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<v Speaker 1>This show is produced and hosted by Mark Webber. The

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<v Speaker 1>show is sponsored by G three Aparo. The views expressed

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<v Speaker 1>in the following program are those of the sponsor and

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<v Speaker 1>not necessarily the opinion of seven tenor or iHeartMedia. Who

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<v Speaker 1>is Mark Weber. He's a self made business executive here

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<v Speaker 1>to help you find your success from the New York

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<v Speaker 1>City projects to the Avenue Montaigne in Paris. His global

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<v Speaker 1>success story in the luxury world of fashion is inspirational.

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<v Speaker 1>He's gone from clerk to CEO twice. Mark is classic

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<v Speaker 1>proof that the American dream is alive. And well, here's

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<v Speaker 1>your host of Always in Fashion, Mark Weber.

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<v Speaker 2>Mark Weber. Those of you follow Always in Fashion, recognize

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<v Speaker 2>that last week I was said, I changed it because

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<v Speaker 2>this suk is happy. It's the future. I'm living in it.

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<v Speaker 2>The future is now. It started by receiving an email

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<v Speaker 2>on LinkedIn from a woman named Kathleen. I've been listening

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<v Speaker 2>to your show. I think from the beginning, great show.

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<v Speaker 2>Last week you are my appointment radio, appointment Radio. I

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<v Speaker 2>loved it. There are people out there I know who

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<v Speaker 2>look forward to our show every week and it makes

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<v Speaker 2>me happy. I appreciate all of you now. In general,

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<v Speaker 2>I've always been different. I think different, I look different.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm my own person. I recognize that I embraced it.

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<v Speaker 2>I did learn to compromise to play the game when necessary.

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<v Speaker 2>I always knew it wasn't simple being me. I figured

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<v Speaker 2>so what I liked me. I grew up learning if

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<v Speaker 2>everyone thought the same way, why we would need everyone.

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<v Speaker 2>I worked surrounded by some brilliant people, I reasoned in

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<v Speaker 2>learning from them, I might not be brilliant, but I

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<v Speaker 2>sure would get a great education. I was proud I

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<v Speaker 2>asked questions no one else did, and often was applauded

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<v Speaker 2>for looking at things a different way. My way marksway

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't easy being me. Two stories come to mind right

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<v Speaker 2>out of the box about being different. I told you

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<v Speaker 2>the story about the way we're wired, the way we're

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<v Speaker 2>wired differently and allowed me to remind you, those of

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<v Speaker 2>you who listen every week, that it's okay to be different.

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<v Speaker 2>Those of you haven't heard the show. Let me tell

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<v Speaker 2>you the story between abstract and linear. I had a

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<v Speaker 2>close business associate. We were fighting. We never fought with

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<v Speaker 2>each other in our lives. It was amazing time. We

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<v Speaker 2>were both taken aback. We weren't happy with each other.

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<v Speaker 2>So my boss called an industrial psychologist said and he said, guys,

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<v Speaker 2>you two respect each other. I don't understand what's going on.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to interview you separately. So he spoke to

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<v Speaker 2>my boss about what was bothering him, and he spoke

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<v Speaker 2>to me about what was bothering me. A week later,

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<v Speaker 2>he brought us back together. He said, here's where we are.

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<v Speaker 2>He said to my boss. Listen, you're an incredibly smart guy.

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<v Speaker 2>You're very quick. You get from here to there instantaneously,

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<v Speaker 2>straight lying kind of guy. And he looked at me

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<v Speaker 2>and said, Mark, you're an incredible guy. You're super smart.

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<v Speaker 2>But you don't go linear. You meander. You go what

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<v Speaker 2>we call abstract. You get to the right conclusions. You

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<v Speaker 2>just approach it differently. You want to be shown that

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<v Speaker 2>those conclusions are right. You're doing your own form of

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<v Speaker 2>due diligence. Both of you get to the same place. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>stop fighting, recognize that each other. One of you is different,

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<v Speaker 2>and you respect each other and work together. And that

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<v Speaker 2>was the first time, really that I realized how differently

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<v Speaker 2>wired I was. The second story that comes to mind

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<v Speaker 2>here was I was always in trouble in my companies,

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<v Speaker 2>at least the first round of companies PVH, Philips and Usen.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't go from a straight line talk about linear

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<v Speaker 2>to the top. Oh, I me and and I went

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<v Speaker 2>up and down and up and down. But I got

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<v Speaker 2>where I needed to get. I became the CEO of

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<v Speaker 2>the company, and a board member and the president. But

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<v Speaker 2>it wasn't easy. And there was a point in time

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<v Speaker 2>where I recount the story that I referred to as

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<v Speaker 2>the great lie talk about being different. Company signed an

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<v Speaker 2>exclusive agreement with j C. Penny to get the venues

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<v Speaker 2>and brand in this store. Going back, at this time,

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<v Speaker 2>j C. Penny didn't have access to all the great

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<v Speaker 2>national brands. They have a lot of them now, but

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<v Speaker 2>they still don't have them all. And at that time,

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<v Speaker 2>in order to get the venues and brand, they conceded

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<v Speaker 2>to buy one hundred million dollars worth of product from

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<v Speaker 2>our corporation in venues and it's some of the other

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<v Speaker 2>brands that we wanted to launch, even in private label.

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<v Speaker 2>This agreement was struck and it was etched in Stone.

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<v Speaker 2>I happened to have been in another division called PVH International.

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<v Speaker 2>I built a sourcing, a procurement arm of the company

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<v Speaker 2>for our retail stores. We had grown to a thousand stores,

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<v Speaker 2>and someone needed to buy all those products and import

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<v Speaker 2>them in the United States. We were primarily a dresser

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<v Speaker 2>company at the time, so we knew nothing about women's wear,

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<v Speaker 2>nothing about men's pans or sweaters for that matter. What

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<v Speaker 2>we knew with shirts. Someone had to build a resource,

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<v Speaker 2>a network to import products for all all those different

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<v Speaker 2>business We had five different retail formats, close to one

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<v Speaker 2>thousand stores, as I said, and we were doing tons

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<v Speaker 2>of business, making tons of money. That's what I had

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<v Speaker 2>been doing. But they needed a president for van Usen

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<v Speaker 2>and I had come back once again after taking a

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<v Speaker 2>fall and was allowed to become the president of two companies,

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<v Speaker 2>hold on to my pH International division for a while,

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<v Speaker 2>but take over the van using company came into the company.

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<v Speaker 2>I was astounded to see how much business we're doing

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<v Speaker 2>with J. C. Penny. I didn't know about the deal.

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<v Speaker 2>I was in another division. I was alerted to the

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<v Speaker 2>fact they were doing this huge business, and as the president,

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<v Speaker 2>I had to be briefed by the bureaucrats like you

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<v Speaker 2>have in government, that people who are in these business

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<v Speaker 2>they were great, they knew their jobs, but I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>do anything, and I was being briefed. I said, wow,

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<v Speaker 2>that's exciting j C. Penny buying all this product and

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<v Speaker 2>the company has grown dramatically. And there was a look

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<v Speaker 2>on their faces that basically said all is not well.

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<v Speaker 2>And I said what. And they explained to me that

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<v Speaker 2>because of the deal the chairman of the company, Larry

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<v Speaker 2>Phillips Phillips van Uesen, made it impossible. Were those of

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<v Speaker 2>the words they used for us to be successful at JAYC.

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<v Speaker 2>Penny And I said them, please explain. He said, well,

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<v Speaker 2>I could use an example of flannel men's sports shirts.

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<v Speaker 2>Flannel men's sports shirts are pre ticketed twenty five dollars,

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<v Speaker 2>but the true price going out the doors of Macy's

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<v Speaker 2>or Dillard's or Belk stores was fourteen ninety nine. So

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<v Speaker 2>even though they were pre ticketed, these are value of

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<v Speaker 2>twenty five dollars. When they came into the store for

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<v Speaker 2>a week or two, they stayed at twenty five dollars,

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<v Speaker 2>sold very little product, and immediately started pounding them out

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<v Speaker 2>of the store at fourteen ninety nine outs sale, and

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<v Speaker 2>then we'd sell hundreds of thousands of shirts. In the

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<v Speaker 2>case of J. C. Penny, because J C. Penny agreed

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<v Speaker 2>to this deal. They had no recourse in the negotiation.

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<v Speaker 2>So we were selling J. C. Penny flannel shirts that

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<v Speaker 2>would sell for twenty five dollars. Now, our friends at

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<v Speaker 2>Macy's in order to get or dulls or blooming deals, whoever,

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<v Speaker 2>in order to get their full margin, which was fifty

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<v Speaker 2>percent at fourteen ninety nine, we're paying seven dollars a shirt.

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<v Speaker 2>So once again, the pre ticketed at twenty our five dollars.

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<v Speaker 2>They leave it there for two weeks at regular price

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<v Speaker 2>and then put them on sale for fourteen ninety nine.

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<v Speaker 2>And because they were paying seven dollars for the shirt,

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<v Speaker 2>they were making their full margin at fourteen ninety nine

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<v Speaker 2>on sale. But in JC Penny they were paying twelve

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<v Speaker 2>fifty not seven dollars, so they couldn't put the shirts

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<v Speaker 2>on sale at all because they would have to pay

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<v Speaker 2>it out of their margin. So we had all the

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<v Speaker 2>departments store selling shirts at fourteen ninety nine. Well, JAC

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<v Speaker 2>Penny was at twenty five dollars, so there was a problem.

