Warren Christopher - Secretary of State, Friend to John Myers

Warren Christopher with Director RJ McHatton

It was a sunny day in Century City. I was there at the headquarters of the famous law firm O’Melveny & Myers to interview Warren Christopher for my documentary “Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” Warren Christopher is the former Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, and a man who has dedicated his life to service. Warren Christopher knew Johnny Myers for many years. They both were members of the Sunset Club and both had worked for O’Melveny & Myers. Warren told me some great stories about Johnny Myers. Warren felt that Johnny Myers represented the Walter Mitty in every attorney because he lived such an adventurous life, even though he started as an attorney. Warren told me the history of the O’Melveny and Myers law firm. He told me about how Johnny Myers’ father was Supreme Court Justice in California who went partners with O’Melveny to create one of the nation’s most successful and prestigious law firms. Warren Christopher told me the story about how John Myers became the nation’s first entertainment attorney, representing many famous Hollywood actors including George Murphy and Bing Crosby. He talked about how Johnny’s passion for flying led him to become the Chief Test Pilot for Lockheed, then going over to Northrop for the P-61 and the Flying Wing. Johnny Myers was one of the only test pilots who worked for both Lockheed and Northrop at the same time. Warren talked about how he and Johnny Myers enjoyed great friendship and experiences as members of the Sunset Club. He talked about how Johnny Myers had such a contagious laugh. In the later years, Johnny Myers would still come by the office sometimes. One time John Myers did a slideshow of his flying exploits for the O’Melveny & Myers team. Warren talked about how even today new hire attorneys are told about the history of the firm, about the two founders and their values and integrity, and also about the fun and exciting adventures of Johnny Myers. Warren talked about the courage and character of his friend John Myers. Warren talked about how John Myers was a man with strong values, like his father. Warren talked about the sense of humor or John Myers. He told the story about John Myers was flying once with this very heavy set lawyer and they were flying from the East Coast to the West Coast. Evidently the plane was having trouble making it over the Rocky Mountains with such a heavy load, so John Myers dropped off the lawyer and had him take a train or bus to the other side of the Rockies where he picked him up and on they went on their journey. I really enjoyed meeting Warren Christopher and appreciate him taking the time to talk about John Myers.

Patrick Tessier interview - Northwest Laboratories

Director RJ McHatton with Patrick Tessier

Patrick Tessier is an interesting man.  I drove over to Bellevue to interview Patrick Tessier, CEO of Northwest Laboratories, for the Puget Sound Business Journal video about the “Best Workplaces” in Washington.  Patrick told me how he was educated in engineering and had worked in the paper box industry for almost twenty years.  Then when his 40th birthday was approaching, he decided to completely change his life and find a new business, a new industry, to focus his next chapter of life on.  He chose the Dental reconstruction business.  Today his company Northwest Laboratories is one of the fastest growing companies in America.  We talked about his secret to success and he said it was his team.  He talked about the many things they do to keep the positive culture alive and he said his secret weapon was putting in a kitchen and having real home cooked lunches everyday.  He said that one of his team members is a world class cook and that nothing keeps the culture alive like a great lunch.  Patrick Tessier has an awesome attitude.  I talked with several members of his team and they were so enthusiastic!  I think Patrick Tessier is a great leader.  We talked about the core values and character of his organization.  His eyes teared up with pride.

Howard Chermak interview- Chermak Construction

Howard Chermak with Director RJ McHatton

 Howard Chermak is a nice guy.  Howard is the founder and CEO of Chermak Construction.  They specialize in remodeling.  I was there to interview Howard for the Puget Sound Business Journal video we are making about the “Best Workplaces” in Washington award.  I was very impressed with Howard and his philosophies of running a successful business.  Howard is always thinking about the future.  Many years ago he started a Vision Team to help plan the future of the company.  He anticipated the slow times of the recession so he worked closely with his team to not have to lay people off.  Howard talked about how he started the company with just one employee, himself, and how its grown over the years.  He talked about the core values and the importance of working closely with the community.  He talked about being a member of the Chamber and the Rotary and other service groups.  Howard is a nice man and he has built a nice company with a fine reputation.

