The Focus Factor: An Interview with Michael Rosenbaum (WPO Chicago)

Bruce Halle rose to No. 96 on the Forbes 400 list in 2011 by selling a commodity product in a saturated market. He began his journey to the top with no reputation, no money and no special skills. Today, Walmart chairman Rob Walton provides the foreword to Halle’s biography and business guru Harvey Mackay endorses this unlikely Horatio Alger story as “an inspirational road map for business and life.”

WPO Chicago officer Michael Rosenbaum has charted Halle’s journey in a biography, Six Tires, No Plan, that will be hitting store shelves in March, 2012. Rosenbaum is a management consultant and communications chair of Chicago WPO. This is his fifth book and he sees the insights within it as particularly valuable to Y/WPOers who are seeking sustainable success.

YPO-WPO:  How did you first get involved in YPO?

Michael: I became a member. I had worked my way up to president of a specialized marketing firm that consulted primarily with public companies when one of my clients recommended me.

YPO-WPO:  What made you realize you wanted to get involved with speaking?

Michael: I want to share insights from the road I’ve already traveled with others who are at the beginning of the journey. As a consultant on business focus, I’m always looking for ways to help people—clients and non-clients—get more out of every (irreplaceable) hour they invest in their businesses.

YPO-WPO: What’s the key take-away that members will gain from spending time with you?

Michael: How to identify and focus on the factors that will yield sustainable, profitable growth for their companies. Every Y/WPOer wants to create a machine that will provide income, reputation, jobs and, often, a legacy. Many don’t make it to the finish line, though, and one recurring reason is a dilution of focus that comes from daily firefighting, responding to competitive issues and overservicing unprofitable accounts. My mission in life is to help people regain that focus.

YPO-WPO: What does this have to do with your new book?

Michael: Everything. Six Tires, No Plan is the biography of a guy who made it to 96^th on the most recent Forbes 400, starting with no particular skills in a commodity market. Bruce Halle’s career is a prime example of the value that focus can provide over the long term. In Halle’s case, the long term has been more than 50 years without a single down year for sales or any layoffs.

YPO-WPO:  If he started his company 50 years ago, what makes his story relevant today?

Michael: Most of the steps he implemented on the way to the top can be applied by anyone in business today. Yes, I did say anyone. Halle tapped into a number of universal truths and values that all of us know. The difference is that he found the focus and discipline to implement them consistently and successfully.

YPO-WPO:Give us a few quick ideas about the insights members will receive from Halle’s story.

Michael: Here are a few of the counterintuitive approaches Halle used with great success and we cover the reasons why these, and other initiatives, are much smarter than common wisdom might suggest:

• Set lower goals to increase performance
• Retain employees who can’t fulfill their roles
• Build profits by giving product away
• Limit your product/service options to increase customer satisfaction

We challenge our audience to take a fresh look at practices that might seem to make more sense on paper than is the case in the real world.

YPO-WPO: What’s included in your presentation besides stories from the book?

Michael: Halle’s story is the starting point for Y/WPOers who want to improve the performance of their specific companies. We walk through the process of identifying and addressing issues of focus and distractions. Every participant should leave our presentation with new tools to help intensify the focus and improve the long-term performance of their business.

YPO-WPO: Does Halle do any presentations on his own?

Michael: No. As described in the book, Halle has achieved his success by focusing on his business and flying under the media radar. At 81 years old, he is showing no leanings to deviate from his disciplined approach to business and life. However, by giving me access to himself, his company and other resources, he has made it possible for me to share his journey and lessons with others.

For more information, visit the book’s web site,  www.sixtiresnoplan.com, or Rosenbaum’s site at www.q5works.com

 

Advertisement