Talking Points for 11th Grade Classroom
Early
Years—Building Work Ethic (Age 9–18)
- First jobs:
Cutting weeds around gravestones at 9; newspaper delivery 365 days a year
in Minnesota.
- Parents’ lesson at 13: “If you want anything, you pay for it.” Took a janitor
job at Father’s clinic.
- High school jobs:
Gas station attendant (full service—oil, tires, windows, gas), later a
lifeguard.
- Sports & activities:
- Competitive swimming from age 5, with multiple state
championships.
- Golf team, state tournaments starting in 8th grade.
- Captain of two varsity sports.
- The Junior Achievement president ran the most profitable
student company.
- Student council, drama, and school sales drives
(always aimed to be #1).
Takeaway: Discipline and drive start early. Balancing work,
school, and sports builds lifelong habits.
College
Years – University of Minnesota (1975–1979)
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
- Paid my own way through school by working 20+ hours a
week.
- Joined a fraternity, built lifelong connections.
- Cheerleader, became captain senior year.
- Learned leadership, teamwork, and time management.
Takeaway: College isn’t just about classes—it’s about learning to
lead, network, and manage your time.
First
Career – Welding Sales (1979–1981)
- First job selling welders/battery chargers, despite no
experience.
- Results:
Took territory from 50th to 2nd in the country in one year.
- Promoted to the Iowa territory—turned it into #1
nationally.
- Straight commission, $13/day hotel budget, lived on the
road.
- Income:
$50K first year, $75K second year (huge compared to $13K average).
Takeaway: Confidence + outworking everyone = success.
Seattle
& Computer Industry (1981–1984)
- Moved west to Seattle with no job and no plan—it took months to land work in a recession.
- Joined a small computer company and wrote a training manual by
shadowing every department.
- Became the top salesperson by cold-calling
relentlessly.
- Joined a second computer company, again #1 in sales
despite being the youngest rep.
Takeaway: Don’t wait for experience. Hustle and persistence will
leapfrog you over veterans.
Break
+ Backpacking Europe (1984–1985)
- Traveled for 8 months across Europe with a backpack.
- Gained independence, perspective, and adaptability.
Takeaway: Life experiences broaden your thinking—success isn’t
just financial.
Entrepreneurial
Leap—Used Hewlett-Packard Computers (1985–1995)
- Started a telemarketing business cold-calling for
companies.
- Partnered to sell used HP computers—only the 5th
company worldwide doing it.
- Grew from 2 guys in a tiny office to 75 employees, 12
sales reps, engineers, and a 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse.
- Expanded by buying competitors, became highly
successful.
Takeaway: Entrepreneurship means wearing every hat and learning
every job before delegating.
My
Own Company – U.S. Computer (1995–1998)
- Founded its own HP-resale company, this time owning 100%.
- Within 6 months → $1M profit.
- Sold the company in 1998 for several million dollars.
- Stayed on as president/CEO for 3 years to mentor the acquiring company’s team.
Takeaway: Ownership and leadership create real wealth and legacy.
Real
Estate & Investing Career (1998–Today)
- Transitioned into real estate development:
- Built memory care centers, condos, apartments, and office buildings.
- Flipped and built homes.
- Current project: 479-unit apartment complex in San
Antonio, Texas.
- Entered stock market investing—sometimes up, sometimes
down, but profitable long-term.
- Philosophy:
It takes money to make money. Use profits to create passive income
streams.
- Diversified across multiple industries to protect and
grow wealth.
Takeaway: Don’t just make money—make your money work for you.
Writing
& Legacy Projects
- Author of 12 published books.
- Currently writing 365 children’s stories in one year
(at ~305 when you speak).
- Plans to publish 6 more children’s books from these
stories next year.
- Writes to teach lessons of values, discipline, and
character to children.
Takeaway: Build something that lasts beyond you—your words,
lessons, and influence can shape future generations.
Health
& Family Values
- Believe in staying physically fit and active every day.
- Advice to own children: “You can’t take time off
from staying healthy.”
- Wealth means little without health and strong
relationships.
Takeaway: True success is health, family, and freedom—not just
money.
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