Patrick Yalung interview - Wells Fargo Bank

Director RJ McHatton with Patrick Yalung

 I had a great interview with Patrick Yalung of Wells Fargo.  I was there to interview Patrick for the Puget Sound Business Journal’s video about the “Best Workplaces” in Washington.  Patrick did a super interview.  He talked about how Wells Fargo really works hard to build a culture that is supportive of all the employees.  He talked about the organization’s complete focus on the customer experience.  He also talked about the importance of diversity in the team.  We talked about core values, character, and the return to family values in the workplace.  I learned a lot in this interview with Patrick.  He is a nice guy.

Casey Sheldon interview - Weber Shandwick

Casey Sheldon with Director RJ McHatton

 I drove down to the Union Station area of downtown Seattle to the offices of Weber Shandwick.  I was there to interview President-NW Casey Sheldon for the video we are creating for the Puget Sound Business Journal about the “Best Workplaces in Washington” award.   It only took five seconds to realize why Casey Sheldon is so successful.  She is energetic, enthusiastic, charming, and extremely confident.  Casey is so passionate about her team and her love for her work.  Casey loved to talk about her great team and how her goal is to do whatever she can to help them succeed.  She talked about the tremendous pressure of her industry and how her team has risen to the occasion.   We discussed the core values and the culture and the character of her team.  Casey talked about the first time she ever managed other people.  It was back in Ohio when she was young and leading a team of auto workers.  She talked about how her team had worked together to overcome adversity.  Casey Sheldon is a remarkable leader and a tremendous positive force.  I spoke to some members of her team and they were very proud to be a finalist for the Best Workplace Award.  They said that they love the flexibility that Casey and the leadership allow for the team members.  I am very lucky to be able to interview these Best Workplaces companies and their leaders.  You learn so much from each interview.  Its rewarding to hear that so many leaders like Casey still have focus on values and integrity and character.  Everyone is going back to basics of the way they treat each other.

Cam Green & John Rubino interview - Green/Rubino PR

Cameron Green, Director RJ McHatton, and John Rubino

 I really enjoyed my interview with Cameron Green and John Rubino of the PR firm Green/Rubino.  I was interviewing them for the Puget Sound Business Journal video about their nomination as one of the “Best Workplaces” in the State of Washington.  John and Cameron are a great team.  One is a numbers guy (John) and the other is a writer-creative guy  (Cam).  They seem to have a winning combination.  One of the great moments during our interview was when Cameron talked about the importance of writing skills.  He said that his advice for a future CEO is to make sure to focus on writing skills.   I could tell that John and Cam are great leaders because they kept talking about values and character and integrity.

Brad Jackson, CEO of Two Degrees

Brad Jackson with Director RJ McHatton

I drove downtown Seattle to interview Brad Jackson of Two Degrees for the Puget Sound Business Journal video about the “Best Workplaces in Washington.”  Two Degrees was a finalist for the award this year.  Two Degrees is located in the Exchange Building where once there was the Pacific Northwest Stock Exchange.  The Exchange Building is a 22 story concrete building in an Art Deco style.  According to Wikipedia it was once the second tallest concrete building in the United States.  It reminds me of the tall buildings they used in the old Dragnet series or black and white Noir films showing the Courthouses of LA.  I went up the elevator to the Two Degrees offices and was immediately surprised by the hustle and bustle.  I met with Brad Jackson.  He is someone you will never forget.  He and I sat down in a small office and I started recording the interview.  We talked about his background and the history of the company.  Brad once worked with Price Waterhouse and has a strong background in accounting.  He said that he found that his strengths pulled him more into relationships and consulting.  Brad talked about the special culture they have at Two Degrees.  He said everything was about the Culture and nurturing the culture.  He said that everyone is focused on the clients and how they can help their clients get better.  Brad is almost hypnotic in his focused passion and pride about his team.  He impressed me as someone who looks at life and situations from 30,000 feet, looking down and trying to figure out ways to make everything better.  Brad talked about how his company had become one of the fastest growing companies in America.  He talked about how he set incredible personal and team goals and how they achieved them every time.  Brad talked at length about how important his team and the positive creative workplace environment was to the success of the organization.  Brad talked about the Core Values of his team.  He talked about their vision for the future.  He talked about some of the unique and creative ways they have nurtured their culture.  He told about lavish annual company retreats and a special inhouse film festival where employees went out and made their own films for their internal film festival, all in the name of creative team building.  I feel very lucky to have been exposed to Brad and his team.  They have sparked many new ideas and inspiration on how I can be a better leader for my team.  Thanks Brad.

