By: Tom Chenault
Why Love Like Crazy then… Love More and Remember To Remember aren’t just nice philosophies— They’re proven Success Strategies.
My name’s Tom and I’m an alcoholic.
That’s how I introduce myself in recovery meetings. I have been sober for 36 years. And in those rooms, I learned something that took me decades to understand: Everything I really needed to know about business success, I learned in recovery. Not in business school. Not from consultants. In the rooms with broken people rebuilding their lives, one relationship, friendship, and partnership at a time.
See, when you’re a drunk who’s lost everything— jobs, relationships, trust, self-respect— you learn that success isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about remembering that every person in that room matters. And when you combine obsessive love for people with systematic remembering of what matters to them, something magical happens.
You start changing the world.
I call it Love Like Crazy then… Love More and Remember To Remember. And here’s the thing— I’m not the only one who’s figured this out. Every leader who’s ever transformed an industry, built a lasting empire, changed how business gets done… has used this exact formula, whether they realized it or not.
Let me prove it to you.
When Love Becomes Your Competitive Advantage
Take Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines. In 1971, everyone said he was crazy. “Treat employees like family? In the airline business? You’ll go bankrupt in six months.” But Herb had discovered what I learned in the restaurant business and in recovery: “If you treat your employees right, they’ll treat your customers right, and that’ll make your shareholders happy.”
The Love Like Crazy part? Herb was obsessed with his employees. Not their productivity metrics. Them. He knew thousands by name, remembered their kids, and showed up at their funerals and weddings.
Then… Love More? Former Southwest VP Colleen Barrett said,
“Herb loved his employees. He loved their families. He loved the communities we served. He couldn’t contain his love to just the workplace.”
The result? Southwest became the only major airline to remain profitable through multiple recessions. While competitors treated employees as cost centers, Herb treated them as family. His “Remember to Remember” system— knowing every employee’s personal story — created loyalty no competitor could match.
That’s not soft leadership. That’s strategic genius.
Howard Schultz: Building Community One Cup at a Time
Howard Schultz fell in love with Italian coffee culture. But Starbucks was just selling coffee beans in Seattle. Investors thought he was nuts: “Americans don’t want to pay $3 for coffee in a fancy setting.”
But Schultz understood something profound:
“We’re not in the coffee business, serving people. We’re in the people business serving coffee.”
His Love Like Crazy… approach? Obsessive focus on partners (employees) and customers.
His Remember to Remember system? He personally remembered partners’ names across thousands of stores. Had his people remember customers’ favorite drinks. Remembered the unique community needs in different neighborhoods. Barista Maria Santos said, “Howard remembered my name and my goal to become a teacher. When I graduated, he sent a personal note. That’s when I knew Starbucks was different.”
From 6 stores to 30,000+ worldwide. Because Schultz remembered that coffee is about human connection, not caffeine addiction.
The Patterns That Change Everything
See the patterns? These transformational leaders all follow the same formula:
Love Like Crazy— Obsessive focus on serving others (employees, customers, users)
Remember To Remember— Systematic capture of what matters most to people
then… Love More— Expanding that love beyond the original scope
This isn’t feel-good fluff. This is strategic dominance.
When you love people systematically and remember what matters to them individually, you create something competitors can’t copy: authentic human connection at scale.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In our digital-everything world, human connection has become the ultimate competitive advantage. AI can handle transactions… but it can’t love. Algorithms can analyze data… but they can’t remember that your customer’s daughter just graduated from college.
The leaders who win in the next decade will be those who understand that Love Like Crazy then… Love More and Remember To Remember isn’t just nice— it’s necessary. Just ask
Herb and Howard.
Your Next Move
This is just the beginning. I’m building a movement around these principles because I believe business can be a force for love in the world— that will change the world. We’re starting with a community where leaders share how they’re applying Love Like Crazy then… Love More and Remember To Remember in their organizations.
Join us at https://facebook.com/groups/lovelikecrazythenlovemore
Because here’s what 36 years of sobriety taught me:
The person who loves the most, wins.
The person who remembers the most, conquers.
And the person who keeps expanding their love?
They change the world.
The question isn’t whether this works. Herb Kelleher, Howard Schultz, and so many, many others already proved it does.
The questions are: Are you ready to..
Love Like Crazy then Love More?
Remember To Remember?
Trust me. They work. I’ve got the scar tissue and success stories to prove it.
About Tom Chenault
Tom Chenault is a 36-year veteran of recovery, a pioneer of relationship-driven business building, and creator of Love Like Crazy. Then… Love More philosophy. His upcoming book (of the same name) explores how love-based leadership transforms organizations and lives.
Disclaimer: Testimonials in this article reflect personal experiences and aren’t guaranteed. Results vary based on effort, experience, and commitment. Use your judgment.
