Hi, I’m Michael Hyatt. I am the author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Thomas Nelson). It is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller. I am also the co-author of the forthcoming book, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want (Baker Books). I wrote this book with my good friend Daniel Harkavy. I am the founder of 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever,™ Platform University®, and Get Published. I have been blogging here since 2004.
For years, I have had people write in and refer to me as their virtual mentor. I finally decided to own that role and be intentional about it. My mission is to help high achievers win at work and succeed at life.
To that end, I write on personal development, leadership, productivity, platform, and publishing. On occasion, I write about stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into one of these categories.
I also have a weekly podcast called, “This Is Your Life” which is co-hosted by Michele Cushatt. We cover similar topics as those on the blog. You can watch it on video or listen to it on audio. The show is consistently ranked in the top ten of iTunes’ Business category.
My goal is to create insightful, relevant content that you can put to work in your personal and professional life. If you consider yourself an achiever—someone who wants more out of life—then this blog is for you.
I typically post twice a week, occasionally more. To make sure you don’t miss my newest posts, you can subscribe via e-mail. It’s quick, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I am the former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S. I have worked in the book publishing industry for most of my career.
I began at Word Publishing while a student at Baylor University, where I majored in philosophy. I worked at Word for a total of six years. In addition to serving as Vice President of Marketing at Thomas Nelson in the mid-80s, I also started my own publishing company, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, with my partner Robert Wolgemuth in 1986. Word eventually acquired our company in 1992.
I was a successful literary agent from 1992 until early 1998. However, I really missed the world of corporate publishing. As a result, I rejoined Thomas Nelson in 1998. I worked in a variety of roles in both divisional and corporate management.
I was CEO from August 2005 to April 2011, when I was succeeded by Mark Schoenwald. I was Chairman from August 2006 until the company was acquired by HarperCollins in July 2012. Since that time, I have run my own company, Intentional Leadership.
I have also written eight books, two of which landed on the New York Times bestseller list. My most recent one is called Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World in May 2012. In addition to the New York Times bestseller list, it hit the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.
My newest book, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want, is on the subject of life planning. I wrote it with my friend, Daniel Harkavy, Founder, CEO, and Executive Coach of Building Champions. It is scheduled to be published by Baker Books in the spring of 2016.
I have been married to my wife, Gail (follow her on Twitter), for thirty-seven years. We have five daughters, five grandsons, and three granddaughters. We live outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, photography, running, and golfing. I am a member of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, Tennessee, where I have served as a deacon for twenty-eight years.