Meyer the Company Man

If you lock yourself in the bank vault call John Patterson.  For over 100 years Robblee's Total Security has been cracking safes, unlocking doors, and building security systems throughout the city of Tacoma, WA.  John started sweeping the floors in the place while his grandfather taught him the tricks of the trade.  If something needed to be locked or unlocked, John could pull it off.  But, the real magic in this four generation story of master locksmiths and safecrackers is not in the making of keys... rather, its in finding that one 'key' that eludes most family businesses. 

Andrew Crapuchettes is a bit like Steve Jobs.  He grew up in the Bay Area, started working at sixteen, and ended up tinkering his way through the tech world right up to the big time.  He was worth millions when the rest of his buddies were slogging through college and piling up debt.   The multi-million dollar company he eventually built, was sold, and then he was fired.  Andrew Crapuchettes was fired as CEO for what he believed.  That moment was his wake up call.  He now rubs elbows with the biggest names in business and politics, and every move he makes is precisely focused on the mission of the big Red Balloon.

Trinity Baines is just a kid.  At 21 years old she's building the podcasting division for a radio station in Idaho.  She's clued into interviewing, hustling guests, faith, and music.  The kid's going places and now officially holds the current world record for youngest guest ever to join 'The Company Man' podcast.  Just don't ask her about Taylor Swift. 

Jordan Monnin wants to put Tiger woods on notice.  He loaded up his Jeep, grabbed his bag, and is hitting the links all over the country.  He pulls up next to the guy in the dredlocks and the 1970s Winnebago, winds up, and let's it rip.  The pros are turning their heads as the kid is showing up at the biggest turnaments in the world.  He's a little bit Tiger, but maybe even more John Daly.  The disc-golf world is a brand new thing and Monnin is out to conquer it. 

Justin Warren went viral on YouTube at 12 years old.  Ever since he's just pushed the envelope and learned everything little thing he can about filmaking. Now he jets off to the North Shore and filming the surf world.  Not a bad gig.  Justin is a story teller and someday the world will know his story, too.  

They call him the Robin Hood of Wall Street.  Greg Mannarino has been calling the markets for years, outspoken and unafraid to call it as he sees it. He'll tell you straight up he learned it all from Gordon Gecko. 

Eric and Tami Johnson took the leap.  Everyone dreams about walking out of the job and hitting the open road.  These two pulled it off.  The HR guy who got sick of setting up the bowling league and the teacher on the doorstep of retirement just up and cash it all in.  It's one for the RV hall of fame.  

Charles Bell knows a thing or two about rock bottom.  He knows about cage fighting, broken noses, and massive hangovers.  He even operated an underground Subway shop by smuggling roast beef into Cellblock 7.  But, the power of this story is simply that Charles also knows all about that moment when enough is enough.  

David Mays was stuck with nothing to do but wait out a Florida rainstorm.  We found him soaking wet in the Salty Dog.  So, the obvious move was to buy him a cold one and turn on the mircrophone.

Jake Copeland is like the chisled hunter in a timeless Disney movie.  He knows the forest and carries a golden bow. His arrows fly straight. He kills the beast, gets the girl, and everyone in the tavern buys him beers.  Then they all sing drunken ballads about the great hunt. This guy is awesome and its all true.  Well, most of it.   

Dr. Gracjan Kraszewski is the guy you want at a cocktail party.  He can regale you with stories of playing baseball in Czechoslovakia, getting rejected by a thousand publishers, and drawing out the deep theology in Uncle Rico's character in the cult classic Napoleon Dynamite.  Everyone has a story.  Gracjan's is a great one. 

Joel Price stumbled upon the podcast two years ago.  He had just taken the leap out of corporate and bought the LAZY TROUT MARKET and LODGE in Greer, AZ.  It was an enormous jump into the great unknown.  He walked away from a steady paycheck and took on a little shop at a wide-spot in the road. We had to catch up with him and get the update on how many cases of Bud Light he's sold to weary anglers.  Joel Price is the CEO of himself.  How many of us can say that?

Amber Holm knows horses.  She can tell you if a wild horse will accept pasture life, or if a mustang has a spirit that will never settle.  She has her finger on the pulse of the greatest roundup in history.  The plight of the wild horse in the American West is a story that needs to be told, and Amber is on the reigns.  We found her at a wide spot in the road in Central Oregon.  

Dennis Patchin lives on the other side of your radio dial.  He's the guy who calls the game and makes people gather around to experience the last few minutes of the 4th quarter.  From high school football to big college hoops, Dennis is on the mic. For over 30 years this guy has polished the art of live storytelling. We found him in a noisy sports bar, the fitting spot to talk with a legend. 

Kelley Messinger's story of prison to redemption is incredible.  When we put up part one the questions poured into The Company Man headquarters. The phone rang off the hook and the receptionist quit under the pressure.  It was only fitting to go find Kelley and dig into the story even more.   

Kelley Messinger did ten years of hard time in Walla Walla Maximum Security Penitentiary.  It was the 1970s and the prisoners ran the show. Inmates bought and sold cells like real estate. Gangs controlled the drug trade.  A motorcycle gang even operated a full service bike shop inside the walls.  Sitting in the wrong seat in the chow hall could get you killed.  Kelley was there, at the most notorious prison, during the most notorious decade of its history.  Now all he wants to do is reform the entire system.  

