Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: Life and Business Lessons from a 94-Year-Old Entrepreneur
A conversation with Gramps
Some of the best business advice I've ever received didn't come from a consultant, a conference, or a bestselling book. It came from a 94-year-old man sitting across from me on a rainy September afternoon in Brighton, Michigan.
For our 17th episode of the Pro Concepts podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with my wife's grandfather, who we affectionately call Gramps. He is 94 years old, sharp as a tack, and has lived a life that most of us could learn a great deal from. I titled this episode "94 Years Old and Still Going Strong: How Hard Work Can Propel Your Life," and after our conversation, I think that title undersells it.
From Lawn Mower to Entrepreneur
Gramps grew up on the same property in Charlotte, Michigan where he still lives today. His parents bought the place in 1921, and he was born right there on that land. His first money-making venture was mowing yards in the neighborhood as a teenager with a 12-inch push reel mower for 50 cents a yard. Not glamorous, but it was a start.
From there, he walked into a milk company looking for summer work and walked out with something he never expected: an opportunity. The company had a route that had been run into the ground by someone who couldn't be counted on. The truck was a mess, the customers were frustrated, and nobody wanted to touch it. Gramps was 18 years old and didn't have a nickel to his name. The company told him he didn't need any money. They just needed someone willing to work it.
He said yes.
Building Something from Nothing
That first milk route was in rough shape, and there was no playbook for turning it around. Gramps figured out pretty quickly that the only way to grow the business was to get out and find customers himself. Nobody was going to do it for him.
His strategy was about as straightforward as it gets: drive around, look for a pile of manure behind a barn, and knock on the door. If there were cows, there might be a deal. He estimates he converted about one out of every five stops into new business. Over time, he grew that single route into four combined routes, hauling somewhere between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds of milk a day depending on the season.
And he was doing all of this while also working nights at a freight company and farming 80 acres of his own land with cows, corn, wheat, and beans. He wasn't just busy. He was building.
"Hard work never killed anybody," he told me, and he said it the way people say things they genuinely believe, not the way people say things to sound impressive.
A Handshake Still Means Something
One of the things that struck me most in our conversation was how much of Gramps' early business life was conducted on trust. When he took over that first milk route, there was no lengthy contract process. The deal was sealed with a handshake.
I asked him what a handshake means to him. His answer was simple and direct.
"When you take a man's hand and shake it, you better mean what's behind it. If you can't look him in the eye and say, 'Okay, we're in business,' you've got a problem."
That's not a complicated philosophy, but it's one that I think gets harder to find the older you get in business. At PCIA, integrity and relationships are at the core of everything we do. Gramps reminded me that those things were never modern concepts. They've always mattered.
Words Worth Writing Down
Throughout our conversation, Gramps shared a handful of thoughts that stuck with me. I want to share them here because they deserve more than a passing mention.
"If you want something, you better be ready to work for it." This was instilled in him by his parents, and he carried it for 94 years. Don't wait for something to be handed to you. Go get it.
"Don't be afraid to meet people." The milk route business was personal. If customers didn't like you, they went to a competitor. Showing up, being present, and treating people well was how you kept and grew the business. That hasn't changed in any industry.
"Try not to bring your daily problems to work with you." When he was calling on freight customers, he walked in focused on them. He was there to ask about their business, their family, how things were going. Nobody wanted to hear his problems, and he understood that. There's a professionalism in that kind of self-awareness that a lot of people overlook.
"Don't quit your job without having another job lined up." His exact words were, "It's a long time without a paycheck." Simple, true, and advice that holds up regardless of what decade you're living in.
"Just be honest. Don't lie to people, because it comes home and it'll roost right on your head."
And perhaps my favorite: "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care." Gramps talked about how when you listen to someone, really listen, they open up to you. They trust you. And when they trust you, the relationship means something. That kind of connection built his business, and it's the same principle that drives how we serve clients at PCIA.
A Life Well Lived
Gramps and his wife, who we called Grahams, were married for 68 years. We lost her two years ago in August. He still talks about her with a quiet kind of love that doesn't need many words.
There's a small coincidence that I have to mention. Gramps and Grahams were married on October 17th. My wife Allison picked our wedding anniversary date without knowing that, and it landed on the exact same day. And the episode we recorded together happened to be episode 17 of the podcast. We'd like to think that's Grahams saying hello.
I am genuinely inspired by this man. He raised five kids, farmed his own land, built and sold businesses, served in the military, and has done it all with integrity, humor, and a strong handshake. He never asked for anything he wasn't willing to earn.
That's the kind of life worth talking about.
To reach PCIA, visit PCIAline.com or call me directly at 810-224-5255.