Joan Cole Duffell Interview -- Committee for Children

Joan Cole Duffell with Director RJ McHatton

 It was a very warm day.   I was visiting the Committee for Children headquarters in downtown Seattle to interview their CEO, Joan Cole Duffell, for the Puget Sound Business Journal video.  Committee for Children was a finalist for the annual “Best Workplaces of Washington” award in the Non-Profit Category.  I was immediately impressed with Joan.  She was so passionate about the mission and the core values of their organization.  Committee for Children has some incredible numbers.  They have been around since the 1970s.  There are over 25,000 schools in over 25 countries that are using their curriculum.  They create curriculum that helps kids deal with issues like sexual abuse, poverty, learning disabilities, and bullying.  Joan talked about how her team works hard to be nice to each other.  She said that they use the techniques in their curriculum as a baseline example to help nurture a positive best workplace.  That day they were having a pot luck lunch where each person was to bring a meal indicative of their heritage.  Italians brought Italian food, French people brought French food, Hispanics, Asians, and Irish brought food from their culture, too.   I was moved by my interview with Joan.  I think I am very lucky to be introduced to such great organizations like the Committee for Children.  I think everyone should learn more about their vision and mission.  To learn more go to www.cfchildren.org 

Charlie Liekweg interview AAA Washington

Charlie Liekweg with Director RJ McHatton

 I knew I would like Charlie Liekweg immediately when I saw the giant photos of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant on the wall of his office.  I had recently returned from a trip to Gettysburg so the Civil War stories were still fresh in my memory.  We were there to interview Charlie Liekweg for the Puget Sound Business Journal “Best Workplaces” Award.  His company, AAA of Washington had reached the finalist stage.  Several of the AAA employees came up to me to tell me how much they loved working at AAA.  They were amazing.  I met Charlie in his office at the Bellevue headquarters.  Charlie told me that he really doesn’t use his office that much because he is usually out in the field visiting all of his offices.  We sat down and talked about his philosophy of management, the company culture, the core values of his team, and the specific things his organization does to get such a happy workplace recognition.  I was very impressed with Charlie and his understanding of his employees.  He talked a lot about the character and integrity of his team.  He talked about they proved themselves so many times, like during the heavy snows last Christmas and during the heatwave this summer.  He said his team always surprises him with positive surprises.  Charlie talked about how his team started a competition to be more healthy and how proud he was that they have accomplished so much in a short time.  He said that his company has actually earned reduction in health costs because the team became more healthy.  I was deeply moved by meeting Charlie Liekweg.   He is a great leader and the AAA Washington team is definitely one of the most positive, enthusiastic, sincere teams I have ever seen.

Edgar Martinez & Brian Haner interview Branded Solutions

Director RJ McHatton with Brian Haner & Edgar Martinez

I drove over to Kirkland to interview the famous baseball player Edgar Martinez and his business partner Brian Haner.  I was interviewing them for the Puget Sound Business Journal because Edgar and Brian’s businesses were recognized for the annual “Best Workplace in Washington” award.  They don’t give out Academy Awards to business owners, but the “Best Workplace” award is about as great an honor that any business leader could strive for.   We met with Brian and Edgar in their new office.  They are such winners.  Edgar Martinez had proven himself with his incredible Major League Baseball career that earned him a place in the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame and a reputation as a kind humanitarian.  Brian Haner was immediately evident to be one of the most positive and inspiring leaders I have ever met.  During our interview Edgar and Brian talked about their belief in Values, Character, and living these concepts every day.  They actually take their core values very seriously.  Branded Solutions and Image Source are one large team dedicated to helping others.  Brian and Edgar and their team have taken a lot of time and effort to analyze and defining the Culture they want in their business.  Edgar Martinez has built a reputation of caring about people and always taking the time to talk and listen with people one on one. Brian has built a reputation as a great leader and a big, positive thinker.  Brian and Edgar make a great team because they are totally focused on those Core Values and keeping their Corporate Culture alive everyday.  Thanks Brian and Edgar for the interview.  I learned a lot.

