Explore Powerful and Inspirational Quotes

If you’re going to get rich, there are a few ways to do it. Maybe you become a CEO of a company, which is pretty hard, but the best path is to own your own business. That’s how I think you become successful and ultimately make money.

Margin vs cash velocity

You’ve got to understand the difference between margin and the velocity of cash. Take Walmart as an example - they make very little margin per sale, but they turn their cash so fast that they still make a massive amount of money. People often over-focus on margin and forget about how quickly cash moves through the business. In reality, the velocity of cash is just as important as margin.

Self-Confidence Creates Opportunity

You have to really have a lot of confidence in your ability and yourself.

The One Trait Every Successful Person Shares

Among the most successful people I've met, most are willing to take risk. That's the bottom line.

Know your audience and adapt

You’ve got to know your demographic and who you’re dealing with. Are you working with bankers in cities like Chicago, Washington, or New York, or oil and gas guys in places like Midland or Odessa? They’re completely different clients, and you have to approach them differently. Even something as simple as how you dress matters. In oil and gas, I dress down to fit the environment; in major financial markets, it’s a different wardrobe and approach. The goal is always the same - make the client feel comfortable.

Transparency builds trust in leadership

Transparency means being available and open - even my office door is glass on purpose. People can see what’s happening, so there’s no sense of secrecy or hidden decisions. When there are changes in the company, whether it’s strategy, financing, or growth plans, employees hear it from me first - through town halls, fly-ins, or direct communication. The goal is simple: make sure people know I’m working in their interest as much as my own.

How deals are really closed

When a prospective client is on the fence and leaning toward a no, the key is relationship building and trust. That can mean taking them to dinner, playing golf, going on a boat for the weekend, or spending time together outside the office. Different clients connect in different ways - oil and gas guys might even go shooting hogs from a helicopter. The point is simple: different strokes for different people, and you build trust by adapting to them.

Build trust to close big deals

They’re going to be spending a lot of money and making a big commitment to your company, so a big part of it is making sure the customer is reassured at every step that they are making the right decision. Because everyone has choices - they don’t have to do business with me or my company - so I have to make sure their decision to work with us is sound, and that confidence is reinforced day in and day out by staying connected with them and having no surprises.

An AI search versus a Google search is 10x - and that just drives additional demand for standby power for data centers.

AI is the new industrial revolution

AI is driving a lot of my business - especially in the data center industry. I supply generators to data centers all over the world. AI is huge right now - it’s like the industrial revolution happening in real time.

Experience makes you calmer under pressure

As you move into more and more responsible positions, the pressure keeps increasing, but you adapt to it. Over time, you stop reacting emotionally the way you did when you were younger and learn to handle it more calmly.

You don’t notice pressure building

Life doesn’t stop throwing hard problems at you. You just get more used to dealing with them over time, and you don’t overreact as much as you did when you were younger. It’s like the frog in a kettle - if you slowly turn up the temperature, it doesn’t realize it’s getting worse. That’s what happens in business as you take on more responsibility.

You've got to work your butt off.

Become your boss's right-hand person.

Opportunity goes to volunteers

The people who volunteer for the extra work are the ones who get the extra opportunities.

The habit that gets you promoted

Every day, after I finished my work, I went to my boss and asked, "I'm done with what I had to do today. Is there anything else I can help with?" Sometimes the answer was no. Sometimes it was yes. Over time, my boss started seeing me as their right-hand person. And when new opportunities came up, I was the one they thought of first. Every extra task was also a chance to learn parts of my boss's job. My advice is simple: be your boss's right-hand person. Show up every day and ask, "What else can I do?"

Leadership also means knowing when to step aside

I was CEO for 18 years. Then I realized I wasn't running at the same pace I had in my younger days, and it was time to turn it over to someone else.

A great company is worth staying for

There's a lot to be said for staying with one company - as long as it's a good company. It doesn't matter what they do. What matters is that they offer opportunity and a culture that allows people to succeed.

The longer play pays better.

The Best Deals Happen Off-Table

You'll always get a better deal if you leave it on the table and walk away.

Never Chase the Deal

Don’t be prepared to do the deal at the table. Be prepared to do the deal outside the room.

Growth Through Better People

The goal is to be the dumbest guy in the room. If you're the smartest guy in the room, you're in the wrong room.

Keeping wealth requires experts

It's hard to keep a lot of money. Hire financial professionals who can manage it better than you can. Sometimes, you need a parent in the situation.

Don’t try to pursue SEO… get out there and market yourself on social media.