Pull up to the gas dock at the marina on Priest Lake and you will get a full tank of both petrol and wisdom.  Tim Rundle lays out the way it oughta be and the way he sees the world.  He is as real as it gets.  A 70s kid who conquered a mean drug habit, met Van Halen at a backyard party, and made a living as a logger.  This guy has created the job everyone wants, whether or not they will admit it. 

There are a lot of Waiter/Actors out there.  But, there are far fewer Actor/Compliance/Regulatory guys roaming the back lot in Hollywood.  Larry Herring is one of the few.  He's a corporate leader who lives in the details from 9 to 5.  Then, after hours he hangs out on the Georgia movie scene and masters his craft.  

If you have ever wondered what getting punched in the face by a cage fighter feels like, Elise Reed is happy to paint the picture.  One of the most decorated cadets to ever graduate from the storied Virginia Military Institute, she joins the podcast to lay it all out: Training, precision, dedication, entrepreneurship, leadership, and military service. This one is the real deal.  Regardless of what one may think about women fighters, Elise lets you into the mindset necessary to prevail.

Nick Wright drops some millennial excellence on roasting a mean coffee bean, headlining a band, serious entrepreneurship, meaningless tattoos, and in-depth knowledge of the geopolitical significance of Skid Row's classic '18 and Life'. Who says Millenials are all sitting in their parents' basement playing Ms. Pac-Man. This guy is going to change the world.

If you ever find yourself 30 miles off shore in 25 foot waves and gale-force winds, let's face it, you should have checked the weather before jumping in the Boston Whaler for a little fishing.  When things go wrong at sea, Scott Langum should be on your speed dial.  He has a team of experts who through discipline, precision, critical leadership, and skill can get you safely back on dry land.  

Lombardi. Parcells. Wooden.  Great names come to mind when one thinks of coaches who led their teams to victory from the sidelines.  But, it's quite another coaching challenge to get through to your players when they are literally being drowned by the opposing squad.  Anna Phelps is that kind of leader.  She is the real deal.  Just ask the four star general that made her one of the first female coaches at a storied military institution.  Oh, and she runs a superstar corporate team all day every day. 

It all started with a drive-by.   The post of a 20-second video of a guy pulling a mice infested, rusted out, 1960s camper trailer was the catalyst to an experiment that helped transform a punk rock video director into a corporate disrupter.  Now he has clients all over the country.  Darren Doane is the real deal.  Since this whole thing was his idea, it's only fitting he drop into The Company Man to wrap up 2020.

Pennsylvania coal country can turn out good football players and good salesmen.  Jason Elmore is both.  From summers selling house painting jobs to pay for college to the big leagues of corporate training, this guy has mastered his craft.  This is the story of a self-made company man. Elmore learned by success, failure, observation, and flat-out hustle.  Then he wrote it all down. He's the guy who can make the best salesperson even better. 

Joel Price is the guy who took the leap.  Conference rooms in companies everywhere are loaded with ladder climbers looking out the window, ignoring the power point, and dreaming of cashing out.  High in the mountains of Arizona is a guy who can get you to a secret fishing hole, set you up with a rustic motel room, or load you up with chicken and jo-jos.  This is the story of a guy who became the company man, but it took losing it all to become CEO of himself.  

34 years beyond freshman year, this bunch of buddies from the University of Dayton stay connected.  Max Eichman is the king pin of the whole thing.  He is the most loyal person in the world and loves nothing more than an afternoon at Flanagan's with the boys.  People still yell his name when we walks in the door. This is his take on the power of loyalty and relationship.

Most of us spend decades in a conference room. Gary Kapphahn spent most of his career, watching a dashboard in the middle of the night, somewhere over the open ocean.  After more than 30,000 hours of flight time in dozens of different aircraft, he brings his story of aviation to life. 

Ryan Phillips knows a think or two about leadership. He knows the impact of a good mentor. This is the story of a kid, who was down to his last quarter when he got pulled out of a video arcade and pushed onto the football field. The rest is history.

Mike Marty knows people.  He's an expert in supply chain, global forecasting, e-commerce, and all things Gonzaga hoops.  If you are looking for real estate in Mumbai he knows a guy.  If you need 10,000 laptops he knows a guy.   If you need a diamond to propose to your college sweetheart, he knows a guy.  If you need a beer at Jack and Dan's, he knows the barkeep.  Mike Marty is a good guy to know. 

John Schneider is a New York boy.  His old man built some of the biggest buildings in the city as a member of the electricians union.  He taught John how to work, who to look after, and who to respect.  Immigrant family.  First to go to college.  Great story.  

Mike Soltau has been in the trenches of pharmaceutical sales for 20 years.  Big companies.  Small companies.  Big drugs.  Niche medications.  He's done it.  Mike tells it like it is, with honesty and humility.  Leaders can learn from this guy.  Oh, and he put out a forest fire in Montana. 

Darren Doane started making videos in LA in the 1980s.  He's made money, lost money, worked with the biggest stars, and now works with the biggest companies.  At one point MTV called him the '...most prolific music video director of his generation'.  We sat down and talked about how a guy like Doane works with corporate clients.