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<v Speaker 2>I said, well, how can we do this? What is

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<v Speaker 2>happening at Penny? I said, they're not selling the shirts,

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<v Speaker 2>but because they're forced to buy they're going to buy

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<v Speaker 2>whatever we need them to buy come next season. So

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<v Speaker 2>fast forward six months later, I'm showing up at the business.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm being told the great lie. Nobody wants to tell

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<v Speaker 2>Lawrence Phillips. JC Penny is not working. So when PVH

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<v Speaker 2>my team went in to sell flannel shirts for the

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<v Speaker 2>next season. They had bought in the original season four

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<v Speaker 2>hundred thousand units, four hundred thousand flannel shirts to sell

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<v Speaker 2>in the store. When they came in to sell flannel

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<v Speaker 2>shirts the following season, they sold four thousand, and my

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<v Speaker 2>sales manager, the people who are briefing me said they

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<v Speaker 2>didn't want to buy any more than four thousand. So

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<v Speaker 2>what did they say when you told them? They said, look,

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<v Speaker 2>you sold us to flannels at twenty five dollars. You

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<v Speaker 2>told us that's the price it needs to be. You've

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<v Speaker 2>charged us twelve fifty And in reality, all we sold

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<v Speaker 2>in the course of the year were four thousand units

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<v Speaker 2>of flannel. Were stuck with three hundred and ninety six

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<v Speaker 2>thousand units of flannel. We can't sell them. You can't

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<v Speaker 2>expect us to buy more, but you have an agreement.

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<v Speaker 2>I looked at us and they said, we're a retail store.

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<v Speaker 2>It can't be naive. If I didn't sell the product,

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<v Speaker 2>I can't buy invent something else for me to buy.

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<v Speaker 2>And the problem was that this is what we did

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<v Speaker 2>with them in our dress shirts, this is what we

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<v Speaker 2>did with them in sweaters, this is what we did

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<v Speaker 2>with any product, because we felt we had them captive.

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<v Speaker 2>So I said, well, how could this continue to be

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<v Speaker 2>going on? Nobody wants to tell Larry Phillips. So here

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<v Speaker 2>I am the new president. Have a huge problem with

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<v Speaker 2>jac Penny, who guaranteed one hundred million dollars in volume

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<v Speaker 2>and no longer will do it. And no one would

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<v Speaker 2>tell the powers to be the great lie that it

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<v Speaker 2>isn't working. So I'm always young, I'm always aggressive, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>always different. I'm not afraid to be different. I decide

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<v Speaker 2>to go talk to my boss and I told them, hey,

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<v Speaker 2>mister president, this isn't working, did you know? And he

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<v Speaker 2>kind of looked at me. He says, explain to me,

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<v Speaker 2>And I explained. In the example in this case, I

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<v Speaker 2>did it with dress shirts. Our dress shirts are twenty

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<v Speaker 2>five dollars. We're selling to J C. Penny twelve fifty,

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<v Speaker 2>so they can sell them at twenty five dollars and

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<v Speaker 2>make a full margin. The only problem is we sell

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<v Speaker 2>them at eight dollars to every other store in America

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<v Speaker 2>who sell them at nineteen ninety nine on sale. So

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<v Speaker 2>I boss says, to me, tell you what you need

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<v Speaker 2>to do. You need to detail us, put it in writing,

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<v Speaker 2>explain the situation. I'll review it before you send it.

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<v Speaker 2>We'll send it to Larry Phillips, and then we'll have

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<v Speaker 2>a meeting. So I spent the next day working on

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<v Speaker 2>a draft. I did it ten times to get the

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<v Speaker 2>draft perfect. I gave it to my boss. He said,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to change a couple of words here and there, Mark,

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<v Speaker 2>but this thing is great. I'm gonna send it to Larry.

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<v Speaker 2>We'll have a meeting. So now it turns out we're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna have the meeting with Larry Phillips on Friday. I

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<v Speaker 2>go down to his office. It's me, my boss, and

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<v Speaker 2>Larry Phillips, and you can see them in and I

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<v Speaker 2>walked in. He was angry. He says, you want to

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<v Speaker 2>explain this letter to me. I sell them, mister Phillips,

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<v Speaker 2>here's the problem. We went ahead and we've done then

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<v Speaker 2>this deal with jac Penney. They're excited to have the brand,

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<v Speaker 2>we're excited to sell them. However, taking them for granted,

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<v Speaker 2>we're not realizing that the prices we're selling to them out,

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<v Speaker 2>while they're great and advantageous for our markups, are not

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<v Speaker 2>good for their markeps. They're not making money. All our

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<v Speaker 2>competitors are able to put the merchandise on sale because

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<v Speaker 2>there are no guarantees with Macy's or Dillard's, or Nochim

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<v Speaker 2>or Belk stores. They buy it based on a price

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<v Speaker 2>that they could sell it, which is significantly less than

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<v Speaker 2>Jason Penny is selling. So while we're doing very well

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<v Speaker 2>with our other stores, we're not doing well with Jason Penny.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't understand how our competitors can do this, and

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<v Speaker 2>in frankly, we've come in the new season and they're

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<v Speaker 2>buying a lot less than they planned, and they're no

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<v Speaker 2>way they're going to hit the one hundred million dollar level.

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<v Speaker 2>He says, I'm going to call them up. I said, well,

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<v Speaker 2>before you call them, you have to realize what they're

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<v Speaker 2>selling to us. They buy in retail dollars. They're stuck

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<v Speaker 2>with merchandise for this whole year worth of selling. Before

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<v Speaker 2>they could buy new merchandise. They have to deal with

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<v Speaker 2>what they have on the floor. They asked us to

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<v Speaker 2>take it back. Of course we can't. So we need

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<v Speaker 2>to figure out how to sell them properly so that

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<v Speaker 2>we can make money and they can make money, and

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<v Speaker 2>most importantly, they can be competitive with our other customers.

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<v Speaker 2>And Larry Phillips looks at me. He said, this is

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<v Speaker 2>the worst letter I've ever read in my career. I

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<v Speaker 2>am embarrassed that you've presented to me. I don't agree

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<v Speaker 2>with you. I think this is terrible. I'm even upset

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<v Speaker 2>that you gave it to me on a Friday that

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<v Speaker 2>I had to look at it today, he said, meeting adjourn.

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<v Speaker 2>I go home that night and I'm in my house

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm telling my family we're in trouble. I can't

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<v Speaker 2>imagine I'm going to last another week in the company.

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<v Speaker 2>This is horrendous. I can't believe the beating I took.

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<v Speaker 2>My boss told me to do it. My boss agreed

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<v Speaker 2>with me. He felt that something happened. That happened. But

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<v Speaker 2>we're sitting there, Larry Phillips, he said, not a word.

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<v Speaker 2>And I took the heat. And Larry Phillips, I think

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to want to fire me Saturday morning. Next day,

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<v Speaker 2>seven forty five in the morning, my phone rings in

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<v Speaker 2>the house. I pick up and lo and behold it's

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<v Speaker 2>Larry Phillips. Hey, Mark, bright day. You're having a good day.

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<v Speaker 2>How you doing, Larry Phillips? What's going on? He said, Mark,

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<v Speaker 2>I want to tell you something. Then, after our meeting yesterday,

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<v Speaker 2>I took your letter home and read it with great

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<v Speaker 2>detail over again, and I have to tell you it's

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<v Speaker 2>one of the greatest pieces of work I've ever read

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<v Speaker 2>in my life. You outline the challenge facing the company.

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<v Speaker 2>You outline the issues facing the company. You outlined why

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<v Speaker 2>you believe our current proposals weren't working, and you gave

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<v Speaker 2>us a solution. And all I can tell you is

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<v Speaker 2>how proud I am of you, and how the future

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<v Speaker 2>will be bright. And I authorize you to do whatever

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<v Speaker 2>it takes to be successful. So I dealt with the

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<v Speaker 2>great lie. I told the truth. I was different from

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<v Speaker 2>everyone else. And the bottom line and the moral of

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<v Speaker 2>this story is we live in the future, and the

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<v Speaker 2>future is now, and we have to deal with the

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<v Speaker 2>future as we live it. We have to pick our spots.

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<v Speaker 2>I have generally a big personality. I'm not afraid to

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<v Speaker 2>be stood up and counted on. I do dress conservatively,

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<v Speaker 2>and my advice to you is fit in, but stand out.

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<v Speaker 2>The future is now back in a minute, always in fashion.

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<v Speaker 2>As one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers, Carl

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<v Speaker 2>Lagafeld was renowned for his aspirational and cutting edge approach

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<v Speaker 2>to style. His unique vision of Parisian shit comes to

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<v Speaker 2>America through car Lagofeld Paris. He has women's collections, men's collections,

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<v Speaker 2>ready to wear, accessory, shoes and bags. The fashion house

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<v Speaker 2>Carlagofeld also offers a range of watches, I wear and

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<v Speaker 2>premium fragrances. You can explore the car Lagovo collection at

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<v Speaker 2>car Lagofelparis dot com. But it's more than that. I

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<v Speaker 2>have for one, love to shop. I love going around

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<v Speaker 2>and seeing what's happening and what catches my attention, what

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<v Speaker 2>would make me feel good to wear now. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>wear the women's wear, obviously, but I can appreciate it

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<v Speaker 2>and they look amazing. If you want to look right,

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<v Speaker 2>you want to have clothes that fits you well. You

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<v Speaker 2>want to look like you're wearing something that's very expensive,

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<v Speaker 2>that's exclusive for you and yours you can find it

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<v Speaker 2>at very affordable prices at Macy's. Orcarlagofel dot com, Paris.

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<v Speaker 2>The women's ready to wear fashion is extraordinary, as well

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<v Speaker 2>as the handbigs and the shoes. I, for one, wear

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<v Speaker 2>men's clothes, unlike my appreciation of women's clothes. I'm a

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<v Speaker 2>modern guy. I want to look current, I want to

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<v Speaker 2>look the way I want to feel. I go out

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<v Speaker 2>at night, I'm in black and Carlagafel is my buddy.

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<v Speaker 2>Carls are great, they fit great, and they have little

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<v Speaker 2>tweaks and touches, whether it's a stripe on the sleeve

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<v Speaker 2>or button at the neck or on the shoulder. There's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of details that go into Carlagafel because he's

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<v Speaker 2>always been, he always had been one of the world's

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<v Speaker 2>great designers, and this legacy and goes on and on.

