John DiJulius
SPOTLIGHT
J
JOHN DIJULIUS is a lot of things. He is a writer, a family man, a customer service guru, and
a loyal leader. Underneath all of those titles are the core principles that make him who he is, and
examining parts of his daily routine and the way he goes about accomplishing his goals puts those
principles on full display.
Family has always been John’s number one priority. He was lucky enough to be married for 18
years and have three wonderful children before his wife tragically passed. Though that time was a
significant struggle, he knew that he never had the option of hiding his head in the sand. He had
to be strong and push forward. The support system provided by both his staff and his family
helped tremendously with that.
If John could attribute one single attitude to his success, it is that you are the result of whatever
you consistently do. “I gave it my best” is more of a platitude or an excuse. What you do in the
moment matters, but it is what you have been doing to build up to that moment that really counts.
The greatest accomplishments in history are the result of hundreds of iterations of ideas, not single
moments. Don’t try your best; make things happen. In the words Will Durant used to summarize
Aristotle: “…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Of course, no man is an island. The team that John employs and works with are passionate,
sometimes seemingly more so than John himself in his own estimation. They motivate him and he
motivates them in return. Loyalty goes both ways. A lot of people become acquaintances but few
become true friends and team members. Those that do are interesting, unique, and very dedicated.
When someone speaks into your life, it means they are a trusted confidant whose advice you take
to heart. For John, the people he keeps closest are also those people who he takes advice from, who
speak into his life: his close friends, his fiancé and his three sons. They are not only the ones
closest to him personally but all of them would be good mentors in their own right. All of them are
role models that John looks up to, whether personally or professionally.
Role models don’t come easy, though. John has mentored many people in his life, and he has been
mentored by many more. In terms of role models, he looks to leaders with ethics. People like
Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks. People who take care of the underdog and don’t accept
the status quo. Above all, he is motivated by his own clients. They come to him because they
expect excellence, and that expectation is what pushes John to excel.
The best advice he has ever received? A few things: A person is the average of the five people they
spend the most time with, so it’s valuable to surround yourself with the highest quality people you
can. Be appreciative of everything you get and everything that comes your way. Finally, be careful
about Internet role models. It’s unrealistic to “follow your passion” and be passionate on day one.
It’s not about how hard you work when you find your passion; it’s about the day-to-day grind of
consistently making it a reality.
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