My daughter Mimi called me up many years ago and said, "Hey Dad, let's take a crack at running the New York City Marathon." I trained for six months for the 1987 race. The starting gun fired, about 22,000 runners started, 21,244 runners finished and 1.5 million people lined the streets.

First place went to a Kenyan: 2 hours, 11 minutes, 1 second. The last place finisher was a Vietnam veteran -- four days, 2 hours, 48 minutes and 17 seconds. This human being, Bob Wieland, covered 26 miles, 385 yards with no legs. He ran on his hands. My daughter and I passed him in the first few minutes of the race. It wasn't too difficult for us to finish the race after seeing that display of bravery and determination, so typical of our country's military.

As a student of history, I have always been particularly fascinated with the impact our armed forces have had on our American experience. In so many ways, they have shaped the country we have become as they defended the freedoms we enjoy. It's only fitting that there is a national holiday honoring the remarkable service of these selfless men and women.

This year marks the 97th anniversary of the last day of World War I -- the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson decreed that Nov. 11 should be observed as Armistice Day, with companies honoring the occasion by suspending business for two minutes at 11 a.m. and communities holding subsequent parades and events.

In 1938, Congress enacted legislation making Armistice Day a legal federal holiday. In 1954, veteran organizations successfully lobbied Congress to change the name of the observance to Veterans Day in order to include and honor the efforts of those who fought in World War II and in the Korean War. In 1968, the federal government passed legislation to observe legal holidays on Mondays, arguing that three-day weekends would encourage travel and recreation, thus stimulating the economy.

But the significance of the date was not lost on President Gerald Ford. During his term, Veterans Day was moved back to Nov. 11 to honor its history.

Today, U.S. military officials point out that many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. Memorial Day honors military personnel who died in battle or as a result of their wounds. Veterans Day is set aside to thank and honor all those who served in the military, in wartime and in peacetime. It is intended to thank living veterans for their services, to acknowledge their contributions to national security and to underscore their sacrifice and duty.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are around 21.8 million living veterans, out of our total population of more than 320 million. Statistically, that gives each of us plenty of opportunity to personally say thanks for their service.

I offer this brief history lesson for a reason: No other group in American history deserves recognition more than our veterans. I am honored to devote my column to those who have served our country and those who continue to protect us today.

There's a business side to military service too. Training, discipline, leadership, accountability, loyalty -- the traits that are ingrained in the military are just as important to business success. We ask our service members to do jobs that no one really wants to do. They aren't offered a choice to say no. Great leaders are groomed in service as well.

I once shared the podium with Gen. William Westmoreland, who told this story about himself.

Westmoreland was in Korea in the '50s, speaking to 10,000 Korean cadets out in the audience. They didn't speak English, so there was an interpreter. Most speakers like to open up with a humorous story, and Westmoreland was no different. He took 45 seconds to tell one.

An interpreter, standing right next to him, took 7 seconds to relate the information. All of a sudden, 10,000 Korean cadets were hooting with laughter.

Westmoreland was outraged. "What's going on here?" he asked. "I take 45 seconds to tell a story, you take 7 seconds, they're all hollering with laughter, what did you tell them?"

"I tell them American general tell funny story, everybody laugh."

Mackay's Moral: Veterans, we salute you.

If you've ever had anything custom-made, you know how satisfying the experience can be. Whether it's a new house, a bespoke shirt or even a special sandwich, getting exactly what you ordered is gratifying.

That's why I think we should rename customer service to "custom service." Every customer contact should involve custom care and accommodations. Each interaction needs to be "custom built" to meet the customer's specs.

I have long preached the concept of humanizing your selling strategy. In addition to building a strictly business relationship, you need to get to know your customers as people. Find out what their interests are, learn about their families and discover what you might have in common.

I have shared my formula for learning about customers in the Mackay 66, a customer profile that we use at MackayMitchell Envelope Co. religiously. It's available free on my website, harveymackay.com.

But as I so often say, knowledge does not become power until it is used. This information is a starting point to help you customize every meeting, phone call or email. You need to be creative to make your encounters memorable. Let me give you some examples, shared by readers of this column.

One woman wrote about a practice she used in her years as a customer service rep. Whenever a customer -- particularly a new customer -- left her a voicemail, she would save the message and listen to it until she could recognize the voice. That would let the customers know that their business mattered to the company.

Establishing that kind of relationship is critical to customizing the sale: It eliminates the formalities and lets the players get down to business. The customer feels more comfortable with the salesperson, so the conversation can begin on a high note.

Another reader told about two different encounters she had with people she had hired to work in her home. She was extremely impressed with the person who came to service her air conditioning system. He told her about his commitment to providing exemplary service, educating his employees and developing a business structure that utilizes technology to improve efficiency and quality control.

