who you are with anyone is who you are with everyone. And how you do anything is how you do everything.

I ask people to demonstrate empathy, breathe, have gratitude, strategically allocate their energy, and in general, be a good human that makes a positive impact on others.

It's not about being perfect. I'm not, and you're not either.

It's about showing up as your best, even when you're tired, mildly annoyed, and you don't feel like it.

That's what Outperformers do. That's why you're here.

Keep at it. The world needs it.

Keep Outperforming,