Influencers of Our Careers

I’m often asked about my career path in aviation and business in general. If I dig deep into my memories, I can recall my grandfather's influence on my desire to be a “businessman” like him, which of course included flying as a hobby. You see, when I was around seven years old, my grandpa was the president of a window company based in Michigan, called Weathervane Windows. Although Saturdays, according to my grandpa, were strictly reserved as flying days, I would spend multiple weekend mornings sitting in his office each month while he got caught up on work. Learning patience, I knew we would be heading to the airport when the work was completed.?

This first lesson was very important to me. He didn’t have a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. What he had was passion, a work ethic, and most importantly common sense. Of course, he encouraged me to get a bachelor’s degree but continued to emphasize that real-world experience would prove more valuable than chasing my MBA when it comes to anything business related.

Saturday mornings also provided me with the most fun I could have at a place of business. With the factory floor being dark and empty, he would let me drive around each type of forklift, used to carry windows and doors around the massive floor space. Delight would increase tenfold as we drove a broken sliding glass door to the compactor dumpster in the back parking lot. You can imagine the feeling of authority I had when it was time to push the big green Start button and watch the glass explode as it was crushed.

Once the major forklift jobs had been completed for the day, we would be off to the airport to fly his 1942 Taylorcraft. My earliest flying memories consist of sitting on the bench seat while he hand-propped the airplane; my legs not yet reaching the floor. This routine would start with “remember, if it starts to move after I start it, just pull the throttle all the way back so you don’t fly away without me.”

During the week, he would come home and throw his necktie on the banister to signal the end of the day. That was my cue to meet him at the refrigerator where our next ritual would begin. For him, whiskey, and water. For me, Faygo Redpop, in a rocks glass. As I continued to get older, he would eventually retire from Weathervane and continue his passion for building custom homes. Oftentimes, I would sit in the basement at his large desk and pretend like I was doing something important, which usually meant talking to imaginary employees and looking in his desk drawer to see what treasures were held inside.

Over the years Weathervane Windows grew from a small, local company into the largest wood-window producer in the Midwest during his tenure. I had a great leader to follow and learn from. His leadership style is where I learned patience when it comes to growing a new company. When we look at rockstar companies like Amazon, it took Jeff Bezos 20 years of patience and persistence to recognize a profit.?

At the age of 14, Weathervane shut its doors and left the employees outside the factory one morning. The founder’s son, who had taken over the business, called that day and offered the company to my grandfather for $1 (plus all the debt that had been accumulated). He ended up rejecting the offer, much to my dismay. Years later, I would ask him about the conclusion he made. Years of watching him at his business craft hadn’t prepared me for his response – “Because if I had to build that company up again, I’d be dead by now.” That did it for me. The amount of energy he put in each day, the charisma he mastered, and the “just get the job done” attitude hooked me and made me realize that I too wanted that out of life.?

At 79 years of age, I make a commitment to spend time with my grandfather at least twice a month. That could entail flying to breakfast or talking business over coffee at his kitchen table. I enjoy hearing stories and learning from his past experiences, knowing I won’t always have the opportunity.

What events in your past have inspired you to be the person you are today? Writing is a great exercise, and daydreaming is an even better one for us entrepreneurs. Jot down those ideas, processes, and goals often.?

Andy