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<v Speaker 2>I can't speak enough about it except to say to you,

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<v Speaker 2>you want to feel good about yourself. You want to

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<v Speaker 2>know that you're dressing properly. You want to clothes that

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<v Speaker 2>fits you well. Carl Lagafeld Paris, Carl Lagofeldparis dot com.

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<v Speaker 2>I love polar fleece. It's lightweight, takes colors, beautifully. It's comfortable,

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<v Speaker 2>keeps you warm, and even if it's warm out, it

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't hamper you. It doesn't make you perspire. I love

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<v Speaker 2>polar fleas. I also love sweatshirts and sweatpants. Love them,

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<v Speaker 2>love them, love them. I'm a big fan of khaki

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<v Speaker 2>pants and a big fan of a golf clothes. And

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<v Speaker 2>I'm a big fan of Izide. I used to be

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<v Speaker 2>the head of Iside. In fact, my company bought it

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<v Speaker 2>and at of bankruptcy and the CEO of the company

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<v Speaker 2>asked me to come in and fix it. And he

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<v Speaker 2>said to me, Mark, the future of the company's in

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<v Speaker 2>your hands. Can you do this? And I said, I

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<v Speaker 2>will do it. I put everything, my heart and soul

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<v Speaker 2>into making Eyeside the powerhouse that it is today. Now

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<v Speaker 2>I left a long time ago, and the company just

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<v Speaker 2>continues to thrive. Iseside is one of the great sweater makers,

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<v Speaker 2>pants make a shirt makers, knit shirt makers, polar shirt makers.

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<v Speaker 2>They're incredible company. The colors are great, the fabrics are great. Guys,

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<v Speaker 2>you ever wonder what you should wear, I'll make it

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<v Speaker 2>easy for you. If you're going to be actual, Go

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<v Speaker 2>in and look at Isaac. Now that doesn't say that

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<v Speaker 2>they don't have dress shirts and they don't have suits,

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<v Speaker 2>Go find them. Isaac is a collective brand that offers

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<v Speaker 2>lifestyle apparel to everyone in America. And it's true, it's

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<v Speaker 2>a fun brand, but it's also priced at fun prices

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<v Speaker 2>everyone can afford it. I love this brand. Of all

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<v Speaker 2>the brands that I'm involved with and you can name them,

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<v Speaker 2>think about PVH and LVMAH and all the brands, isaod

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<v Speaker 2>is the one that's most personal to me because I

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<v Speaker 2>was involved in crafting the future of this brand. The

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<v Speaker 2>close of great Fall is great. They're doing well. Isaad

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<v Speaker 2>dot com, isaacat jcpenny, go look for it. I think

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<v Speaker 2>you're going to be very happy. And ladies, those of

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<v Speaker 2>you the shopping for the guys in your lives, take

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<v Speaker 2>a look. I think they'll be very happy with your choices.

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<v Speaker 3>Isaad for men, welcome back to it. Always in fashion.

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<v Speaker 3>Here's your host, Mark Webber.

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<v Speaker 2>I live in the future. The future is now. Every

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<v Speaker 2>second is the future, and we're all there the minute

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<v Speaker 2>I say these words to you. It's paths. We're now

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<v Speaker 2>in the future. And I like thinking about it that

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<v Speaker 2>way because it makes you smarter. You're planning in advance.

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<v Speaker 2>I think back when I was an executive in the

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<v Speaker 2>corporate world. I was an observer, always the outfront guy,

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<v Speaker 2>setting direction, making speeches. Yet I had an uncanny ability

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<v Speaker 2>to observe while I was in action, whether it was

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<v Speaker 2>in a boardroom or an auditorium, whether it was twenty

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<v Speaker 2>people or five hundred people, I could read the audience.

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<v Speaker 2>I looked around, I would see that they were either

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<v Speaker 2>smiling or not laughing at the right spots, or just engaged.

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<v Speaker 2>I just saw them, every one of them, and I

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<v Speaker 2>knew where I was at any given time in a presentation.

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<v Speaker 2>I realized early on that people all professed to love change. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>bring it on. I love change until they themselves had

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<v Speaker 2>a change and to be change agents. No one, no

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<v Speaker 2>one wants to change themselves. It was at this point

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<v Speaker 2>I coined the quote that behind anyone with vision, there

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<v Speaker 2>were fifty well intentioned people undermining that vision. They had

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<v Speaker 2>good hearts but weren't helping. So with this is a backdrop,

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<v Speaker 2>I want to discuss some of those people that are

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<v Speaker 2>living in the future, because the future is every second.

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<v Speaker 2>It's now. Elon musk Oh, my goodness, it was only

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<v Speaker 2>a year ago. Elon Musk is one of the most

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<v Speaker 2>respected men in the world, let alone in this country.

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<v Speaker 2>A man with vision, a man whose entire billion was

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<v Speaker 2>in the future. He had a vision. He single handedly

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<v Speaker 2>determined that the future of automobiles should be electric and

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<v Speaker 2>a time when no one else considered or let alone

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<v Speaker 2>could execute it, built the only, the unquestionably brilliant Tesla

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<v Speaker 2>in the United States, an automobile company making electric cars viable.

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<v Speaker 2>There's a lot of talk out there, but he made

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<v Speaker 2>it happen, and it was good for the world. It

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<v Speaker 2>was good for our health, it was good for tests.

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<v Speaker 2>Now there are a lot of copiers. Oh, being second, third,

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<v Speaker 2>fourth is easier than being the innovator. Elon Musk was

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<v Speaker 2>that man. And then there's space. While the United States

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<v Speaker 2>government basically gave up on space travel, Elon Musk set

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<v Speaker 2>his eyes on the stars and he privately led the

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<v Speaker 2>charge to space through his company Amazing and that's not it.

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<v Speaker 2>Then he bought Twitter, as it is said, to save

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<v Speaker 2>free speech. Then he supported Trump and overnight went from

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<v Speaker 2>superstar love by all, to a monster to some, a

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<v Speaker 2>hero still to many. He made the mistake. Then the

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<v Speaker 2>world changed of supporting chains and supporting a new government

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<v Speaker 2>energy called Trump Department of Government Efficiency DOGE, and he's

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<v Speaker 2>heading it up, and his brilliance at breakthrough speed under

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<v Speaker 2>the direction of the President of the United States began

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<v Speaker 2>and he began to eliminate and implement change, and everyone,

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<v Speaker 2>well not everyone, starts to hate of it. He getting

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<v Speaker 2>rid of the redundancy of the ridiculous waste, and he's

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<v Speaker 2>going after fraud and government. Who would argue with this,

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<v Speaker 2>It turns out one party in particular, and those people

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<v Speaker 2>are obsessed with the process. They don't like what he's doing.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't even comment on the results. They're not angry

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<v Speaker 2>to find corruption and waste. They're not unhappy that he's

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<v Speaker 2>fixing it or eliminating it, let alone applauding him for

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<v Speaker 2>what he's doing. And he's not on his own the

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<v Speaker 2>presence that go do it, which leads back to behind

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<v Speaker 2>anyone with vision, they're fifty well intentioned people undermining that vision.

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<v Speaker 2>Except in the Muske case, behind anyone vision, there are

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<v Speaker 2>fifty million people undermining the vision. How dairy uncover these

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<v Speaker 2>things rather than how could we have allowed this to

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<v Speaker 2>go on? It makes no sense and that is a

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<v Speaker 2>backtrup as far Ad Come would say, that's all I

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<v Speaker 2>have to say about that. But on subjects of visionaries

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<v Speaker 2>and the future is now, I met Jeff Bezos. He

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't remember me, but I remember him, and I remember

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<v Speaker 2>his vision. At Amazon. I had a boss who had

411
00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.279
<v Speaker 2>his own vision. Those of you don't remember. I don't

412
00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:24.200
<v Speaker 2>know what you were talking about. But Amazon began as

413
00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:28.240
<v Speaker 2>a bookseller, a bookseller online. They had this interesting process.

414
00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:30.559
<v Speaker 2>You can go online and buy any book you want.

415
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.920
<v Speaker 2>They would put it together the plastic bubble rapids, send

416
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:36.119
<v Speaker 2>it to you overnight, and you'd have the book of

417
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:41.359
<v Speaker 2>your choice. And Amazon became Amazon, and it was a phenomenon.

418
00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:45.759
<v Speaker 2>Even back then. My boss was a big user of Amazon.

419
00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.799
<v Speaker 2>You know, two of us, we traveled all over the

420
00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:50.480
<v Speaker 2>world bought books. That's the thing you do in those

421
00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:53.920
<v Speaker 2>days when you travel on a plane. Cell phones they

422
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.319
<v Speaker 2>had them, but they weren't smartphones as they are now.

423
00:22:56.680 --> 00:22:59.920
<v Speaker 2>So he figured the following, If you could sell books

424
00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:04.720
<v Speaker 2>on Amazon on the internet shipped in plastic, why not

425
00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:08.119
<v Speaker 2>do the same thing for dress shirts? After all, all

426
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:12.000
<v Speaker 2>our dress shirts, everyone knows their size, everyone knows what

427
00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:14.960
<v Speaker 2>it looks like. Most people are buying replacement shirts, are

428
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:18.640
<v Speaker 2>the ones they have. If you are a Calvin Kleink customer,

429
00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.440
<v Speaker 2>if you're a Georgio money customer, if you're a fan

430
00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:25.319
<v Speaker 2>using customer, whoever it is, you know what your size

431
00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:27.519
<v Speaker 2>is and you know what to expect from the shirt

432
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:30.079
<v Speaker 2>that you're buying. So why wouldn't you buy it online

433
00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:32.440
<v Speaker 2>and plastic and have it delivered if you can't get

434
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:36.680
<v Speaker 2>out to do that? Brilliant idea. Wouldn't Jeff Bezos be

435
00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:39.960
<v Speaker 2>interested in talking to us? Because he started to dabble

436
00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:43.640
<v Speaker 2>in the fashion world. It turned out that Jeff Bezos

437
00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:47.119
<v Speaker 2>wasn't getting traction. It wasn't getting the brands because the

438
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:51.599
<v Speaker 2>brands weren't seeing into the future. They weren't companies that

439
00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:55.519
<v Speaker 2>could see through his eyes. Nor did we at the time.

