Wisdom for the Road with Mitch Kruse
Student of the Game · Season 3 · Episode 16
Wisdom for the Road
with Mitch Kruse, Restoration Road
Brad Noll sits down with Mitch Kruse, who grew up in the family that helped build the modern collector car auction. Mitch walks through selling the first car to change hands for a million dollars cash, the hard season that nearly took it all, and the day he changed his scorecard from money to wisdom, plus his framework for the house of leadership.
Key Takeaways
- Change the scorecard. Mitch's uncle asked whether he had ever thought about changing the scorecard of his life from money to wisdom. That question changed his direction.
- Put people before profit. Mitch treats relationship over remuneration as a strategy, not a slogan. People flock to someone who puts their needs first.
- Communication is a rare skill now. Listening, eye contact, tone, and presence are becoming some of the most valuable skills in business because so few people practice them.
- Authenticity builds lasting trust. Be the same person on stage, at home, and alone in the car. People reward that kind of consistency.
- Perfect practice makes perfect. Mitch borrows John Wooden's line and asks a simple question: what process would you do if the end result did not matter? That answer shows what you love.
- Generosity replaces greed. A greedy heart is never satisfied. Mitch says moving from a greedy heart to a generous heart is life transforming.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome back: meet Mitch Kruse and the Kruse family legacy
- 02:00Auction family roots and the 1971 Auburn sale behind a Dairy Queen
- 08:24Selling the first million dollar car at Tiger Stadium
- 12:00July 1, 1992: a hard season and changing the scorecard
- 16:36The art of promotion, direct mail, and locking eyes
- 21:34The fundamentals: communicate, connect, market, master your craft
- 27:39Falling in love with practice and chasing perfection
- 33:23Winning at the game of life: Restoration Road and leadership
- 41:44Giving flowers and the legacy left in grandchildren
Read the article
From Auction Block to Restoration Road: Mitch Kruse on Wisdom, Work, and Winning
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