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People More Interesting than I
These articles profile people who aren't necesarily rich and/or famous, but have done something or had an idea or just lucked into doing things that we as regular people find fascinating.  Well, I did anyway.

CEO of the Sidelines: USC's Pete Carroll

carroll1(Ed note: Screw SI, We may have started the Inc.com curse. Stanford. Ugh.)

How do you define success? For the USC Trojans, national championships are the measuring stick. Right now, the men of Troy are at 11 and counting…

Head coach Pete Carroll took a little time out of his off-season regime to give the readers of Success magazine a little insight into his managerial prowess and what makes him tick (hint, it rhymes with swampetition). I now truly believe that inviting one particular alum turned business writer is just the karma USC needs to get to New Orleans on January 7.

At the very least, it would ease the pain of Success folding (the irony is more than duly noted).

Having worked for a number of magazines that went into the shredder, I’ve learned this: When life throws a new defensive wrinkle at you, call an audible. Thus, Inc.com has picked up the Pete Carroll package, which includes both an interview with Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and a picture of some paunchy dork being humbled by the manly girth of All-American offensive tackle Sam Baker.

To kickoff Carrollpalooza, here is an Inc.com slideshow of the Trojan Horse's lessons from the gridiron. 

Fight on.


 

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More Volume!

vhThis is one of the coolest stories I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, the rock-and-roll saga of Ultimate Ears. Make sure to read the footnotes at the end, they're the best part.

Inc. wanted its readers to know how Jerry and Mindy Harvey saved Alex Van Halen's hearing (what's left of it), learned some important lessons about business, and built Ultimate Ears, a $22 million company that is deeply embedded in the culture of the music they love.

I saw Van Halen at the Metra in Billings, Montana in 1986, so I feel as if it has all come full circle. The teenage wasteland years spent drinking Schmidt beer on the Rims while listening to 1984 weren't a waste after all. 

Oh, and if you dig stories of metal gods, or at least the youth gone wild, I strongly urge you to order the book Mom, Have You Seen My Leather Pants? by my friend Craig A. Williams who signed boobs and played the Sunset Strip as the lead guitarist of the adolescent hair band, Onyxx.

And the cradle will rock...


 

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Invincible

gr-movies-invincibleEveryone loves stories of regular folks overcoming huge obstacles en route to glory; it’s the backbone of more or less every movie ever made…cinema classics like say Invincible, the amazing saga of one man’s dream to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Only three months until the season kicks off in Green Bay. Go Birds.

Here are three such entrepreneurs who dealt with a con man, the financial ramifications of divorce and the watery aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I discovered how strong personal fortitude can be in times of duress for Success Magazine.

And also found out that no trip to New Orleans is complete without a handheld strawberry pie.


 

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The Rise of the Bag Lady

20070509122226_8693_jengrooverJen Groover is living proof that anyone with a great idea can make it big.

She is the inventor of the Butler Bag and an ambitious entrepreneur with more ideas than hours in the day. Groover sat down with me over a Cesar salad lunch that ended up taking three hours as she explained her small plans to save the world. 

If Success is defined by those who make a difference, then it won’t be long before we are one nation under a Groover, getting down just for the funk of it.

I will now offer a sincere apology to George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.


 

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How I Did It: Blaine Kern (A.K.A. Mr. Mardi Gras)

mg1Mardi Gras may have passed, but Jazzfest is coming up. And I am readying myself by demolishing 6,000 calories a day to the sounds of Trombone Shorty. As you may recall, I nearly did myself in last year... This spring I am stepping up my training so I can fulfill my destiny. I will eat my weight in jambalya.

Next time you are in New Orleans, stop by Mardi Gras World and say bonjour to the chairman, Blaine Kern. It's a great tour filled with floats old and new, and the artisans keep right on painting and sculpting for your touristy entertainment. 

Known throughout the Big Easy as Mr. Mardi Gras, Kern is right in the thick of things, helping to rebuild his beloved hometown.

Y'all should join us, New Orleans could still use the help.

Iko, Iko.


 

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