| Time: |
6:00 pm - Registration /
Networking&Cash Bar
6:45 pm - Buffet Style Dinner
7:30 pm - Mattress Mack
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| Venue: |
The Petroleum Club
of Houston
43rd Floor Petroleum Room
800 Bell Avenue / Exxon Bldg. / Houston, Texas
(713) 6591431
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Jim Mcingvale, the entrepreneur who
built the most successful furniture store in the U.S.,
made an inspirational speech to a TiE Houston audience
on October 16 in front of 200 attendees at the elegant
Petroleum Club in downtown Houston.
Jim McIngvale (above left)
pictured answering audience questions with TiE Houston
President Ashok Rao.
TIE Houston held the 4th of its series of dinner
keynotes on October 16th at the prestigious Petroleum
Club on October 16th, 2006. Entrepreneurial legend Jim
“Mattress Mac” McIngvale shared some of the secrets of
his success before a TiE Houston audience of
approximately 200 people.
Speaking on the topic “Challenges of Entrepreneurship —
I Did It My Way”, McIngvale described the extraordinary
events that led to his moving to Houston from Dallas and
within a handful of years, create a furniture business
that has an annual revenue of nearly $200 million. In
terms of virtually every business statistic, McIngvale’s
Gallery Furniture is the most successful furniture store
in the United States.
How did McIngvale succeed in the intensely competitive
Houston furniture market that includes stalwarts such as
Finger Furniture, Star Furniture and IKEA? “I had an
unfair advantage,” McIngvale explained “I had the
intense desire to succeed.”
McIngvale stressed the importance of customer
satisfaction and adapting to changing business needs.
“Initially, we ordered all our furniture from North
Carolina. Now those factories are closed and now our
merchandise comes from China and the other southeast
Asian countries. We need to do whatever necessary to
satisfy the customer with the best products at the
lowest cost.”
McIngvale’s speech was full of personal anecdotes. “When
the store was not doing well during the 80s bust, I
pooled all the money I had and decided to make a
commercial myself. It was 2 am at night and I did many
terrible takes. It was only on the final take that I was
inspired to take a few bucks from my pocket and yell,
‘Gallery Furniture saves you money!”
The TiE audience included members, guests and a large
number of young students who were genuinely excited by
McIngvale’s informative and entertaining presentation.
TIE President Ashok Rao and Charter Member Pat Robertson
were instrumental in bringing McInvale before the TiE
group.
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