He made sure she was completely satisfied with the job and guaranteed his work, which, of course, he did correctly the first time. His attention to detail and consideration for her home were not lost on her. She has recommended his company repeatedly.

But the carpenter she hired to customize her closet was a major disappointment. He let her know in no uncertain terms that this job was too small to be worth his time and that he only accepted it because he had an opening in his schedule.

He ignored her ideas and proceeded to install shelving that was uneven. When she asked him to fix the problem, he instead said he would just give her payment back and quit. She was left with a mess, but was relieved that he was out of her house. Her custom closet was a custom disaster. I wonder how long he will stay in business.

A friend whose company manufactures industrial parts has worked with one supplier for decades, even though other suppliers call on him regularly, often with more competitive pricing. But he stays with that company because of two experiences that proved its loyalty to him.

Years ago, the third shift had an equipment breakdown in the middle of the night, the kind of problem that could idle the factory for days and delay deliveries. His supplier's rep showed up at the factory within hours to offer help tracking down replacement parts or even finding alternate locations for production. Talk about custom service!

Then, when their long-time rep was preparing to retire, the supplier sent the rep and her replacement to spend time at the factory until the new rep was thoroughly familiar with its needs. Instead of relying on files and old orders, they took a very personal interest. That sealed the deal.

Too often, customer service is anything but. One size does not fit all. Your customers deserve your very best. Great customer service is only a starting point. Custom service takes your business to a whole new level.

Mackay's Moral: If you want to keep your customers, offer custom service.

October is one of my favorite months, perhaps because that's when I get to blow out my birthday candles and celebrate another successful year. Who doesn't love birthdays?

My age is irrelevant; in fact, I subscribe to the iconic comedian Jack Benny's philosophy. He turned 39 in 1933, and remained that age until his death in 1974. I've been 39 for a few years now, and it just keeps getting better.

As a constant advocate for lifelong learning, I am directing the advice in this column not only to those who have years of job experience, but also to those who are just getting started in the work world, and everyone in between.

Here's what I want everyone to repeat after me: Your age does not dictate your ability to accomplish. Reaching your retirement years does not mean you are finished contributing to society. Let me give you a few examples of people who refused to "act their age":

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the designer of the first nuclear submarine, was still a consultant to the Navy at the age of 82.

American artists Grandma Moses and Georgia O'Keeffe both continued to paint well past the age of 90. Russian artist Marc Chagall was designing stained glass windows for churches in many parts of the world at age 90.

Frank Lloyd Wright, considered one of the greatest modern American architects, created an entirely original concept of architecture when he was well past the age of 90. Wright was fond of saying: "Youth is a quality, and if you have it, you never lose it."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist, was still working on a play at the age of 94 when his prolific life ended prematurely due to complications from a fall.

Giuseppe Verdi continued to compose operas as well when he was in his 80s. He created a retirement home for musicians.

Arthur Rubinstein gave a concert at Carnegie Hall at age 90. He was almost blind and unable to read the notes. Nevertheless, he played with his usual perfection. Afterward, he was heard to remark, "The music is in my mind."

Albert Schweitzer was an outstanding German organist and philosopher who created a new life in Africa for the underprivileged. He was a physician, a clergyman and an expert in music. He was active until age 90.

Robert Frost, nearly 87, read his poem, "The Gift Outright" at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Perhaps you detected a theme here -- many of these highly accomplished people were creative types who were not bound by the traditional expectations of retirement. I wonder if there is a correlation.

Regardless of your vocation, I strongly encourage you to never stop using your talents and abilities. Even if you are looking forward to leaving the workforce at some point, you have marvelous opportunities to leave your mark on the world.

Most of us are familiar with the myth of the phoenix, a bird of great beauty that was found in the Arabian Desert. There was only one, and it lived for hundreds of years. When it sensed that it was about to die, it built its own funeral pyre, lighted it by fanning its wings, then flew into the fire and arose young again from the ashes.

The phoenix came to be associated with the sun god, who disappeared as an old man each night and appeared as a child the following morning. For centuries, the phoenix has become a symbol of rebirth and renewal.

Historian Arnold Toynbee shared this reflection on life at the age of 81: "As one grows older, the temptation to dwell on the past and to avert one's eyes from the future grows. If one were to fall into this backward-looking stance, one would be as good as dead before physical death had overtaken us. Our minds, so long as they keep their cutting edge, are not bound by our physical limits; they can range over time and space into infinity. To be human is to be capable of transcending oneself."

Mackay's Moral: No matter how many birthdays I've had, I haven't hit my peak yet.