Dr. Michelli's Bestselling Books

Dr. Michelli has authored several best-selling books. To get information on receiving personalized copies of Joseph's books, or for bulk order information, please contact us here.
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Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges


In Stronger through Adversity, Michelli provides the invaluable customer experience wisdom he gained from 140+ top global business leaders on all aspects of leading through and beyond COVID, including crisis management, keeping employees and customers safe, maintaining a culture of engagement, rapidly innovating, and more.

"I love this book. It doesn’t offer tired and common suggestions, but solutions learned from a diversity of leaders facing the biggest adversities of their lives. The insights are deep but that doesn’t make it difficult to read. Bravo on a much needed book for the times."

Mark Sanborn

Speaker, Author of The Fred Factor and The Intention Imperative, President of Sanborn & Associates, Inc.

"Throughout the pandemic, leaders at all levels of business and society received a graduate-level, crash course on leading through crisis and uncertainty. Joseph Michelli talked to prominent business, nonprofit, and public safety leaders at various stages of the health crisis, and captured their insights in a highly applicable way. In good times or bad, Stronger Through Adversity is a leadership roadmap for resilience, productivity, and realistic optimism." 

Dave White

President, Global Client Services at AMCI Global

The Airbnb Way: 5 Leadership Lessons for Igniting Growth Through Loyalty, Community, and Belonging


The Airbnb Way delivers proven methods for increasing customer engagement, loyalty, and referrals that leaders can utilize in every service setting and across industries. An unprecedented inside look at how Airbnb and its host community create dynamic customer experiences and build brand loyalty in the sharing economy.

"The Airbnb Way explores the ‘how’ of hospitality. It offers actionable examples of hospitality principles as shared through the stories of Airbnb leaders, guests, and hosts alike. This book is relevant for anyone who seeks to drive a welcoming and differentiated brand experience. It is for those who chose ‘to be a host’—in the sharing economy, their service business, or personal life."

Chip Conley

Hospitality Entrepreneur and Strategic Advisor of Airbnb

"Airbnb is a company that has changed the way many people travel and given many individuals a path to entrepreneurship. With a commitment to building a company culture that promotes belonging, trust, empowerment, and community, Airbnb leaders inspire hosts to create magical and memorable travel. In this book, Joseph Michelli takes you into the world of Airbnb leaders, employees and hosts. He offers insights on how you can differentiate your personal or corporate brand-fueled by stories told The Airbnb Way."

Michael E. Gerber

New York Times bestselling author of The E-Myth books

Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way


Driven to Delight offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at CEO Steve Cannon and his leadership team's ambitious, multi-pronged strategy to elevate the company's customer experience to best-in-class across all brands and industries. This is an in-depth, all-access look at senior leadership's vision, strategy, and tactical steps to create and sustain the wide-sweeping actions needed to deliver a customer experience that lives up to the company's brand promise, "the best or nothing."

"Mercedes Benz's story demonstrates the leadership and commitment that's required to transform customer experience within a large organization. The book does a great job of capturing how the company engaged all of its employees and partners on a journey to deliver upon its brand promise, which required much more than just designing great cars."

Bruce Temkin

CCXP, Customer Experience Transformist, Temkin Group

"Joseph Michelli's latest book is a masterful roadmap for transforming the relationship between leaders, employees, and the customers they serve."

Tom Rath

Author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Are You Fully Charged?

Leading the Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting with Your Customers, Your Products, and Your People


One of the most recognized and admired brands in the world, Starbucks singlehandedly transformed the ordinary delivery of coffee into a cultural phenomenon - a result of the company's exemplary leadership practices. In Leading the Starbucks Way, Joseph Michelli describes success as loving your product, loving your customers, and loving your employees. Sincerely. Without fail. Even in the face of business challenges.

"Michelli identifies the principles by which Howard Schultz and his team passionately perform in a culture that loves, respects, and rewards suppliers, employees, customers, shareholders, and the community."

Robert Spector

author of The Nordstrom Way

"Leading the Starbucks Way provides the key success factors of a lifestyle brand that is globally scaled, locally relevant, and powered by the passion of the Starbucks culture."

John Timmerman, PhD

Senior Strategist of Customer Experience and Innovation, Gallup

The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW


In The Zappos Experience, learn about the rich and unorthodox service culture at Zappos, a company known primarily for selling shoes in playful and engaging ways. Joseph Michelli explores effective employee and customer engagement techniques and the integration of work and fun at Zappos. Prepare to be Zappified!

"Delivering Happiness can help inspire the why of your business; The Zappos Experience can contribute to the how."

Tony Hsieh

CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. and bestselling author of Delivering Happiness

"Often, business owners look at media darlings like Zappos with their mouths agape, full of awe but unable to take action. For those eager to do more than watch, Joseph Michelli deconstructs the Zappos story and makes it attainable." 

Seth Godin

Author, Poke the Box

Prescription for Excellence: Leadership Lessons for Creating a World-Class Customer Experience from UCLA Health System


This book shares UCLA Health System's journey in transforming satisfaction and engagement of their customers through a service-centric approach. Joseph Michelli examines the success and leadership principles of UCLA Health System and includes how-to tips and practical tools useful to all business sectors. In essence, all business is personal.

"Most leadership authors describe how to apply common-sense principles. Michelli is a notable exception. He artfully describes the compelling, uncommon leadership practices that transformed UCLA Health System. The resulting lessons are plentiful and powerful for today's business leader." 

Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.

Author of Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company


The New Gold Standard takes you on an exclusive tour of the Ritz-Carlton. With access to the company's executives, staff, and award-winning Leadership Center's training facilities, Joseph Michelli explores every level of leadership within the organization.

"Having written another stellar book, Joseph Michelli must be considered on the short list of today's influential leadership authors. His intriguing look into the Ritz-Carlton abounds with insights and intellectual fodder for leaders aspiring to upgrade the quality of service offered by their organizations."

Dr. John C. Maxwell's Leadership Wired Newsletter

The Starbucks Experience: Five Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary


For the first time, an outsider has been given unique access to Starbucks, offering readers an in-depth look at every level of the company. The Starbucks Experience delivers a rare blend of boardroom strategies, employee motivation tips, community involvement, and customer satisfaction - for a full-bodied experience that really pays off.

"This book gives you a series of practical, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to build a more successful business."

Brian Tracy

author of Million Dollar Habit

When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace


In this revealing business advice book, the magic of the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market proves a dynamic example of what a group of people can create when they are aligned and living a powerful vision.

"John Yokoyama and Joseph Michelli explain the secrets to making the success of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market come alive in your work and life. These are principles that work. You can energize your employees and delight your customers by modeling the fabulous ideas that come from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market." 

Ken Blanchard

Co-author of The One Minute Manager