YouSaid · the spoken record

Henry J. Kaiser

lines on the record: 20
first: 2019-04-07
most recent: 2019-04-07
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“So he also loses bids, though. He loses his one bid for the Shasta dam, which I've never even heard of. And this is an example of him turning a loss into an opportunity. They are to win the Shasta Dam contract indirectly led Kaiser into manufacturing durable goods. By 1939, Kaiser had spent a quarter of a century in construction. His men had used millions of barrels of cement. Never at ease when subject to the whims of others, I feel the same way, particularly delivery of a critical commodity, Kaiser had considered entering the cement business. So he's like, hey, I want to control. I want to have this, like, I'm going to do construction, like, I don't want, and he had, you know, all kinds of issues with unions and all kinds of monopolists in this day and age where they would make procuring the necessary materials for the job really hard or really expensive. And he just got sick of it.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“$500,000 job. Oh man, if you could see my face, I just have a big smile on it. That's just hilarious. And this is just an example of Kaiser using the leverage technology provides. And I just absolutely love this thinking. Throughout his life, Kaiser was fascinated with new technology, and he constantly tried to speed up work and make it less physically demanding. He had observed that pushing old-fashioned wheelbarrows with iron trimmed wheels through muddy or rocky ground was very tiring. He equipped wheelbarrows with rubber tires and used ball bearings to lessen friction between the wheel and axle. Kaiser experimented with caterpillar tractors. They pulled five scrapers while horses were limited to one remember he's still doing paving roads at this time. So instead doing horses, they can only pull one scraper. I can do five times the output with new technology. Simple adjustments and equipment save much needless effort and reduce careless errors and accidents caused by fatigue.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“He had a fundamental belief in Henry J. Kaiser. So he knew I was like, I'll figure this out. This will lead to bigger and better opportunities, just like it always has throughout my life. I just need to get through this rough patch. That trait is really, really rare. And if we can adapt that extremely, extremely valuable. Oh my goodness, look at all these notes that I left on the next page”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Tracks he won. So he could get the contracts, but he needs to finance them, right? So he's got to solve that problem. And what is his opinion on problems? Problems are just opportunities and workflows. All right. So he says he possessed little collateral other than three years of construction experience, a willingness to work 20 hour days, an unbounded enthusiasm. So I do think there is something I've talked about this before, but I do think there is these human elements that we can't really put a price on but are extremely valuable. And I think enthusiasm and passion are easily understood by everybody because it's like a fundamental human trait. And I think even though they're an abstraction, they have very real concrete value. And especially for somebody like a young Henry Kaiser, it leads him to being able to start his company. The fact that you can speak to this guy and he clearly is enthusiastic about what he's doing and passionate.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“The company collapses because of these two warring factions. And since Kaiser was up in British Columbia, he knew there was opportunity for construction. So this is the chance that he's like, okay, well, why don't I use the resources of the company that's closing down? And I know how to do the job. Let me just do the job. So this is how Henry Kaiser started a construction company in Vancouver.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Beginning of the podcast that his first construction business was the Kaiser Paving Company. And so in his work with Hawkeye, he starts dealing with JF Company and then they recruit him as well. So it says JF Hill Company, a paving and road contractor with extensive operations in and near Spokane, recruited him. So Kaiser joined Hill in 1911. With Hill, he acquired what he most desired. A wealth of useful experience with the opportunities and hazards challenging general contractors. So he's basically learning on the job. Kaiser's years with Hills provided critical learning experience. I just want to pause here because remember, Kaiser's career, even though he moved quickly, was just a slow, steady progress over a long time to the point where he's fabulously successful by the time he's 60 years old. When we start out, it's 1899, and he has his first business, right? He's a young student.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“At the time he's still working at the hardware store and he's still a young man. This is one of Kaiser's renowned strengths was an ability to sense opportunities and move quickly. When a large school building project opened south of the city, Kaiser wanted to go after the business. McGowan demoured, telling Kaiser if they want our hardware, they'll come in. Nobody goes out after orders. There's no way that Kaiser would abide by that. So Kaiser would not be swayed. He insisted on seeking the order. McGowan told him that he'd have to pay his own expenses, that he was off a wild, good goose chase. The admonition fell on deaf ears. As Kaiser was out the door as soon as he heard something sounding like okay. Two days later, Henry bounced back in with orders for all the hardware equipment for that big job.