440
00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:59.119
<v Speaker 2>And that's where the story gets interesting. He needed brands,

441
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:05.519
<v Speaker 2>he needed the fashion industry. We needed new distribution, another

442
00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:08.759
<v Speaker 2>view of a marriage to the future. We would love

443
00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:11.400
<v Speaker 2>to sell dress shirts on Amazon. They'd sell them at

444
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.480
<v Speaker 2>the same price we sold them in department stores. There

445
00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:16.079
<v Speaker 2>would be a successful business, and our business would grow

446
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.759
<v Speaker 2>dramatically in this new technology. But while my boss had

447
00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:23.519
<v Speaker 2>a vision, it wasn't twenty twenty vision, and I'll tell

448
00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:27.400
<v Speaker 2>you why we arranged a meeting. Jeff Bezos came to

449
00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:30.160
<v Speaker 2>our office. He was so excited to be sitting with

450
00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:32.640
<v Speaker 2>one of the large shirt companies in the world, who

451
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.599
<v Speaker 2>admittedly for the purpose of this meeting, said we want

452
00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.559
<v Speaker 2>to sell you. This was a huge win for him.

453
00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.599
<v Speaker 2>One of the world's great brands, particularly in a channel

454
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.440
<v Speaker 2>and particularly in a category that we were synonymous with shirts,

455
00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:48.039
<v Speaker 2>all of a sudden, it is coming to Amazon. And

456
00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:50.079
<v Speaker 2>he was thrilled, and he came in and he was happy,

457
00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:53.400
<v Speaker 2>and we started our meeting. Once we got going, we said,

458
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:56.160
<v Speaker 2>you know, we have a number of different brands. We

459
00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:00.400
<v Speaker 2>owned Calvin Klein, we own Decay and Why, we owned

460
00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:05.000
<v Speaker 2>van Usen, we own Isza, we owned Jeffrey Bean at

461
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:08.440
<v Speaker 2>the time said we have great Prince and Jeff Bezis

462
00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:10.720
<v Speaker 2>said that's great. I'd love to have them all. And

463
00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:14.319
<v Speaker 2>then my boss said, no, sir. What we want is

464
00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:17.400
<v Speaker 2>we want to control the dress shirt site on Amazon.

465
00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:22.640
<v Speaker 2>We want exclusivity. Anyone comes to Amazon to buy dress shirts,

466
00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:25.839
<v Speaker 2>we want it to be our brands. We want our

467
00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.480
<v Speaker 2>own portal. That's what we want. We don't want to

468
00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:31.599
<v Speaker 2>be part of anything else. We want to be the

469
00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:36.519
<v Speaker 2>dress shirt store on Amazon, and I'll never forget. He

470
00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:39.720
<v Speaker 2>got quiet, he shut his eyes. He thought for a moment,

471
00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:42.160
<v Speaker 2>this is Jeff Bezos on how we wanted to respond.

472
00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:45.720
<v Speaker 2>He opened his eyes and he said, we can't do that.

473
00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:50.440
<v Speaker 2>The Internet is free flowing. There's no such thing as exclusivity.

474
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:53.880
<v Speaker 2>The customer decides what they want to buy, not us.

475
00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:56.799
<v Speaker 2>We're a portal to their soul. We want to provide

476
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:00.559
<v Speaker 2>them with opportunity. And the idea of having a shirt

477
00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.680
<v Speaker 2>shop that's controlled by you and doesn't allow for other

478
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.599
<v Speaker 2>brands doesn't work. How do you know? And that's when

479
00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:09.720
<v Speaker 2>Jeff bezos brilliance came out and he said it to us.

480
00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:13.119
<v Speaker 2>So I'll ask you all of you out there, do

481
00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.160
<v Speaker 2>you remember Saber?

482
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:15.200
<v Speaker 3>No?

483
00:26:16.279 --> 00:26:19.680
<v Speaker 2>And now I'm gonna explain why don't hold me to it,

484
00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:22.200
<v Speaker 2>But I believe it was. American Airlines was one of

485
00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:26.079
<v Speaker 2>the first to go to the Internet to plot itineraries.

486
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:29.960
<v Speaker 2>An American Express went on and built a vehicle called

487
00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:34.319
<v Speaker 2>Saber that if you wanted to know any single American

488
00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:38.160
<v Speaker 2>Airlines flight anywhere in the world, you can go on

489
00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:42.240
<v Speaker 2>and find it. And it was a brilliant idea, except

490
00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:46.759
<v Speaker 2>for one thing. That's not how people wanted to look

491
00:26:46.839 --> 00:26:52.319
<v Speaker 2>for airline flights. They wanted to know everything that was available,

492
00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:56.079
<v Speaker 2>not just American airlines. What was happening at United? What

493
00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:58.400
<v Speaker 2>was happening at Delta? Are they in the airport I

494
00:26:58.400 --> 00:26:59.960
<v Speaker 2>want to fly out of? Are they at the top

495
00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:04.359
<v Speaker 2>we want? And Saber did not work because it wasn't

496
00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:09.160
<v Speaker 2>universal enough. And the same thing, guys, you guys here,

497
00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:14.799
<v Speaker 2>the same thing applies to fashion. We can't let you

498
00:27:14.920 --> 00:27:18.519
<v Speaker 2>cut off the supply to our consumer base. That's not

499
00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:21.160
<v Speaker 2>how they want to shop. I noticed you didn't mention

500
00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:24.319
<v Speaker 2>Ralph Lauren. I know you didn't mention Tommy Hill figure.

501
00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:26.839
<v Speaker 2>I know you didn't mention a number of brands that

502
00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:30.160
<v Speaker 2>I would find in any department store. So, with all

503
00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:33.319
<v Speaker 2>due respect, as much as I want to do business

504
00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:39.000
<v Speaker 2>with you, I cannot make you exclusive. That's not the future.

505
00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:43.440
<v Speaker 2>And I thought it was a brilliant window into the future,

506
00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:47.920
<v Speaker 2>because the future is now. When I give thought to geniuses,

507
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:53.160
<v Speaker 2>I think about Steve Jobs. When I think of brilliance

508
00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:55.839
<v Speaker 2>and people with their foot in the future who recognize

509
00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:58.720
<v Speaker 2>the future is now, I think of Steve Jobs. He's

510
00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:02.039
<v Speaker 2>my business idol. There's a lot of great businessmen out there,

511
00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:04.279
<v Speaker 2>and I've worked a couple of brilliant people that I'm

512
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:06.640
<v Speaker 2>grateful for because they made me better than I would

513
00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:12.279
<v Speaker 2>ever been. But Steve's Jobs was inspirational to me. Steve

514
00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:17.000
<v Speaker 2>Jobs believed the true innovation often involves creating products that

515
00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:21.440
<v Speaker 2>people didn't even know they needed or they desired, and

516
00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:24.480
<v Speaker 2>he pushed boundaries to develop new things. He said, people

517
00:28:24.519 --> 00:28:26.759
<v Speaker 2>don't know what they want until you show it to them.

518
00:28:27.079 --> 00:28:32.400
<v Speaker 2>The fashion, retail and luxury business is filled with geniuses.

519
00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:34.720
<v Speaker 2>Now why do I say that. I gave a speech

520
00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:37.839
<v Speaker 2>in the July of twenty twenty three, I received a

521
00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:42.640
<v Speaker 2>Lifetime Achievement award, and during that presentation, I looked at

522
00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:46.039
<v Speaker 2>the audience and said, we're geniuses. We are the one

523
00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:49.480
<v Speaker 2>industry that has to reinvent ourselves every month of the year.

524
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:52.160
<v Speaker 2>Just every month in the year, we were shipping new

525
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:55.640
<v Speaker 2>product into our customers. It's not like the Apple phone,

526
00:28:56.119 --> 00:28:58.720
<v Speaker 2>which comes out with a new phone once a year. Now,

527
00:28:58.759 --> 00:29:01.039
<v Speaker 2>don't get me wrong, leave the Apple phone is a

528
00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.440
<v Speaker 2>lot more complicated than making a shirt or a dress

529
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:06.960
<v Speaker 2>or a banket. But it's not the same. We in

530
00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:11.640
<v Speaker 2>our industry reinvent ourselves every month, every quarter, every year.

531
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:13.880
<v Speaker 2>We have to be geniuses in order to do that.

532
00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:23.240
<v Speaker 2>The technological invasions, the dramatic issues associated with design selection, importing,

533
00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:27.400
<v Speaker 2>shipping makes this industry an incredible industry. And with that

534
00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:31.519
<v Speaker 2>is a backdrop, it makes me think about who, more

535
00:29:31.559 --> 00:29:35.720
<v Speaker 2>than anyone else in our industry understood that the future

536
00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:39.720
<v Speaker 2>is now, and it was Ralph Lauren. I never gave

537
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:43.640
<v Speaker 2>much tention to Ralph Lauren. I couldn't wear it. I

538
00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:46.599
<v Speaker 2>competed with him until I became a radio guy and

539
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:49.759
<v Speaker 2>a podcast guy. I now was able to wear Ralph Lauren.

