1 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: Everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: This Shop Talk number twenty one. Today, we're going to 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:15,239 Speaker 1: talk about legacy. In my book Against the Grain, I 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: have a whole chapter dedicated to legacy. It's called the 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: Gift of a Legacy, and in it I talk about 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: an old friend of mine named Bill Prust, and I 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: talk about something that happened actually at his funeral that 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: has really shaped my vision of legacy. So Shop Talk 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: number twenty one is going to be about the gift 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: of a legacy as it pertains to my old buddy, 11 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Bill Prest, and we'll jump into that right after these 12 00:00:50,159 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: brief messages from our general sponsors. Everybody, it's Bill Courtney. 13 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: I want to talk about legacy. Bill Prest was a 14 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: guy that I met when I first got into the 15 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: lumber business as a wet behind the ears twenty six 16 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: year old. He was a marine, he was a father, 17 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: he was a husband. His family had owned a huge 18 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: manufacturing facility for many years in the wood business, and 19 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: after retiring from that, he went to work running a 20 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: division of a lumber company I once worked for, and 21 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: he kind of took me under his wing. Funny thing 22 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: about Bill Prest is he used to eat onions raw 23 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: like Apple's. I thought it was the most disgusting thing 24 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: I ever saw. And he always explained to me, Oh, Billy, 25 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: I'm a texture eater. Still don't really know what that means. 26 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: I wish he was alive today so I could ask 27 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: him about it. The second thing is he always carried 28 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: a briefcase on all the out of town sales trips 29 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: who went on. He had papers and stuff in it. 30 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: But one of the other things he always had, and 31 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: it was Scotch and tang, and he would in a 32 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: hotel room mix up some tang and fifty to fifty, 33 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: spour scotch and tang together over ice and have a cocktail. 34 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: And he called it an orange whip. Phil Prest, what 35 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: a man. It's a good friend. When I broke from 36 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: that company and started my own, he showed up about 37 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: two weeks later with a bag of barbecue sandwiches and 38 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: sat down and told me, I'm really really proud of 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: you and happy you started your own company. I'm rooting 40 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: for you. It's going to be tough. His sport meant 41 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: a lot to me at the time, because there's no 42 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: guarantee we would last beyond the first year. Rarely did 43 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: a week go by that he wouldn't stop by the 44 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: office and share some word of wisdom, some encouragement, and 45 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: occasionally an orange whip. After I got on my feet 46 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: and got going, Bill Double retired still spent some time 47 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: messing around, trading a few things in the business. He always, 48 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving and Christmas cooked turkeys and Boston butts and 49 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: would take them to all of the nuns in the 50 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: cathedrals living around the city, so that he knew that 51 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving they had a homemade turkey and a Christmas 52 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,839 Speaker 1: had a Boston butt. Nobody ever knew he really did that. 53 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: He just ran around gnawing on onions and drinking orange 54 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: whips and delivering that stuff to the nuns, just because 55 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: he was a kind guy. Certainly, he had children and 56 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: family that revered him and loved him. He had a 57 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: life in the Marines that mattered to him. And there 58 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: wasn't anybody that ever met and interacted with Bill Press 59 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: that wasn't better for it. But even with all of that, 60 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: it was at its funeral that I was left with 61 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: a lasting notion that I still carry with me today. 62 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: His funeral was held at a large cathedral in Memphis, 63 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: and the place was packed, and I mean packed standing room, Oni, 64 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: and it was big. His son in law walked up 65 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: to the lectern and I listened, and I witnessed this 66 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,559 Speaker 1: outpouring of affection from his son in law. The number 67 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: of people he had a positive effect on just blew 68 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: me away. As I said, Bill served as nation as 69 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: a marine, and he served his community. At one point 70 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: in the service, his son in law quoted somebody I'd 71 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: never heard of, Albert Pike, a nineteenth century freemason. Words 72 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: have resonated with me ever since. The quote is what 73 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: we do for ourselves dies with us, what we do 74 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: for others, and the world remains and is immortal. I 75 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: went home that day and kept thinking, when my body 76 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: is lying in a box some day and people come 77 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: to pay their respects, what are they going to say 78 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: about me? I was probably too early to ask those 79 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: questions at that time. This is twelve years ago, but 80 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: I'm starting to ask those questions and myself more, what 81 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: is my legacy? Lisa and I've bought a bunch of stuff. 82 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: We've done a good job in business, and as a result, 83 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: we've saved some money. And have a nice house, and 84 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: one day I'm gonna croak, and then Lisa's going to croak. 85 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: I'm certainly gonna croak for Lisa. And when they do, 86 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: my legacy that I've built through this business and whatever 87 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: else I've forgot will be divided up amongst my children, 88 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: and they'll spend it and use it, maybe leave some 89 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: of it for their children, and then it's gone. Because 90 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: it is true what I learned at Bill Prest's funeral, 91 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: what I do for myself in this life does die 92 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: with me. So is that our legacy or is it 93 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: more about what we do for the world and for others? 94 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: Because see, that does, in Albert Pike's language, does remain immortal. 95 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: It does last forever. Bill Prest is gone, He's been 96 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: dead twelve years, but here I am still talking about 97 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: the things he did for others that still inspire me 98 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 1: to this day. That's his legacy, not his business acumen, 99 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: not the money he left behind or the house or whatever. 100 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: It's him. It's his essence, it's his service. What's your legacy? 101 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: Will it die with you? Once the attic of your 102 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: errors is full and they put some of that stuff 103 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: you bought on their lawn and sell it for five 104 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: ten twenty bucks at a yard sell one day. Is 105 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: that your legacy? Or is it your service? Is it 106 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: what you're doing for your community? Is what will be 107 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: left behind in your memory? Guys? Albert Pike's right, Bill 108 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: Press emulated it, and I want you to hopefully think 109 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: about that as you go on through your life. Ask yourself, 110 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: when you're laying in a box one day, what will 111 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: they say about you. They won't talk about the money, 112 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: They'll talk about the goods you've done or the lack 113 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: of it. Think about leaving a proper legacy, folks. That's 114 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: shop Talk number twenty one. And if you enjoy this episode, 115 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: please share it with friends and on social Subscribe to 116 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: our podcast, rate and review it. Join the army at 117 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: normalfolks dot us, even consider becoming a premium member. There 118 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: all of these things that will help us grow an 119 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: army of normal folks. If you have ideas for shop talks, 120 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: current events, tenants, or anything else he thinks worthy of discussing, 121 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: email me at Bill at normalfolks dot us. And if 122 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: I think I have anything of value to add, you 123 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: can have your own personal shop talk from my mouth 124 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: to your ears. Think about the legacy that you could 125 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: leave behind as a member of the army of normal folks. 126 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: Join us and help us thanks to our producer, Iron 127 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: Like Labs. I'm Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.