So, I went through the Macca’s drive through this morning to grab a couple of hash browns, a totally innocent mission for golden, greasy comfort. But guess what I got instead?

A crash course in what happens when efficiency overrides humanity.

I pull up to the speaker box and the guy doesn’t even say hello. No “Hi there, what can I get you?”, no smile in his voice, just straight to business:

“What can I get you?”

I say, “Two hash browns, please.”

He fires back: “Anything else?”

I say, “No thanks.”

And his final words? “Drive-through.”

No “Thanks.”

No “See you at the next window.”

Just drive-through.

At the first window: “Six dollars.”

I tap.

No smile. No nod. No words.

Just a wall of silence and a wave of indifference.

Second window: A hand, just a hand, reaches out of the void holding the bag like some kind of faceless food drop-off robot.

And I sat there, hash browns in hand, thinking…

Is this what business has become?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good system. I’m all about streamlining, scaling, automation, I mean, strategy is my whole thing.

But here’s the kicker: Automation should support the human, not replace it.

And I think we’re hitting a point where people are craving more personality in business, not less.

We don’t want robotic. We want real.

We want connection, not coldness.

Yes, we need efficiency, systems, automation, and all the tools that let us scale.

But people remember how you made them feel, not just how fast you got them the thing they asked for.

Whether you're slinging hash browns or helping business owners scale, the human element still matters.

Maybe even more now than ever.

So if you’ve been stressing that you’re behind because your business isn’t fully automated, let me offer this:

There’s actually a market for thoughtful, high-touch, personality-driven experiences.

People will pay for it. People will prefer it.

Systems are brilliant.

But personality is the magic.

Also, the hash browns were amazing.

But a “have a nice day” wouldn’t have killed them.