The Ride of a Lifetime E-Book

Paul Teutul

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 254

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2009

Beschreibung

Tough, smart business advice from the star of the hit TLC reality show "American Chopper" Now in paperback, The Ride of a Lifetime elucidates the business principles that have made Paul Teutul Sr. and Orange County Choppers a household name. Paul's smart, commonsense business wisdom works for businesses both big and small in any industry. Here, he shows you firsthand how he built a uniquely successful business by working hard and demanding it from others; encouraging and embracing unfettered creativity; establishing well-defined roles for every team member and demanding they support each other; and using honest conflict and confrontation to solve problems and constantly innovate. Paul and his sons build the best one-of-a-kind choppers in the world with unrivaled passion, creativity, and honesty. The Ride of a Lifetime shows you how they do it. * Offers an inside look at the business practices that built Orange County Choppers into a massively successful business * Reveals a different side to the OCC family patriarch * Full of practical, real world business principles that lead to unlimited success for any business The Ride of a Lifetime is a smart, tough-as-nails guide to business success that every entrepreneur should read.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Choices

Against All Odds

Shop Kid

No Regrets

Back Home Again

Chapter 2 - No Thanks, Pardner

Some Tough Lessons

Goodbye, Fred

A New Beginning

Sobering Up

A New Life

Chapter 3 - Passion

Finding Your Passion

Finding My Eye

Just a Hobby

Knocking over the Table

Chapter 4 - Welcome Change

I Don’t Have a Fax Machine!

Know Everything About Your Business

Old Dog Learns New Tricks

From Hobby to Business

Chapter 5 - Building a Reputation

I’ve Always Been an Example

Hands-On and Self-Taught

Keep Your Word

Your Employees Must Keep Their Word, Too

Ask for More Than a Handshake

Your Reputation Is Priceless

Customers Can Let You Down

Be True to Yourself

Chapter 6 - Stay Organized

A Dirty Business

Be Organized and Efficient

Know How Your Business Moves

Keep Your Employees Organized

A Commitment to Excellence

Rick, the Perfectionist

My Sons Could Use Some Organization

Teaching Organization

Organization Leads to Growth

Chapter 7 - Hire Good People

My Own Kind of Boss

There Is Such a Thing as Too Hands-On

Letting Go One Step at a Time

You’ll Eventually Need a Management Team

Protecting Me from Myself

You’re the Face of Your Business

Think Outside the Box in Hiring

Chapter 8 - Learn to Trust Others

Learning to Judge Talent

Why I Like Rick

Why Ron Made It

How I Almost Lost the Iron Business

Steve Tells It Like It Is

Chapter 9 - Take Care of Your Employees

My Employees Are Like Family

Money Is Important, But It Isn’t Everything

Sometimes It Pays to Give People a Chance

Recognize Your Employees When They Do Well

Chapter 10 - All in the Family

Growing the Family Business

Making Up for Lost Time

My Son Dan

My Son Paul

Hoping for a Change

An Eye for Design

Lessons of a Family Business

Advice for the Family Business Owner

Chapter 11 - Learn from Your Mistakes

One of My Biggest Mistakes

Valuable Lessons

A Big Learning Curve

Another Tough Lesson

Trust but Verify

The Upside of Making Mistakes

Don’t Go Cheap

Chapter 12 - Giving Back

Making Wishes Come True

Giving Back to Those Who Protect Us

Giving Back to Your Employees

How to Make Giving Back Personal

Helping Our Newest Citizens (and Hardest Workers)

Giving a Skill or Trade

Giving Back to the Family

Helping Cristin

Giving Back to Our Military

Chapter 13 - Never Sell Out

Be Ready for Challenges

Don’t Quit When Times Are Tough—or Good

Never Lower Your Standards

Be True to Your Vision

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Yourself

Perseverance Will Get You through the Tough Times

Chapter 14 - Always Follow Your Dreams

I’m Not the Person Everyone Expected Me to Be

Start with a Few Steps

No Such Thing as an Overnight Success

Believe in Yourself

A New Chapter for Us

An Amazing Journey

The Legacy of OCC

Sticking to Your Principles

Find Your Dream

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright © 2009 Orange County Choppers Merchandising, LLC. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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eISBN : 978-0-470-49789-0

To all the small business owners out there who are struggling like I once did.

