The Business of Being Nice and Telling the Truth with Marty Lott

Since starting SanMar in 1971, Marty Lott has made kindness and honesty key to the company’s daily operations and wants to make it as much a family business as a corporate one.In this episode, Marty discusses how he founded SanMar, explains why being honest and being nice are woven into our company’s policies and where he thinks the industry is headed.   THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:   Debunking some myths about SanMar’s creation and how a college project and brewery got Marty on the path to founding SanMar. How entrepreneurship and a strong work ethic runs in Marty’s family. What it’s like for Marty to work with his sons and how he balances work and family time with them. How Marty and others at SanMar have made family values core to our corporate culture. Marty explains how his wife has been key to SanMar’s success and even dishes out some marital advice! Who are some of Marty’s personal business heroes and what lessons has he taken from them? Why he is so grateful for SanMar’s culture. How SanMar has grown with technology over the years and how the company will have to adapt for the future. Marty’s advice for customers and new distributors in the industry. What makes Marty excited about his work every day. Why SanMar’s corporate culture is the legacy he’d like to leave behind. QUOTES:   “We continue to put millions of dollars every year into inventory accuracy so that when we tell somebody we have something, we actually have it.”   “I always liked work better than school.”   “Life is better when people are nice. It’s hard to be nice when you don’t tell the truth.”   “I recognized there was a real opening in the business world for someone who just told the truth.”   “If you don’t know the truth, you should find it out before you speak.”   “If it makes somebody else happy, do it.” LINKS: SanMar U homepage: http://www.education.sanmar.com/   SanMar’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmarcorp/   SanMar’s Twitter: @sanmar_corp   SanMar’s Instagram: @sanmar_corp