540
00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:52.559
<v Speaker 2>From a business side. I knew who he was. I

541
00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:55.079
<v Speaker 2>knew who he was, but I more times than not

542
00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:57.720
<v Speaker 2>took a notice of what they were doing and put

543
00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:00.359
<v Speaker 2>my own version of something that Ralph Lauren did. But

544
00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:02.519
<v Speaker 2>Ralph Lauren, I was working in a store when I

545
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:05.480
<v Speaker 2>was a kid, really back in the day. I was

546
00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:07.839
<v Speaker 2>working in a store and he I remember the boss

547
00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:10.880
<v Speaker 2>calling all the salesman's decide. The name of the store

548
00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:13.640
<v Speaker 2>was Bogarde. It was a luxury men's store, one of

549
00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:16.039
<v Speaker 2>the new malls that opened, and he said to us,

550
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:19.920
<v Speaker 2>we're getting something special this week. It's new ties. We

551
00:30:19.960 --> 00:30:22.440
<v Speaker 2>sold a lot of suits and died said, they're different

552
00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:26.000
<v Speaker 2>from anything you ever saw before. They're very wide and

553
00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:29.440
<v Speaker 2>they are the rage. We were fortunate enough they agreed

554
00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:33.759
<v Speaker 2>to sell us some not many. So here's the deal.

555
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:37.720
<v Speaker 2>You'll only show these ties to your best customers. They

556
00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:40.640
<v Speaker 2>can't buy more than two at a time. There's only

557
00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:42.839
<v Speaker 2>one price, the price that's on it. Don't come to

558
00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:46.319
<v Speaker 2>me with selling. This is exclusivity. There aren't going to

559
00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:48.000
<v Speaker 2>be enough of them, and that's how you have to

560
00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:50.519
<v Speaker 2>sell them. You have to look at the world differently.

561
00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:54.000
<v Speaker 2>You have to be innovative. I'll come back to this

562
00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:56.640
<v Speaker 2>in a second. Once again, those of you who are

563
00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:59.400
<v Speaker 2>fanatics of the show and listen every week, thank you.

564
00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:02.400
<v Speaker 2>I appreciate this story. I've told before, but it's a

565
00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:07.680
<v Speaker 2>good time to tell it again. There's a visionary entrepreneur

566
00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:12.880
<v Speaker 2>executive in the shoe business and he needs to grow

567
00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:17.200
<v Speaker 2>his business and he calls his two people, the two

568
00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:20.039
<v Speaker 2>best sellers in the company, into his office and said, listen,

569
00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:24.160
<v Speaker 2>I want you to go to Africa. We don't sell Africa.

570
00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:26.839
<v Speaker 2>There's a lot of people there, and I want you

571
00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:31.359
<v Speaker 2>to go to Africa and determine the possibility for us

572
00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:34.880
<v Speaker 2>to sell shoes into Africa. One guy says, great, when

573
00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:36.359
<v Speaker 2>can I get a flight? He says, you go to

574
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:39.839
<v Speaker 2>the flight department. You'll talk to personnel and they'll get

575
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:42.799
<v Speaker 2>your flights. And the other guy said, you know, whenever

576
00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:44.960
<v Speaker 2>I've seen a picture of Africa, I don't get the

577
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:48.440
<v Speaker 2>sense that they're wearing shoes. The boss says, both of

578
00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:50.839
<v Speaker 2>you go to Africa. Report back. I want to know

579
00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:54.039
<v Speaker 2>if we could do business. They go. Two days later,

580
00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:56.920
<v Speaker 2>after jet leg the first salesman or in this case,

581
00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:59.759
<v Speaker 2>the second salesman, calls back and said, hey, boss, I

582
00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:03.519
<v Speaker 2>was right, no one's wearing shoes. I'm coming home. The

583
00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:07.559
<v Speaker 2>second salesman on the phone said to the boys, listen,

584
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:12.039
<v Speaker 2>no one's wearing shoes. Send me all our samples. I'm

585
00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:15.559
<v Speaker 2>gonna be here for a while. Who's the visionary? Who

586
00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:18.279
<v Speaker 2>do you think one? What do you think happened? That's

587
00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:20.880
<v Speaker 2>Ralph Lauren. He saw something. They know what ever saw?

588
00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:25.000
<v Speaker 2>He thought that he could tie, if your pardon upun

589
00:32:25.079 --> 00:32:31.359
<v Speaker 2>his ties together with everything he invented dream merchandising. You

590
00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:35.160
<v Speaker 2>listen to Ferrari today. They tell you they don't sell cars,

591
00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:39.279
<v Speaker 2>they sell dreams. Ralph Laurence sold a lifestyle, the New

592
00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:44.559
<v Speaker 2>England Affluent Connecticut Lifestyle based on British royalty, and he

593
00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:47.519
<v Speaker 2>put together a lifestyle brand that started in the morning

594
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:51.599
<v Speaker 2>from your underwear and your socks, to your workday where

595
00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:54.160
<v Speaker 2>your suits, your ties and your shirts, to the evening

596
00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:57.720
<v Speaker 2>when you wore blazers and pants and Swede shoes and

597
00:32:57.839 --> 00:33:01.359
<v Speaker 2>whatever else it was. And he put together lifestyle marketing.

598
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:06.440
<v Speaker 2>And he's the greatest of the great even the luxury brands.

599
00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:09.279
<v Speaker 2>I don't care which one you talk to, or every

600
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:11.880
<v Speaker 2>designer that ever walked the face of this sirs will

601
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:15.720
<v Speaker 2>tell you thank God for Ralph Lauren leading the way.

602
00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:20.400
<v Speaker 2>Ralph Lauren from day one understood that the future is

603
00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:23.880
<v Speaker 2>now and that brings me to me. I never thought

604
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:27.839
<v Speaker 2>of myself as brilliant. Anytime anyone would call me brilliant,

605
00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:30.799
<v Speaker 2>I'd laugh to myself and said I fooled him. But

606
00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:33.440
<v Speaker 2>in my book I did write that once in my

607
00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:36.200
<v Speaker 2>life I was brilliant. And as it turns out, when

608
00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:42.279
<v Speaker 2>I think about the future, maybe maybe during that period

609
00:33:42.359 --> 00:33:44.880
<v Speaker 2>of my life when I was young and aggressive and

610
00:33:45.720 --> 00:33:49.960
<v Speaker 2>bright eyed, bushy tailed and devoted to being special, I

611
00:33:50.119 --> 00:33:54.839
<v Speaker 2>was brilliant, perhaps more than once. I'll never forget when

612
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:58.279
<v Speaker 2>I met with the people from LVMH about coming to

613
00:33:58.359 --> 00:34:02.000
<v Speaker 2>their company with all fancy titles. They wanted me to

614
00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:05.759
<v Speaker 2>run Decay Why Donna Karen. They had bought it, they

615
00:34:05.799 --> 00:34:07.920
<v Speaker 2>had three CEOs, They had never made a penny. They

616
00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:10.199
<v Speaker 2>spent six hundred and forty five million dollars for the

617
00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:13.239
<v Speaker 2>company and it always lost money. It didn't make money,

618
00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:15.679
<v Speaker 2>and they thought I could do something with it. And

619
00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:20.039
<v Speaker 2>in my first interview with the managing director of lvmhe

620
00:34:20.119 --> 00:34:22.599
<v Speaker 2>before I flew to Paris and met with Bernard Arnault,

621
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:25.559
<v Speaker 2>he was talking to me about the business and he

622
00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:28.039
<v Speaker 2>asked what I thought about Donna Karen and dk why

623
00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:32.719
<v Speaker 2>And the first thing out of my mouth was the

624
00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:36.239
<v Speaker 2>brand is bigger than the business. And he looked at

625
00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:38.039
<v Speaker 2>me and said, how do you know that? I said,

626
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:41.000
<v Speaker 2>I was a licensee for you of shirts. I had

627
00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:43.159
<v Speaker 2>more success in that shirt and the ramp up of

628
00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:46.119
<v Speaker 2>that collection overnight than any of the business I've ever

629
00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:48.719
<v Speaker 2>been involved with. This is one of the world's true

630
00:34:48.760 --> 00:34:51.719
<v Speaker 2>great brands. And based upon what you've told me about

631
00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:54.360
<v Speaker 2>the business and why you're looking for someone new, I

632
00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:57.440
<v Speaker 2>can tell you the brand is bigger than the business,

633
00:34:57.840 --> 00:34:59.920
<v Speaker 2>and he loved that line and he repeated it to

634
00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:03.159
<v Speaker 2>bern and know Who. Eventually I went and met had

635
00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:05.280
<v Speaker 2>my interview with him, and I've shared with you before.

636
00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:08.800
<v Speaker 2>The key question he asked me was a visionary question.

637
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:10.840
<v Speaker 2>What's the future? He said, Mark, what do you bring

638
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:14.480
<v Speaker 2>to business? And I said, mister, I know, I bring energy.

639
00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:17.360
<v Speaker 2>I bring energy to a company. And from that on

640
00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:20.119
<v Speaker 2>I knew I had the job. That's a story for

641
00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:23.760
<v Speaker 2>another time, but you know, John F. Kennedy once said

642
00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:28.159
<v Speaker 2>success has many fathers and failures, and often with that

643
00:35:28.280 --> 00:35:32.159
<v Speaker 2>in mind, I want to take a little stroll down

644
00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:36.559
<v Speaker 2>the future of Donna, Karen and DK and Why. I

645
00:35:36.599 --> 00:35:38.960
<v Speaker 2>was in Macy's the other day. I saw Donna Karon Deaco.

646
00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:41.679
<v Speaker 2>Why are Brilliant Great? It's doing well. I'm so happy

647
00:35:41.719 --> 00:35:44.480
<v Speaker 2>for G three the people who run that company today,

648
00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:49.280
<v Speaker 2>and I recalled my first day when I started with

649
00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:52.480
<v Speaker 2>DK and Why. And I saw the managing director. He

650
00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:54.880
<v Speaker 2>was in New York introducing me to the press and

651
00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:58.400
<v Speaker 2>introducing me to the company, keeping peace between Donna Karen

652
00:35:58.440 --> 00:36:00.320
<v Speaker 2>and I who. By the way, I saw this, I

653
00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:02.360
<v Speaker 2>was at the Polar Bar having dinner with my sons,

654
00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:04.440
<v Speaker 2>and there was Donna Karen with her daughter, and I

655
00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:06.840
<v Speaker 2>walked over to her had a nice chat. We did

656
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:09.719
<v Speaker 2>spend eight years working together, so it was very pleasant.

