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Bay Area News
McIngvale speaks to BAHEP membership at
luncheon
by Kathryn Cooper
BAY AREA HOUSTON, TEXAS – The Small Business Committee of the Bay Area
Houston Economic Partnership, co-chaired by Mark Conrad and Robin Vest,
scheduled one of Houston’s most well-known and successful business leaders,
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, to speak during BAHEP’s General Membership
Meeting held May 8 at the NASA/Johnson Space Center’s Gilruth Center.
The mission of the SBC is to help BAHEP’s small businesses grow by creating
an environment for opportunity and advancement. One of the committee’s
objectives is to sponsor meetings that focus on specific issues that affect
small business such as financing, cash-flow, human resources, accounting/tax
and marketing.
Prior to McIngvale’s presentation, Bob Mitchell, BAHEP president, welcomed
the elected officials who were present and introduced members new to the
organization. Conrad followed Mitchell by giving an overview of his
committee and the work it does under the auspices of the Partnership.
Many in the audience could relate to Conrad’s comments on being a small
business owner when he spoke of the challenges of not only maintaining a
business but growing it and “taking out the trash” as well. The committee
invited McIngvale to address BAHEP’s membership, because his success story
of building a multi-million dollar business from practically nothing is the
“stuff from which dreams are made.”
Then, about halfway through the luncheon, it was McIngvale’s turn at the
podium. He began his presentation by crediting his parents for instilling in
him his well-known work ethic. McIngvale also told the audience that he had
won the lottery twice in his life. His first win, he said, came when he was
born in the United States of America where opportunity exists for everyone.
McIngvale explained that a lot of the people in the room shared the second
win with him by the fact that both they and he were from Texas.
McIngvale noted that he had been asked to comment on marketing during his
speech. He gave a brief history of his success beginning in 1981 when he and
his wife, Linda, opened Gallery Furniture in Houston with just $5,000. The
wildly successful furniture store was built on McIngvale’s philosophy of “do
whatever it takes” to make the customer happy. Of course, that unforgettable
television ad in 1987 showing him jumping up and down yelling that Gallery
Furniture will “save you money” made him an instantly recognizable
celebrity.
That was more than 7,000 TV and radio spots ago, and McIngvale admitted to
being a pro at this type of marketing. He also said that the internet has
changed that; he’s had to approach marketing from the perspective of the
millennials – those in their late teens or early 20s who go online for just
about everything.
His closing remarks were not new, since they’ve been stated by practically
every motivational speaker on the planet. Coming from McIngvale, though, the
words almost sounded as though he were speaking them for the first time.
“Never, never, never give up,” Mack advised, and he truly hasn’t.
For more information on the work of the Bay Area Houston Economic
Partnership or on becoming a member, call 281.486.5535 or visit
www.bayareahouston.com .
Photo caption: By invitation of the Small Business Committee of
the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale
spoke on May 8 at BAHEP’s General Membership Meeting held at the
NASA/Johnson Space Center’s Gilruth Center. The audience numbered
approximately 170 members and guests and included Bob Mitchell, BAHEP
president, shown here with McIngvale, and Dr. Bernard A. Milstein, chairman
of the BAHEP Board of Directors (from left).
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