WANTING IT BAD ENOUGH
On a much lighter note, I recently spoke at TCU to the business students. I talked to the kids about the thing I know best: a good work ethic. I told them my story and I told them that the only thing that their diploma will guarantee them is that maybe it’ll open a few doors.
Once they land a job they will be judged on their performance just like everyone else. Without a good, solid work ethic, they’ll just be making a living. I told them to follow their dreams, but don’t be stupid about it. Do your homework and figure it out, I said. life is a game, and the better you play it, the more opportunities it will present. At the end of my lecture I told them, “If a dumbass like me can be successful, then anybody can, as long as you want it bad enough and you’re willing to work your dang ass off.”
I also wanted to tell y’all that I started a new company called Rick Fairless Parts, but we just call it RF Custom Parts. We are making custom parts for Victory and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Right now we are concentrating on making cool, custom Victory parts.
We sell lots of used Harleys every year, but we also sell lots of new and used Victorys. Everybody and their ugly brother make parts for the H-Ds but not so many for the Vics. So, since I’m a Victory dealer and a Victory rider, I decided that we would focus our initial efforts on the Vic parts. So far it’s working out real well.
Well, I guess I better go for now. I gotta ton of paperwork to do, but instead I think I’ll head over to the paint shop. Ya see, we got this crazy, psychedelic custom we’re trying to finish up and I’m waiting on the painter. I gotta go over there and get ugly. I’ll wave my arms and jump up and down so they’ll hurry up and get it done. I don’t necessarily like doing that, but it’s part of that game.
I miss you both every single day.
Love, Rickey
This story originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Dealernews.
