Michael Ovitz

You could be doing something else with that time. So I started to make a set of parameters when I met people about why I want to continue the dialogue. And I have kind of like a pilot's checklist in my head of things that are important to me. And it doesn't really matter what the vocation of the person is.

It doesn't matter whether it's Ted Forsman when he called me to help him with Gulfstream, which was a dying company they were going under amazing turnaround opportunity and went on the board. And we made a decision to recruit. Ted was, I was on five of Ted's 13 boards and spent a ton of time with him. He was a very close friend until he passed away.

It doesn't matter whether it's Ted Forsman when he called me to help him with Gulfstream, which was a dying company they were going under amazing turnaround opportunity and went on the board. And we made a decision to recruit. Ted was, I was on five of Ted's 13 boards and spent a ton of time with him. He was a very close friend until he passed away.

And he said, what can I do to make Gulfstream different? And Bombardier was killing them at the time because they had a bigger cabin. And I said, Teddy, there's only one thing you can do. You need to recruit a board that becomes the greatest set of super salesmen in history because you don't need our advice. You don't need our financial engineering. You don't need us to read balance sheets.

And he said, what can I do to make Gulfstream different? And Bombardier was killing them at the time because they had a bigger cabin. And I said, Teddy, there's only one thing you can do. You need to recruit a board that becomes the greatest set of super salesmen in history because you don't need our advice. You don't need our financial engineering. You don't need us to read balance sheets.

You need us to sell airplanes. And what he did is he went out and he put a list together and he brought it back to me and we went through it. And on the list... was the who's who of certain areas. So on the list was Roger Penske.

You need us to sell airplanes. And what he did is he went out and he put a list together and he brought it back to me and we went through it. And on the list... was the who's who of certain areas. So on the list was Roger Penske.

On the list was Don Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, a guy who was the CFO of GE when they were the most important company in New York City when Jack Welch was there. Dale Fry was his name. He had Charlotte De Beers, who was the most important female advertising executive in New York City. And he had Bill Aquavella, the great art dealer.

On the list was Don Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, a guy who was the CFO of GE when they were the most important company in New York City when Jack Welch was there. Dale Fry was his name. He had Charlotte De Beers, who was the most important female advertising executive in New York City. And he had Bill Aquavella, the great art dealer.

And all of us had assignments and we all covered areas. So Bill covered art, Kissinger covered politics, Colin Powell covered the US Army and the DOD. Everybody had an assignment. And we met monthly, not quarterly.

And all of us had assignments and we all covered areas. So Bill covered art, Kissinger covered politics, Colin Powell covered the US Army and the DOD. Everybody had an assignment. And we met monthly, not quarterly.

And the attendance at the meetings was 100% every time because everyone had, we had so much fun at the board meetings and board dinners that after we sold the company seven years later, we all continued the board meeting.

And the attendance at the meetings was 100% every time because everyone had, we had so much fun at the board meetings and board dinners that after we sold the company seven years later, we all continued the board meeting.

Well, we divided up the list and called, People we had relationships with. So I call Cole and Paul.

Well, we divided up the list and called, People we had relationships with. So I call Cole and Paul.

Well, everything's relationships at the end of the day or the beginning of them.

Well, everything's relationships at the end of the day or the beginning of them.

The whole idea is to make them and then keep them. And if you've made a mistake, that's why you don't want to make a mistake. So I call Cole and Paul, who I knew. And I said, before you say no, you want to have some laughs. And do you want to make a little money? The answer was yes to both. Yeah. And then when I told them, What were you doing? He said, what a hoot. He said, okay.

The whole idea is to make them and then keep them. And if you've made a mistake, that's why you don't want to make a mistake. So I call Cole and Paul, who I knew. And I said, before you say no, you want to have some laughs. And do you want to make a little money? The answer was yes to both. Yeah. And then when I told them, What were you doing? He said, what a hoot. He said, okay.

And I called Henry because I was friends with Kissinger because he was on the board of MGM. I said the same thing to him and he thought it was hysterical. He said, what? I can't do his accent, but it was hysterical. He said to me, what do I know about airplanes and this thick, heavy accent? I said, you're flying them, don't you? And he said, yeah. I said, great.