657
00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:12.920
<v Speaker 2>It was very nice, made me happy. But I remembered

658
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:16.199
<v Speaker 2>this story, and I remember on that first day he said, Mark,

659
00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:18.039
<v Speaker 2>you got a lot of work to do. I want

660
00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:20.079
<v Speaker 2>you to spend the next couple of months putting together

661
00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:23.320
<v Speaker 2>a business strategy and presenting to us on the board

662
00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:25.199
<v Speaker 2>on what you want to do with the company. Said

663
00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:27.480
<v Speaker 2>my pleasure. But I want you to know something, no

664
00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:30.079
<v Speaker 2>matter what happens here, I want you to know you

665
00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:33.119
<v Speaker 2>made the right decision hiring me. I'm going to able

666
00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:36.199
<v Speaker 2>to make this company profitable for you. But if I

667
00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:39.280
<v Speaker 2>don't reach the level of profits that you want, or

668
00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:42.519
<v Speaker 2>you don't feel comfortable owning an American designer brand in

669
00:36:42.519 --> 00:36:46.000
<v Speaker 2>the United States, or whatever, I'm telling you. The brand

670
00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:47.840
<v Speaker 2>is bigger than the business, and I will be able

671
00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:50.880
<v Speaker 2>to sell the company from you for more than you

672
00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:53.199
<v Speaker 2>paid for it, or at least what you paid for it.

673
00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:56.360
<v Speaker 2>He said to me. Impossible, Mark, impossible. We tried to

674
00:36:56.400 --> 00:36:58.400
<v Speaker 2>sell the company one time. The best we got from

675
00:36:58.440 --> 00:37:00.599
<v Speaker 2>one of the most famous stores in the country two

676
00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:02.840
<v Speaker 2>hundred million. You know what we paid for. I said,

677
00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:05.159
<v Speaker 2>the brand is bigger than the business. I'll show you.

678
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:07.599
<v Speaker 2>We'll get there if, in fact, some day you want

679
00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:09.800
<v Speaker 2>to sell it. So as I say, many people will

680
00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:12.400
<v Speaker 2>take credit for the vision, But the vision that day

681
00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:15.679
<v Speaker 2>was I knew that the company had great value. Of

682
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:19.239
<v Speaker 2>the course of eight years, every single year we made

683
00:37:19.239 --> 00:37:22.000
<v Speaker 2>more money. Every single year we did well. I was

684
00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:24.199
<v Speaker 2>proud to be there. I was proud of the people.

685
00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.199
<v Speaker 2>I was proud of the product. I was proud of

686
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:30.320
<v Speaker 2>how we behaved ourselves. I was impressed the collection when

687
00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:33.239
<v Speaker 2>Donna Caaren got that collection going. When I was talking

688
00:37:33.239 --> 00:37:35.519
<v Speaker 2>to the other night and I talked about it, she

689
00:37:35.840 --> 00:37:39.639
<v Speaker 2>was an amazing talent. She was making dresses for ten

690
00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:42.559
<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars, pans for fifteen hundred dollars, sweaters for a

691
00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:45.039
<v Speaker 2>couple of thousand dollars. And then, of course DK why

692
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:48.559
<v Speaker 2>was developed to be more affordable for all the women

693
00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:50.519
<v Speaker 2>in America and the men for that matter. I loved

694
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:53.559
<v Speaker 2>the men's business. I loved involved with it. But back

695
00:37:53.639 --> 00:37:56.639
<v Speaker 2>to the issue. Came a time at the end of

696
00:37:56.679 --> 00:37:59.039
<v Speaker 2>my eight year run, I had a three year contract.

697
00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:01.679
<v Speaker 2>I ended up staying for eight years, elv Image made

698
00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:04.719
<v Speaker 2>a decision. Someone convinced them they should turn Donna Karen

699
00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:07.519
<v Speaker 2>into a luxury company again. After all, that is their

700
00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:10.920
<v Speaker 2>core business, luxury. I tried to explain to them, I

701
00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:14.119
<v Speaker 2>tried to beg them. I tried to make them understand

702
00:38:14.800 --> 00:38:18.119
<v Speaker 2>that you can't turn a company that is currently selling

703
00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:21.559
<v Speaker 2>hundreds of millions of dollars over the last twenty years

704
00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:24.639
<v Speaker 2>to popular prices to all of America into a luxury

705
00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:27.480
<v Speaker 2>brand won't work well. They were convinced by someone in

706
00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:29.960
<v Speaker 2>Paris whose name shall go and mention to turn it

707
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.280
<v Speaker 2>into a luxury brand. In my parting, six months before

708
00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.639
<v Speaker 2>I left, I introduced them to G three and I

709
00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:40.360
<v Speaker 2>said to them, if you want to sell the company,

710
00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:42.400
<v Speaker 2>remember what I told you. The brand is bigger than

711
00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:45.280
<v Speaker 2>the business. What makes you think they would pay for

712
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:47.840
<v Speaker 2>what we need them to pay, I said, I've already

713
00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:50.280
<v Speaker 2>met with them, I've had a discussion. They're prepared to

714
00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:53.119
<v Speaker 2>make you an offer better than anything you ever dreamed,

715
00:38:53.599 --> 00:38:55.239
<v Speaker 2>and you will be happy and you make and for

716
00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:58.960
<v Speaker 2>four months I ran point in getting this steel done

717
00:38:59.320 --> 00:39:01.800
<v Speaker 2>and we got to the point it was turning into Christmas.

718
00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:04.000
<v Speaker 2>At the end of the year, papers were about to

719
00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.519
<v Speaker 2>be signed and they vetoed it. Someone convinced Bernard or

720
00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:11.280
<v Speaker 2>No to turn it into a lection company, hundreds of

721
00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:15.519
<v Speaker 2>millions of dollars lost and trying to do that. Eventually

722
00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:19.320
<v Speaker 2>they decided to sell the company to G three. I

723
00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:21.480
<v Speaker 2>don't recall. I wasn't there. I was gone for a

724
00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:24.400
<v Speaker 2>year or was it two, I don't recall. They made

725
00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:27.440
<v Speaker 2>the decision to go forward with G three, who I

726
00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:31.400
<v Speaker 2>introduced them to, and it's been great for everyone involved.

727
00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:35.519
<v Speaker 2>Now many will say they had the foresight as I said.

728
00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:40.079
<v Speaker 2>John Kennedy said, success has many fathers, but failures and

729
00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:42.679
<v Speaker 2>orphan there are a lot of fathers to this deal.

730
00:39:43.159 --> 00:39:47.679
<v Speaker 2>Only the few know the truth, including you now, and

731
00:39:47.760 --> 00:39:50.719
<v Speaker 2>only one of us has a check to prove it.

732
00:39:51.159 --> 00:39:53.400
<v Speaker 2>With that in mind, the future is now back.

733
00:39:53.239 --> 00:39:56.519
<v Speaker 3>In a moment always in fashion.

734
00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:00.519
<v Speaker 2>I spent a lifetime of my career building the US

735
00:40:00.599 --> 00:40:03.360
<v Speaker 2>and brand, and I am so pleased that they're back

736
00:40:03.400 --> 00:40:08.280
<v Speaker 2>with us now. Talking about suits, men were dressing up

737
00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:11.519
<v Speaker 2>again and it's become cool to wear a suit. Suits

738
00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:14.840
<v Speaker 2>can be worn on multiple occasions in multiple ways. You

739
00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.039
<v Speaker 2>could wear a suit formally to go out at night

740
00:40:17.320 --> 00:40:19.199
<v Speaker 2>or to an event, you wear a suit to the

741
00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:22.079
<v Speaker 2>office with or without a tie. If you look closely,

742
00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:25.519
<v Speaker 2>now fashion trends suits are being worn with turtlenecks or

743
00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:30.199
<v Speaker 2>mark next. The choices are endless and every one of

744
00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:34.280
<v Speaker 2>them looks right. You could really really look the part.

745
00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:37.599
<v Speaker 2>I believe that in packaging yourself is as important does

746
00:40:37.639 --> 00:40:40.199
<v Speaker 2>the products you package, and wearing a suit is one

747
00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:44.119
<v Speaker 2>of those things that make men look their best. Venues

748
00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:47.880
<v Speaker 2>and invented a new idea. It's called the cool Flex suit.

749
00:40:48.159 --> 00:40:51.760
<v Speaker 2>It's been engineered with stretch technology, giving you the most

750
00:40:51.800 --> 00:40:55.800
<v Speaker 2>comfortable fit and mobility. It's wrinkle resistant fabric, it's cool

751
00:40:55.840 --> 00:40:59.360
<v Speaker 2>moisture wiki. It makes it perfect for all occasions. As

752
00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:03.199
<v Speaker 2>we discussed just now, this new style of looking sharp

753
00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:07.000
<v Speaker 2>while feeling cool and comfortable is amazing and I'm so

754
00:41:07.119 --> 00:41:10.559
<v Speaker 2>excited that the van Using company is involved in this

755
00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:15.239
<v Speaker 2>new technology and is embracing the whole idea of dressing up.

756
00:41:15.320 --> 00:41:17.920
<v Speaker 2>Let's not forget van Usen made it's name with dress shirts.

757
00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:22.000
<v Speaker 2>It's only proper that the suit business follows strongly in

758
00:41:22.079 --> 00:41:25.599
<v Speaker 2>its way. You can find van Using Koolflex Men's stretch

759
00:41:25.639 --> 00:41:30.320
<v Speaker 2>suits at jcpenny or online at jcpenny dot com guys.

