Lessons from Rich DeVos' Memoir: Simply Rich
I'm a big thrift shopper. Sure, there are environmental reasons and cost savings involved, but let's be real—it's all about the thrill of the hunt. I have fond memories of junking with my mom, grandma Joanie, uncle Jiggs, and aunt Sis. My mom always tells the story of how she was encouraged to collect something, so she chose pink glass. When it was my turn, I opted for glass shoes. Anyway, if you're a thrifter, you know that sometimes you just feel the calling.
Incase you were wondering, my glass shoe collection is down to three these days. ;)
On a busy day, I felt compelled to stop by a thrift store and stumbled upon a book titled "Simply Rich: Rich DeVos' Memoir of His Life Lessons." Like any good Grand Rapidian, I knew the DeVos family had a significant impact on the city, but I didn't realize just how much until I read the book. Here are some highlights:
Why it matters? Understanding our history as a community, country, and world is important so we don't repeat mistakes.
Rich and Jay were high school besties, meeting at Grand Rapids Christian High School.
After WWII, they had a cottage on Brower Lake in Rockford where they shared bunk beds.
They built houses next door to each other in Ada.
They invested in a pilot school and, since the airport wasn't completed, had people land and take off in the Grand River.
"Amway" is short for "American Way Association."
They started selling supplements for Nutrisystem (which Amway now owns) and eventually started their own business manufacturing their own products.
In 1958, they announced the start of the American Way Association to their Nutrisystem team and invited them to join.
Amway's culture focuses on praise and helping others succeed. “People helping other people succeed”
Leadership is best discovered by doing and being exposed to other great leaders.
This was my favorite thing I learned: Rich was approached by Lyman Parks, the first African-American Mayor of Grand Rapids, in the 1970’s to help restore downtown.
Rich and Helen's favorite Bible verse is Philippians Chapter 4.
They hired the neighborhood boy that mowed Jay’s yard to collate marketing materials and then later when they owned their first print shop, that person ran their Grand Rapids Print shop.
There's so much more to Rich's story, including life lessons and insights into business and community building. His memoir has a lot of great wisdom, history, and inspiration. If you have the chance, I highly recommend giving it a read.
I really enjoy reading non-fiction books, especially by Grand Rapids authors, please share your favorites with me!