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Do next McGowan promptly hired Kaiser as a clerk at a base salary of $7 per week. He was determined, this is Kaiser, Kaiser was determined to move up quickly. Within weeks, and this is another example of him going above and beyond in the job so he could accelerate his rise. He says, within weeks, he had memorized the price of every item in the store. Clerks who had worked there for years soon started calling out, Henry, what's the price of this? What's the price of that? McGowan was so impressed that within a couple of months, Henry received a promotion. McGowan stated years later, this is such a an interesting quote if you think about how far Kaiser came from Harry. Remember, he's making $7 a week being, you know, unbelievably wealthy in his later life. And this is what McGowan had to say about the young Kaiser. He said, Mr. Kaiser speededly showed at that time that he was not a $7 a week man.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Into one job, and it works. It says his target was McGowan Brothers Hardware. Having chosen his objective, Kaiser gave the owner no rest. Four decades later, James McGowan recalled that the persistent easterner called on him repeatedly, only to be refused each time. He's very much like the Terminator. He just keeps going, going, going his whole life. His store had just suffered a serious fire, and he had no intention of increasing the payroll. But Kaiser perceived opportunity in the ashes. Several thousand dollars worth of hardware had seemingly been destroyed. Even if insurance covered the loss, recovery would take months. Kaiser finally persuaded McGowan to let him try to salvage something from the mess. He hired about two dozen women who polished the damaged goods until they looked new or at least sellable. Kaiser proudly told Mago when the job was finished and asked him what he should do.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Bocaine Washington to try to basically To start his path to wealth, because that was extremely important to him. He wanted to be an entrepreneur. He wanted to run businesses. And he wanted to have, like, he wanted to be wealthy. So he starts over in Spokane, Washington. He takes a train out there and he needs to look for a job. And so this is the story of how that happened. Kaiser had trouble getting started. He recounted one of the low points in his own life, a vivid memory was calling on over 100 businesses in Spokane before being hired. Kaiser recalled this is another good idea that he has. Kaiser recalled changing his thinking from negative to positive. Prospects looked as bleak as possible. One day I stood on a street corner and I decided to pick one fellow I most wanted to work for and concentrate on him. So instead of just doing these half-hearted, like half-assed attempts at getting hired from 100 people, he's going to put his full effort.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Okay, so around this time he meets the woman that he wants to marry. And so he goes to her father to ask him for permission. And her father's like, I don't know how her father was in the construction business. And he's like, listen, I don't think photography is very lucrative profession. Like you can't marry my daughter. You need to go if you want my permission to marry my daughter. You need to save $1,000. You need to be making $125 per month and you need to have a home for her and your eventual children. And at the same time, Kaiser wasn't really enjoying the photography business anymore because he looked at it like an artistic endeavor and he didn't like taking direction from people when they like he would take unique pictures of them and they'd ask him to like change it or to edit them. So he says, you know what? I'm just going to, I know there's an opportunity in the West. He saved up a little bit of money and he just takes off West, you know, because he grew up his entire life in New York, in New York State. And so he takes off to school.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“They were cyclical. So there would be sometimes it's like if the weather wasn't good, there'd be no tourist business. So he had to become more resourceful to stay alive. So he gets other jobs. So check this idea. I think this is a really good idea. So he gets a job down in Florida during summer, or excuse me, during the winter as a tour guide. So he says he worked as a guide on a sightseeing boat on the Tumoka River near Dotona Beach. He sold film to the few tourists who showed up and encouraged them to use up at least one role during the boat ride. As they departed, he collected their film and at night he developed pictures and placed their prints in their hotel room mailboxes before breakfast the next morning. It was hard work and Kaiser put in long hours. So the business was not going to come to him. He had no problem just coming up with unique ideas to drum up the business.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Licensed dealers. It's like, because Eastman Kodak is becoming extremely popular and people need help developing the film or servicing the cameras. And so when you go back and look at the pictures of Henry's first photography stores, they say like, you know, I don't know if it says Eastman Kodak Service Center, but basically they're co-branding with a much brighter brand, the Eastman Kodak name. So despite its promise, Kaiser discovered that the photography business was no easy road to instant riches. He strained his limited investment capital. So he's expanding. And then when all the people leave Lake Placid, a lot of them go south for the winter. So he goes down and he starts opening these service centers in Florida, in Daytona Beach. And so the problem is, though...”