760
00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:33.599
<v Speaker 2>They're great. You should go look at them. Donna Karen

761
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:37.960
<v Speaker 2>began her career as one of the finest, most successful,

762
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:42.440
<v Speaker 2>powerful women in the fashion industry. She developed a collection

763
00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:45.960
<v Speaker 2>aimed at the luxury market for women on the go,

764
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:49.079
<v Speaker 2>women who were powerful in their workplace, women who had

765
00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:52.760
<v Speaker 2>lives that extended beyond the workplace, and her clothes went

766
00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:56.719
<v Speaker 2>from day and tonight. An extraordinary collection. But the interesting

767
00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:59.440
<v Speaker 2>thing Donna Karen had a young daughter, and she had

768
00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:02.480
<v Speaker 2>friends and they couldn't afford to buy the Donna Karen collection,

769
00:42:02.840 --> 00:42:06.800
<v Speaker 2>and Donna invented dk NY Donna Aaron, New York. It's

770
00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:10.280
<v Speaker 2>an offshoot of the Donna Karen collection. The same concept

771
00:42:10.360 --> 00:42:13.039
<v Speaker 2>a lifestyle brand. Then we talk about lifestyle brands, What

772
00:42:13.079 --> 00:42:15.800
<v Speaker 2>does that really mean? Simply what they say, there are

773
00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:19.239
<v Speaker 2>brands that follow you throughout your lifestyle. You get up

774
00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:21.360
<v Speaker 2>in the morning, you start to get dressed. Donna Karen

775
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:25.480
<v Speaker 2>dcan why as intimate apparel, as hosiery, as all those products.

776
00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:29.599
<v Speaker 2>You're getting dressed for work. You get accessorized shoes, handbags,

777
00:42:29.719 --> 00:42:32.280
<v Speaker 2>and it takes you through the day. The remarkable thing

778
00:42:32.320 --> 00:42:35.559
<v Speaker 2>about dk andy clothes for work, they work into the evening,

779
00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:40.119
<v Speaker 2>the dresses, the suits, the pants, the sweaters, the blouses,

780
00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:45.519
<v Speaker 2>extraordinary clothes at affordable prices that go from day in tonight.

781
00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:48.639
<v Speaker 2>Part of your lifestyle is active. You have weekends, you

782
00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:53.280
<v Speaker 2>have events, you participate in sports. Donna Karen's casual clothes

783
00:42:53.480 --> 00:42:56.639
<v Speaker 2>did that under the DK and Y label. A vast

784
00:42:56.719 --> 00:43:00.440
<v Speaker 2>array of casual sports were that make women look great

785
00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:04.360
<v Speaker 2>as they navigate their busy lives. Whether you're going to

786
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:07.079
<v Speaker 2>soccer games for your children, or whether you're going out

787
00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:10.599
<v Speaker 2>to the movies, whatever you want to do, dkn Y

788
00:43:11.079 --> 00:43:14.840
<v Speaker 2>Jenes dk Y Sportswear is there for you. That's what

789
00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:19.719
<v Speaker 2>a lifestyle brand is. And I need to mention DKY Activewear,

790
00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:24.199
<v Speaker 2>which is extraordinary, the leggings, the sports bras, the sweats.

791
00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:29.760
<v Speaker 2>You can wear DKY Activewear certainly in the gym, certainly

792
00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:32.199
<v Speaker 2>when you're working out at home, and certainly if you

793
00:43:32.280 --> 00:43:35.519
<v Speaker 2>want on the street, because it's that well done. The

794
00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:38.360
<v Speaker 2>quality of dk Y is nothing short of exceptional. And

795
00:43:38.400 --> 00:43:40.960
<v Speaker 2>why shouldn't it be because it was born from the

796
00:43:41.039 --> 00:43:46.199
<v Speaker 2>idea of luxury made affordable for women of America. DK

797
00:43:46.480 --> 00:43:49.920
<v Speaker 2>and Why a true lifestyle brand that takes you from

798
00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:53.840
<v Speaker 2>day and tonight from the week into the Weekend DCN,

799
00:43:53.880 --> 00:44:00.000
<v Speaker 2>Why you can find DCNY and Macy's DKY dot com.

800
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:03.440
<v Speaker 3>Welcome back to it Always in Fashion. Here's your host,

801
00:44:03.719 --> 00:44:04.440
<v Speaker 3>Mark Weber.

802
00:44:05.199 --> 00:44:07.280
<v Speaker 2>The theme of the night's show is the future is now.

803
00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:11.320
<v Speaker 2>I mean the minute something happens, it's gone. It's history everything.

804
00:44:11.519 --> 00:44:14.400
<v Speaker 2>Every second you're in the future. Sometimes we don't think

805
00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:15.960
<v Speaker 2>about that. We talk about the future. We think of

806
00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:18.599
<v Speaker 2>that way off down the road. Whatever. No, what I

807
00:44:18.719 --> 00:44:21.719
<v Speaker 2>just said is past and right this second, I'm creating

808
00:44:21.760 --> 00:44:24.920
<v Speaker 2>the future. I'm living in the future now. I've spent

809
00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:28.280
<v Speaker 2>a lot of time this week talking to people. Generally,

810
00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:31.519
<v Speaker 2>I hear a lot of stuff going on, a lot

811
00:44:31.559 --> 00:44:34.119
<v Speaker 2>of people, a lot of people aren't happy at work,

812
00:44:34.159 --> 00:44:36.760
<v Speaker 2>and a lot of reasons. There's a lot going on

813
00:44:36.880 --> 00:44:39.840
<v Speaker 2>and making people coming back from work. I don't know

814
00:44:39.880 --> 00:44:43.000
<v Speaker 2>why they're complaining. COVID was for a period of time

815
00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:46.320
<v Speaker 2>that companies let you work from home. Why would you

816
00:44:46.360 --> 00:44:48.000
<v Speaker 2>be arguing that you got to go back to work.

817
00:44:48.320 --> 00:44:50.880
<v Speaker 2>Federal government people are up in arms that you have

818
00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:53.880
<v Speaker 2>to work in the workplace. Me. I have no tolerance

819
00:44:53.920 --> 00:44:56.079
<v Speaker 2>for it. I don't understand it. But maybe you know

820
00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:58.119
<v Speaker 2>I'm too tough of a guy, which brings me to

821
00:44:58.159 --> 00:45:01.039
<v Speaker 2>the other point. I keep hearing everybody has a boss

822
00:45:01.079 --> 00:45:04.639
<v Speaker 2>they don't like. Everybody wants to complain about the boss.

823
00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:10.639
<v Speaker 2>Let me make this clear. Unless your boss does something illegal,

824
00:45:11.559 --> 00:45:15.800
<v Speaker 2>unless your boss hassles you or does something that is incorrect,

825
00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:18.519
<v Speaker 2>the boss is the boss. They're allowed to behave anywhere

826
00:45:18.519 --> 00:45:21.440
<v Speaker 2>they want. They're allowed to be tough, They're allowed to

827
00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:24.519
<v Speaker 2>be condensateding. They're allowed to hold back your raisors or

828
00:45:24.559 --> 00:45:27.119
<v Speaker 2>your bonuses. They're allowed to do whatever they want, as

829
00:45:27.159 --> 00:45:30.320
<v Speaker 2>long as they behave according to company rules, according to

830
00:45:30.400 --> 00:45:33.000
<v Speaker 2>life rules. Now, the question is what do you do

831
00:45:33.119 --> 00:45:35.639
<v Speaker 2>about it? I often say that if I wanted to

832
00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:38.199
<v Speaker 2>work with only people I like, I'd be in a

833
00:45:38.280 --> 00:45:41.239
<v Speaker 2>room by myself. You don't get to choose who your bosses.

834
00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:43.320
<v Speaker 2>You don't get to choose whether you like them or not.

835
00:45:43.440 --> 00:45:45.719
<v Speaker 2>You get to choose to work and be grateful for

836
00:45:45.800 --> 00:45:49.320
<v Speaker 2>your paycheck. I know this sounds ridiculous to many of you,

837
00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:52.159
<v Speaker 2>but it's not the way it is. Working for a company,

838
00:45:52.159 --> 00:45:54.559
<v Speaker 2>working for anyho was a gift. They're giving you an

839
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:57.480
<v Speaker 2>opportunity to earn money to do all those things you

840
00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:59.960
<v Speaker 2>need to do. For yourself and your family, giving opportunity

841
00:46:00.159 --> 00:46:04.199
<v Speaker 2>to learn to grow to prosper. It's a gift. Now.

842
00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:06.960
<v Speaker 2>Having said that, there are a lot of mean people

843
00:46:06.960 --> 00:46:09.679
<v Speaker 2>out there. When I was growing up, I work for

844
00:46:09.719 --> 00:46:11.960
<v Speaker 2>a guy who was the meanest guy you would ever

845
00:46:12.039 --> 00:46:15.559
<v Speaker 2>meet in your life, and I learned the value of

846
00:46:15.639 --> 00:46:18.920
<v Speaker 2>working through the tough times. Now. The simple way to

847
00:46:18.960 --> 00:46:22.559
<v Speaker 2>talk about tough times. You work in a company. You're

848
00:46:22.599 --> 00:46:25.320
<v Speaker 2>better than the person sitting next to you. The person

849
00:46:25.400 --> 00:46:27.320
<v Speaker 2>next to you gets a bigger raise or gets a

850
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:29.559
<v Speaker 2>promotion and you're angry. What do you do about it?

851
00:46:29.920 --> 00:46:31.679
<v Speaker 2>Go in and complain to the boss telling me he

852
00:46:31.719 --> 00:46:34.039
<v Speaker 2>doesn't know what he's doing. Or do you say to yourself?

