O f the words his friends and colleagues say of him, ‘enthusiastic’ is probably the one that describes him best. Ever polite and mannerly, a phone call with him inspires a positive attitude. You can actually ‘hear’ him grinning on the phone no matter the conversation. And if you have a problem, he’s all ears. Walt’s downtime doesn’t stop with his family and recreation. He also has conducted leadership classes for young entrepreneurs on Saturdays at a local coffee shop where many have graduated and went on to have rewarding careers and have taken leadership roles themselves. “I raised 5 millennials and I saw a need for leadership because of the new challenges young people were facing in this new world working environment. That’s why I started my leadership classes for young entrepreneurs in 2006.” You get a passion for millennials especially when all your 5 children are part of this age group. “So, I started leadership training with my son Jeff. The next thing I knew, several people were showing up to learn leadership. I began teaching from the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. I decided to meet on Saturday mornings at a local coffee shop. I continued these leadership pieces of training for over 5 years”. “I remember coach Tom Landry said in an interview that he is completely motivated by watching someone progress in life. Coach stated that was the primary reason for coaching”. Many people have had the opportunity to be in Walt’s sales, finance, and leadership classes throughout his 20 plus years with extreme success in their careers. Many of Walt’s trainees have gone on to be sales managers, general sales managers, GM’s, and dealership owners. One particular testimony reads thusly- “Walts training system is second to none. I have used its principles and techniques for 20 plus years. I was brand new to the industry 23 years ago and the passion and desire Walt brings to his training are a must-have. His training and sales techniques have earned their chops and are time tested. I have applied his system and went from being a sales rep to become a Dealer and I hope I can pass this system along to all I employ”. Another testimony reads- “When I was fresh out of high school and just getting started in the world of marketing and business, Walt generously spent time mentoring me in sales, persuasion, and leadership. I now run a lead generation marketing agency in the health space, and I’ve applied what Walt taught me to close loads of sales, grow and manage a team, and to inspire people around me”-Caleb Hodges pictured on right. On his automotive career, Walt says “I finished high school and moved to Maui to catch some waves. After getting over my island fever, I moved back to Sacramento where I answered an ad that changed my life. I was hired in the car business on August 18, 1977. But like many of us, he had a defining moment in his career. He was fired for non-production and wrecking a demo four months after he started selling. He remembers the scene very well. The owner called him into his office where every manager in the store was standing behind him at his desk. They all had contributed something that led to his firing. “Then one of the managers (Dewey McDaniel) spoke up as I was leaving and said, “I’ll take the kid under my wing and work with him if you other managers and the owner agrees”. It was a unanimous ‘yes’. To this day he still thinks the whole meeting was staged to scare the bejeebers out of him. It worked. “I remember Dewey taking me to lunch after and he told me with all sincerity. “You can do this kid”. For some reason I believed him. Later he went on to teach me everything I needed to know to further my auto career”. In 1980, while working as a floor manager, I asked the owner if I could move the Oak Leaf out of the sales office and into the storage room to print contracts. This saved time so I just put a few chairs in there and started signing people up. That’s how my finance manager career started.” After 20 plus years in finance, he decided to start a finance training company called the Menu Trainer. From there I was hired as a finance trainer and the rest is history. On his future in automotive. “My last training class was in January of this year. I retired my training curriculum with no plans on coming back. But then in September, Dan Mason gave me a call and asked me what I have been doing lately. I said ‘absolutely nothing’. Dan said “Good, you will be working with me”. “He said I want you to come and work with me at Principal Warranty Corp. He had some Highline stores that needed help. I immediately said ‘yes’. “So, now I’m back to work coaching management, finance, and sales and couldn’t be happier”. 6
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