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Kaiser attempted to establish a chain of retail sales and service stores. He had worked for others, then purchased his own business, and owning several stores and hiring others to run them offered the potential of multiplying profits. So this is another example of something that he's doing at a young age that he continues for his entire life, which is he hires the best people. He delegates to them, and then he just moves on and keeps expanding. And he just trusts that I hired you. You're smart enough to know what you're doing, so just make the right decision and only contact me if you absolutely necessary. Raised in central New York State, he had witnessed firsthand the phenomenally rapid rise of Eastman Kodak, and he intended to get in on the ground floor. So I'm eventually going to do a biography on Eastman. I actually have it in my queue. But what they're talking about here is these stores that he's opening, they're basically...”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“To actually increase and bring in more business and market to more customers than they bring in on his partner. So he did that. He was rather successful at it. And so here's a little bit about his expanding the business. And then more examples of his extreme levels of resourcefulness. So he said a year after he acquired half of the business, he bought out the other half. With full control, he promptly expanded the scope of his operations. Business may have been good in the north, remember this is Lake Placid New York, but it was strictly seasonal, so Kaiser followed tourists.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Henry Vitt, this is just the beginning of his first business, and it kind of tells you again, he's young, he's 19 years old, and he's like, I'm just going to go up there. I don't have much to offer. Let me see if I can get a piece of that business. Henry ventured there to look up the owner. He had little to offer except energy and a passion for work. Certainly he had no capital. Eager to become self-employed, to have a direct financial stake in the business he loved, Kaiser made an irresistible offer to the owner. By twenty, Kaiser was launched as a photographic entrepreneur, and his break from home was final. So when they talk about that he made that Henry made an irresistible offer, he said, hey, I'm going to work for no salary. But if I double or triple the business, then I come in as a full partner. So if I'm revenue stays the same, you pay me nothing.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“He took photographs by flashlight at parties and then developed them at home. Photography became Henry's consuming passion. He quit his job at Wells and worked briefly at two photography stores. By eighteen ninety nine Henry was deeply involved in what he then believed would be his life's work. So it continues Henry's not quite ready to become an independent entrepreneur. For about a year he worked at the Hyatt photography studio. Henry quickly mastered the photography business as a salesman for Hyatt he traveled extensively meeting others in the business. In the spring of 1901 he learned of an opportunity to obtain a share of a photography studio.”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Common theme before he turns entrepreneurs he's always dedicated to going further above and beyond than anybody else in his position and he's always trying to learn and so he's routinely promoted rather quickly and part of this because he would take like he just never stood still he always wanted to get better so since Kaiser studied his crafter for regular business hours evidently he learned rapidly by 16 he was a traveling salesman for JB Wells the young man had already learned a good deal about the world of business and had demonstrated persistence by remaining at one job for three years however he began to feel restless in his search of bigger things that trade also never leaves him so this is him finding his first passion by sixteen Henry was clearly tiring of the dry goods business he had been fascinated by photography from the age of twelve so he began moonlighting”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“That I don't know, is it JB Wells? Nope, it's a business owner. His name's Ed Wells at the time. So he says more than 50 years later, Kaiser remembered an early business lesson from the owner Ed Wells. On one occasion, Henry neglected to return curtains to a shelf after a salesman displayed them. Wells asked why he hadn't put them back. The young clerk replied that there was no need. Another customer would want to see them, and they'd be unfolded again. Wells kindly suggested that he ask his mother not to make his bed because he just messed it up again. Henry remembered that the older man taught an unforgettable lesson in orderliness. Despite Henry's contramps with Edwell over the care of curtains, he was soon promoted to sales clerk, signing up for a correspondence course on salesmanship, Kaiser studied his craft after regular business hour. So this is actually a very...”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I was ready to lick the world single handed, so I dropped out. Henry vividly recalled the trauma of his first job search. He paced up and down a commercial street for hours before summoning the courage to pedal his own services. In later years he made thousands of sales calls. In all likelihood none was as difficult as his first. Henry lost count of his inquiries, but recalled that it took three weeks to find a job. His first employer was the JB Wells Dry Goods Store. For full time work he earned a dollar fifty per week. Henry's work for JB Wells was not glamorous. He was a stockroom and delivery boy. Other duties including straightening up the store after Harry's salesman strewed samples of goods about the counters and showing their wares to extracting and capricious patrons. So basically they're pulling all these goods people are going through it. They're rifling through it to see if they want. If they want it or not, and this is a really good lesson that”
2019-04-07 · Founders · #66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source