853
00:46:34.039 --> 00:46:35.880
<v Speaker 2>I have to suck it up and ask myself, what

854
00:46:36.000 --> 00:46:38.880
<v Speaker 2>did that person do that I didn't do? Why were

855
00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:42.039
<v Speaker 2>they seen in a better life than me? And that's

856
00:46:42.079 --> 00:46:44.599
<v Speaker 2>what working through the tough time is being honest with

857
00:46:44.639 --> 00:46:47.840
<v Speaker 2>yourself and deciding what did I do wrong or what

858
00:46:48.039 --> 00:46:51.599
<v Speaker 2>haven't I done to demonstrate that I am the chosen one?

859
00:46:52.039 --> 00:46:54.800
<v Speaker 2>And I'll go back and deal with it. So anytime

860
00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:58.320
<v Speaker 2>I was disillusioned, anytime I had a setback, anytime I

861
00:46:58.440 --> 00:47:02.519
<v Speaker 2>was disappointed in what ever I asked myself, what can

862
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:05.760
<v Speaker 2>I do to be better? Because it's not their fault,

863
00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:08.000
<v Speaker 2>it's mine. That's a great lesson for you. If and

864
00:47:08.039 --> 00:47:09.840
<v Speaker 2>I wanted to stop the story, i'd stop right then

865
00:47:09.880 --> 00:47:12.000
<v Speaker 2>in there. But I don't I go back. I was

866
00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:15.320
<v Speaker 2>working for a mean guy. I don't mean a bad guy.

867
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:18.519
<v Speaker 2>I mean a mean guy. He had no life. He

868
00:47:18.599 --> 00:47:22.719
<v Speaker 2>was married, family situation he wasn't happy with. He would

869
00:47:22.719 --> 00:47:25.559
<v Speaker 2>work to all hours of the night. He didn't care

870
00:47:26.360 --> 00:47:28.840
<v Speaker 2>ten o'clock at night, he would go home. Now I

871
00:47:28.920 --> 00:47:30.960
<v Speaker 2>this young guy had a wife. I didn't want to

872
00:47:31.039 --> 00:47:33.360
<v Speaker 2>leave the office every day at ten o'clock, particularly I

873
00:47:33.400 --> 00:47:35.639
<v Speaker 2>was getting in early in the morning. But I had

874
00:47:35.639 --> 00:47:38.000
<v Speaker 2>no choice. I worked for a mean guy and never

875
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:40.880
<v Speaker 2>understood anything. Hey, let's go out for a drink, let's

876
00:47:40.880 --> 00:47:44.519
<v Speaker 2>have dinner's let's this. You know I'm learning, I'm starting out.

877
00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:46.400
<v Speaker 2>This is in the beginning. I don't want to have

878
00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:50.119
<v Speaker 2>that life right now. It's not winning me. Friends. Ask

879
00:47:50.280 --> 00:47:53.320
<v Speaker 2>too much of everyone, everyone. No one was ever good

880
00:47:53.480 --> 00:47:57.360
<v Speaker 2>enough for him. He was really a rotten guy. Now

881
00:47:57.360 --> 00:47:59.800
<v Speaker 2>what did I do about it? I tried to remain

882
00:48:00.840 --> 00:48:03.599
<v Speaker 2>I tried to remain positive. He was a smart guy,

883
00:48:03.639 --> 00:48:07.159
<v Speaker 2>that was stuff to learn from him. I begrudgingly understood

884
00:48:07.199 --> 00:48:09.599
<v Speaker 2>that I had to live through this for a period

885
00:48:09.599 --> 00:48:12.840
<v Speaker 2>in time. It wouldn't be forever. And then one day

886
00:48:13.400 --> 00:48:15.519
<v Speaker 2>I met a sales meeting. We happened to be in

887
00:48:16.400 --> 00:48:19.679
<v Speaker 2>Florida at a meeting of the venues and company and

888
00:48:19.719 --> 00:48:23.159
<v Speaker 2>it was a national sales meeting. During the course of

889
00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:26.519
<v Speaker 2>the meeting, a vice president of operations, his name was

890
00:48:26.559 --> 00:48:29.079
<v Speaker 2>Bud Gilbert I'll never forget me. He rests in peace,

891
00:48:29.840 --> 00:48:31.199
<v Speaker 2>came over to me and said, Mark, I want to

892
00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:33.559
<v Speaker 2>talk to you, so I said sure. He said, do

893
00:48:33.559 --> 00:48:35.280
<v Speaker 2>you want to have a coke with me? I said yeah.

894
00:48:35.320 --> 00:48:37.320
<v Speaker 2>It was around two o'clock in the afternoon. The meeting

895
00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:39.880
<v Speaker 2>had just broken up. Everybody was going off to do

896
00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:42.239
<v Speaker 2>what everybody was going off to do, and I was there.

897
00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:44.440
<v Speaker 2>I was tidying up the showroom, getting ready for the

898
00:48:44.480 --> 00:48:46.559
<v Speaker 2>next presentations. Come have a coke with me, and I

899
00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:48.880
<v Speaker 2>sat down with him. He said to me, Mark, how

900
00:48:48.920 --> 00:48:52.000
<v Speaker 2>you doing. I said, I'm doing great, and he looked

901
00:48:52.039 --> 00:48:53.800
<v Speaker 2>at me. He said, Mark, I asked you how you're doing.

902
00:48:54.159 --> 00:48:56.960
<v Speaker 2>And I said I'm doing great, and he started to smile.

903
00:48:57.000 --> 00:48:59.679
<v Speaker 2>I said, look, Mark, I know you're not doing great.

904
00:49:00.039 --> 00:49:03.000
<v Speaker 2>I know who you're working for. Everyone in this company

905
00:49:03.239 --> 00:49:06.800
<v Speaker 2>knows who you're working for. Everyone in this company knows

906
00:49:06.880 --> 00:49:10.000
<v Speaker 2>and appreciates that you don't have an easy working there.

907
00:49:10.599 --> 00:49:13.079
<v Speaker 2>So I'm asking you how you're doing. I said. Look,

908
00:49:13.639 --> 00:49:16.679
<v Speaker 2>I don't want to mention his name. I said, he's

909
00:49:16.679 --> 00:49:20.639
<v Speaker 2>not easy. Very often, he's not fair. He works late

910
00:49:20.679 --> 00:49:23.239
<v Speaker 2>hours and forces us to be there with him. But

911
00:49:23.320 --> 00:49:27.039
<v Speaker 2>I understand it's his way. He's the boss, and I

912
00:49:27.079 --> 00:49:30.079
<v Speaker 2>respect the position he holds. I don't happen to like

913
00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:32.519
<v Speaker 2>everything that's going on, but I don't feel it's right

914
00:49:32.599 --> 00:49:36.519
<v Speaker 2>to complain. He said, here's the interesting thing, Mark, your

915
00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:41.119
<v Speaker 2>attitude has been seen by everyone that matters. Everyone, for

916
00:49:41.280 --> 00:49:44.880
<v Speaker 2>myself on up knows how hard you work, knows how

917
00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:47.440
<v Speaker 2>hard it is for you to navigate what you're dealing with,

918
00:49:47.840 --> 00:49:50.880
<v Speaker 2>and everyone respects you for doing it. And I want

919
00:49:50.920 --> 00:49:53.320
<v Speaker 2>you to know it's not gone unnoticed. Now go have

920
00:49:53.360 --> 00:49:55.400
<v Speaker 2>some fun. You're off for the rest of the afternoon,

921
00:49:55.880 --> 00:50:00.360
<v Speaker 2>rest assured that this company appreciates you. The point of

922
00:50:00.400 --> 00:50:02.800
<v Speaker 2>the story is working through the tough times is a

923
00:50:02.840 --> 00:50:07.199
<v Speaker 2>fascinating concept, and it's all about you. It's not about

924
00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:10.039
<v Speaker 2>the situation you're in. It's not about the people you're

925
00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:12.840
<v Speaker 2>surrounded with. It's not about the person you're reporting to.

926
00:50:13.199 --> 00:50:16.760
<v Speaker 2>It's not about the direction that the company has taken, right,

927
00:50:16.840 --> 00:50:20.599
<v Speaker 2>wrong or indifferent. You are in control of you. You

928
00:50:20.800 --> 00:50:23.679
<v Speaker 2>have to decide what it is you want to do

929
00:50:24.440 --> 00:50:27.280
<v Speaker 2>when things aren't going your way. I would often talk

930
00:50:27.320 --> 00:50:30.079
<v Speaker 2>when I was the president of the company about working

931
00:50:30.119 --> 00:50:32.679
<v Speaker 2>through the tough times or the American dream, and I

932
00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:35.039
<v Speaker 2>can tell you I've always believed it, and I still do.

933
00:50:35.480 --> 00:50:38.280
<v Speaker 2>When you work hard, you work smart, you learn everything

934
00:50:38.480 --> 00:50:41.440
<v Speaker 2>you can possibly learn. When you're curious, when you're respectful,

935
00:50:41.639 --> 00:50:44.000
<v Speaker 2>and you learn what it is you're supposed to learn,

936
00:50:44.119 --> 00:50:46.480
<v Speaker 2>and you learn what it is that you're not supposed

937
00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:48.519
<v Speaker 2>to learn. The more you learn, the better you're offer

938
00:50:48.519 --> 00:50:51.320
<v Speaker 2>in this world, in this country, and certainly the companies

939
00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:54.000
<v Speaker 2>I've worked for, You have a chance for success. That's

940
00:50:54.039 --> 00:50:58.000
<v Speaker 2>the American dream. Everything is easy when it's going your way.

941
00:50:58.320 --> 00:51:00.559
<v Speaker 2>It's not so easy when the times are But it's

942
00:51:00.599 --> 00:51:03.519
<v Speaker 2>the times that take measure of who you are. I

943
00:51:03.559 --> 00:51:06.519
<v Speaker 2>hope that's helpful. I hope you enjoyed tonight's show. I'm

944
00:51:06.519 --> 00:51:09.440
<v Speaker 2>talking about your future. I'm talking about the future because

945
00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:11.480
<v Speaker 2>the future is now. Good Night,