FOREWORD

I have seen every episode of American Chopper. I have seen the show change, grow, and experiment. I have watched bikes being built for an amusement park, a helicopter company, a truck company, a car company, a snow cone company, a heavy equipment procurement company, a sound system company, a bowling company, Bill Murray, Billy Joel, some magician nobody ever heard of, people who wrote in asking for a bike, the New York Giants, the New York Jets, firemen, veterans wounded in Iraq, a professional golfer, Russell Crowe, Jay Leno, a camping store, some blowhard in Minnesota who builds theme restaurants, weight lifter thugs, the Yankees, the University of Michigan, a widow. You see where this is going. Soon we will all have a custom-built Orange County Chopper chopper. I have ridden three of these bikes—one time with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and the Teutuls, through midtown Manhattan in the rain. I have seen the shop change from warehouse to extra-cool 100,000-square-foot World Headquarters. I have seen the staff change. What happened to the first paint guy? Is Nub still around? I was very upset when Vinnie left; I still don’t know the full story there. Cody vanished, no word, no trace. That didn’t bother me. I grew concerned when, during contract negotiations, Mikey announced he wasn’t “cut out for the business.” What is he cut out for? I know there is a sister who may be a nurse. I know there is a brother who runs a steel business. I know Senior has a second wife and two large dogs. One misbehaves (a dog, not the wife). He also has a collection of miniature farm animals. How creepy is that? I was worried the poorly trained dog might go crazy and eat the tiny animals. I am also worried about Senior’s glaucoma. I like Junior. I like Rick. I like the bald guy with the big voice. I like Lee the new guy. I like Jim Quinn (I guess) though I’m waiting for him to go nuts and explode. I have, even in a very small almost immeasurable way, started to like Jason. Though believe me it wouldn’t break my heart if he went to work in the gift shop with Senior’s muscle-bound jughead gym buddy.

I’ve watched them travel to Europe, South America, South Africa, and Australia. I don’t like the producer Craig Piligian. I think the guy is a haircut. But I do like that he brought these people to my life. I get angry when there are no new shows. I love the new 50-billion-ton press. I like the Flow Jet. I don’t like the hijinks. It’s just a matter of time until someone loses a foot.

So what’s the deal? Well, I love watching motorcycles being built. I could watch that all day, all week. They could build the same bike over and over and over. Fine with me. I can’t get enough. I’m like a dog staring at the refrigerator door. My girlfriend doesn’t seem to get this. I gave up trying to articulate my love for this show. I don’t get why she enjoys shopping for purses.

So is it the bikes? Yeah, kind of. But over the years something else has happened. I envy this family. They get to spend their time together, good or bad. They love what they do. They scream and throw things and get their feelings hurt, but they also experience the family structure at its highest functioning purpose. Love and support. Few families grow together in this way. That’s why I watch. I want to be in this family. My son and I. I want us to be Teutuls and build motorcycles. There, now you know. I’m insane.

—Dave Letterman

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There’s not enough space (or time) to thank all of the people who have helped me over the past 30 years. You’ll meet many of them as you read this book, but there are countless others whose advice, guidance, and honesty helped to make me who and what I am today. To the business partners, suppliers, distributors, and employees who have been a friend to Orange County Ironworks and Orange County Choppers, I thank you all for the part you played in the triumph of these businesses. Whether it was a little piece of advice you gave me or a lesson you helped me learn, some of which ended up in this book, it all contributed to my becoming the successful businessman that I am today.

As for the folks who currently work for me, I’d like to say thanks for coming in every day and working so hard to make Orange County Choppers the extraordinary business it is today—especially Steve Moreau, Scott Amann, Ron Salsbury, Michele Paolella, Joe Puliafico, and Rick Petko. I’d also like to acknowledge Craig Piligian.

I want to thank my publisher, John Wiley & Sons, for believing in this book, and especially Matthew Holt and Shannon Vargo for their outstanding direction and guidance. And to Mark Yost, for helping me to translate my years of experience into something that will provide readers with a way to reach their dreams and goals.

And I have to thank my family—especially my sons Paulie and Michael, who are still involved with Orange County Choppers today.