A dynamic salesman who overcame a disability and dropped out of school to support his family, explained to Brigham Young University Hawaii students in the February 5 Entrepreneurship Lecture Series how he literally climbed the steps of a ladder to business success.
First, BYUH Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship Director James Ritchie introduced Hal Wing to the students by noting the Utah businessman is "one of the greatest presenters" in the corresponding lecture series at BYU Provo — a man who started his multimillion-dollar Springville, Utah manufacturing company, Little Giant Solutions, in his garage. The key? An amazing articulated ladder Wing imported from Germany, and improved upon, plus his high energy and determination.
"This is a man who started with literally nothing, who went on to employ himself, and turned it into a giant industry," Ritchie said.
Wing, who said he hates to hear the word "impossible, it's just not in my vocabulary," recalled when he was about the age of most of the BYUH students, he and his wife had eight children, "and I went home and told my wife I was going to quit my job." After focusing in on the ladder, he spent 360 days of the next year "sleeping in the back of my car, while my wife was at home handling the brood, trying to make things work."
Wing, who had taught himself to yodel, would wear a Bavarian outfit and stand on one of his ladders at trade shows to attract attention. "You have to understand that the first thing someone wants to say to a salesman is, I'm not interested. But people walking down the aisle stopped, and I said now that you've seen the yodeling act, let me show you the world's greatest ladder," and then he would demonstrate the versatility of the Little Giant™.
"People were so mesmerized listening to the click-clack and watching the ladder that nobody walked away," Wing continued. "I called my wife after the first day and said, the good news is I sold three ladders today; the bad news is I don"t want to stand on top of a ladder and yodel every day."
"The thing I want you to understand is, don't let anyone tell you no, it can't be done," said Wing, who was born "with almost no hearing... Too many times in this life we start believing there are things that are impossible to do. My dear young friends, when I look out among you, I see a lot of potential."
Following the impressive demonstration, a student asked Wing why he focused on a ladder product. "It's older than the wheel," he replied, adding there are many things "that still haven't been invented yet... Make something better that everybody needs," such as "a new type of folding chair or even better, a folding crutch."
Wing also said his most important assets today are his employees, one of whom earned a half-million-dollar bonus for a profitable suggestion.
"Never forget to ask for help from your 'silent partner,'" he continued, citing Doctrine and Covenants 88:67-68: And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that y ou shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.
"Strive for that," Wing said.
— Photos by Mike Foley