Do Energy and Success Go Together?

People are fascinating to study! Have you ever taken a trip through a busy airport and hired workers to handle your bags? Notice the ones who get the big tips: they expertly maneuver through foot traffic, weave in and out of long lines, jump ahead of crowds, and maintain great personalities with positive attitudes.

Recently, I took my mom to a funeral in Kansas City, departing from one of the busiest airports—Orlando, Florida. We had three bags, a walker, and needed a wheelchair from check-in to the gate. On this round-trip journey, we encountered four different airport workers.

The first three experiences were exceptional. We had Amber in Kansas City, a mom with two autistic children; Isaiah, a tall and thin man from Haiti; and others who genuinely cared about us. They helped us through security, packed our bags on the cart, and even grabbed water or a sandwich for the trip. It was evident they loved their jobs and helping others. Their energy and dedication made our journey smooth and pleasant.

However, the last leg of our trip was a stark contrast. Upon landing in Orlando, we waited in an unconditioned area outside the plane for about 20 minutes. Normally, wheelchair passengers are taken off the plane first, but not this time. Frustrated, I approached the flight attendant and saw a worker at the end of the tarmac who wasn’t coming to assist us. When he finally arrived, he mentioned having another passenger to attend to.

I asked if he could help us to the ladies room with the bags and wheelchair. He agreed, but once we reached the wheelchair, he disappeared for more than a few minutes. When we got to the luggage area, he let me handle all three heavy bags by myself. He even tried to grab the $10 tip my mom offered. At this point, I was exhausted and frustrated.

I confronted him, saying, "Sir, how old are you?" He replied, "50 years old." I responded, "Well, I'm older than you and running circles around you. You’ve let me do all the work and then tried to grab my mom’s tip! Dude, you need to hustle and bring some energy to the job! Come on, you can do better for people!" I gave him half of what he could have earned for giving half the effort his peers gave. He laughed and left.

When recounting the story to my son, I told him how God had blessed us with an amazing trip. We always found parking, didn’t have to walk far, and were well taken care of—until the last worker. My son suggested that the final experience was what normal travelers often endure. I had prayed for the Lord’s blessings and angels to watch over us, and He answered. The last worker was a reminder that not all work equally as hard, and not all service workers perform the same. Consequently, not all people are paid the same.

This contrast made me grateful for the majority of the people who served us well. I tipped the other workers generously, even giving extra cash to the single mom for her outstanding service. The last man did the bare minimum, and his lack of effort left me exhausted and overworked. He received the bare minimum tip from me.

Energy matters. The workers who gave their all left me happy and grateful. The one who gave no energy expected money without effort, leaving me frustrated.

How much energy are YOU giving? Are you encouraging your friends, co-workers, kids, and employees to give their best in serving others? Are you, as a leader, giving your energy where it belongs?

Positive energy equals success. Lack of energy equals frustration and lack of commitment. Choose wisely—people notice!

To any of you who are considering ramping up your thought leadership, platform skills, desire to make MORE money speaking, know and understand and WRITE your “Story”, or write, release or promote your next book, we’d love to help! Our publicist has driven a self-published novel to #2 on the best seller lists – with hopes that this week it will hit #1. When a book hits top 100 it’s a best seller and our program can GUARANTEE you hit #1. Your business deserves the best and don’t get caught paying high dollars with low return. We guarantee our work and can get you to the top!

Here are the links:

Author Program

Publicist Service

Digital Marketing

To change your life and leadership and speaking in ONE Day click here:

VIP Day

Please email me at [email protected] if you would like to meet to discuss your personal or business PR or coaching needs. We look forward to serving you!

Stay Inspired!

Mary Gardner

Chief Motivation Officer

Mary Gardner Communications &

Inspirational Speakers Academy

About Mary Gardner

A nationally recognized speaker and public speaking coach, Mary Gardner rose to prominence in the industry as an agent at Keppler Speakers. She then founded The Coaches Certification Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, the first business and life coaching and training school on the east coast. An avid communicator with a passion for helping others find their charismatic voice, Gardner has worked to raise the profile of many executives, celebrities, professional athletes and influencers, and transition them to new, lucrative careers in the motivational speaking circuit. In her role as the President of the Inspirational Speakers Academy, she has created a workshop series that fast tracks former professional football players into an exciting new career as professional motivational speakers.

Mary draws on her experience as a television and radio host, where she appeared on Nightline, The Today Show, CNN, ABC 20/20, CBS, Fox, and MSNBC. She has addressed corporate and college audiences across the country, and her client list includes Goldman Sachs, Mercedes Benz, Computer Associates and numerous Wall Street financial institutions. She also has experience as a professional spokesperson. In a coaching capacity, Gardner has worked with astronaut Mark Kelly, professional athletes Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Peggy Fleming, Bernard King, Mike Hayes and Randy Grimes as well as TV anchors, CEOs, and executives who are respected experts in their fields.