Several years ago, I interviewed Gary Findley, former CEO of Restoration 1, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your story and your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. What is something about you that would surprise people?

Gary: I grew up in a small, rural town in Texas, with a very small high school. And I quickly learned that hard work is the only way to make things happen. For example, in high school football, we had to play offense, defense, kicking team, punting team, and — I’m not making this up — we had guys who took their shoulder pads off at half-time and marched in the band. I graduated high school with 23 people (one of them I later married!) and after graduation, most of my friends’ goals were to go to college, but mine was to make money. I began my career immediately and I didn’t earn my college degree until I was in my 40s.

Adam: How did you get here? What failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Gary: After working on the railroad, I opened up my own health club near the Baylor University campus in Waco. Things were going great until Baylor opened up a facility of their own for students. I went bankrupt and lost everything, but I didn’t let that failure define my life. When offered a steady VP of franchising position, I turned it down to take a risk on an idea called “Curves”, a women-focused fitness club franchise. Eight years later, the business had grown to over 8,000 units around the world by the time I left.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Gary: An effective leader isn’t afraid of making the tough decisions. They face a conflict head-on and are willing to step into another person’s shoes. In my experience, when a conflict arises with someone, I get on the phone with them and I go see them. I strive to immediately resolve issues because most of the time, people just want to vent. You have to allow yourself to see a situation from their perspective. When a leader is able to make decisions based on business decisions instead of emotional decisions, then they’re able to take their leadership skills to the next level.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Gary: The best three tips I can give is respect everyone in your business, especially your employees. Treat the company’s money as your own. And never sacrifice your integrity.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Gary: Nobody said life is fair. Don’t be a whiner and don’t blame other people. When life gets tough, pick up your bootstraps keep moving, and always use the God-given talent that you have.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Gary: I take great pride in calling myself the “Redneck CEO”. Being raised in the country, I learned responsibility early in life, and I grew to understand and appreciate the meaning of hard work. Whether I was a kid raising horses and cows, driving tractors, or working on the railroad, those jobs, in some of the hottest and dusty places you can imagine, have inspired me forever. It also taught me that nothing replaces honesty and integrity, and you have to work hard for your success. That upbringing has served me well, from my roots in the country all the way to the biggest cities across America and in places around the world.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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