John Gavin - Actor ("Psycho"), Ambassador to Mexico, Friend of Johnny Myers

Director RJ McHatton with John Gavin

I drove up the windy road up to the top of the hill looking over Beverly Hills and to all of LA, to the home of John Gavin. I was there to interview John Gavin for my documentary “Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” John Gavin was a successful actor in Hollywood during the 50s and 60s, in movies like “Psycho” for Alfred Hitchcock. He also was a successful businessman and then became the Ambassador to Mexico under Ronald Reagan. John was also a good friend of Johnny Myers for over 25 years. John likes to be called “Jack” Gavin. We sat together as I recorded on video his memories of his friendship with Johnny Myers. I could tell that Jack Gavin stilled misses Johnny Myers. Jack talked about how he met John Myers at the Sunset Club. Jack talked about the good times he had with Johnny Myers. He talked about their times at the Los Angeles Country Club and at the Bohemian Grove outings. Jack Gavin talked about John Myers the man. He told me that Johnny Myers was a wise man, a humble man, a man whom he admired very much. Jack talked about flying with Johnny Myers. He told a story about how Johnny Myers could do rolls with the aircraft without anyone ever spilling their drinks. He talked about the character of John Myers. Jack talked about Lucia Myers and how she was the first woman on the Bank of America Board of Directors. Jack talked about Johnny Myers’ sense of humor and how he used to call himself “skinhead” because of his balding hairline. Jack Gavin said it must have been contagious, pointing to his own hairline with a smile. Jack was very nice in our interview and he did a great job in describing many excellent stories about John Myers. He talked about the great aviation stories that Johnny Myers would tell, only if asked. He said that Myers wasn’t the type of person who talked about the past unless you dragged it out of him. Jack Gavin talked about how kind Johnny Myers was to everyone and how he had great courage. Not the kind of courage one brags about. The humble kind of courage. I could tell that Jack Gavin had many fond memories of his experiences with John Myers. Thanks, Jack Gavin, for taking the time to talk about your friend, Johnny Myers.

David Price - CEO American Airports, Aviator, Friend to Johnny Myers

David Price with Director RJ McHatton

It was a beautiful day in Santa Monica. I was there to interview David Price for my documentary “Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” David Price is a very nice guy. I could tell that immediately. He came from very humble beginnings to become a very successful businessman, aviator, and spiritual inspiration to many people. David Price is the CEO of American Airports, the largest developer and operator of airports in the country. He was the founder of American Golf Corp which managed over 300 golf courses. He also is the founder of a Christian school and the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica. During our interview, David was awesome. He showed me some airplane models all over his office. These were models of all the different planes he has flown. David’s eyes lit up when talking about each plane. As we toured his office, David showed me his diploma certificate when he graduated from UCLA law school, pictures of his time as an attorney for O’Melveny & Myers, and he was very proud of a bell from the USS Arizona from Pearl Harbor. As we sat down for the interview David reminisced about his friend John Myers. I couldn’t get the camera started fast enough. David was moved by him memories. We talked a bit about his own life. David really is a self-made man. He came from humble beginnings. He is the son of Welsh immigrants but did go to college studying economics at USC and then went to law school at UCLA. He was a US Navy pilot during the early 1950s. He missed the Korean War, but clocked in lots of flying time as flight instructor. He talked about his childhood in the Santa Monica area where Lockheed was building airplanes for the war. He remembered seeing all the pilots in their flight suits. This was where he probably got the bug for aviation. He remembered all the cool interesting airplanes he saw in his youth. David talked about his first solo flight in an airplane. That is a moment that most pilots will never forget. David talked about his love for airplanes, especially those planes from WWII. He owns a few now and tries to fly as much as possible. He talked about his flying in the Reno Air Races and about the tremendous friends he has met through aviation, including his friend General Bill Anders. I asked David to talk about those days at O’Melveny & Myers, his first law firm experience. He talked about the incredible fundamental values he learned from those days. He said they were very professional, efficient, and extremely dedicated to honest day work ethic. Over the years David enjoyed working with many of the Hollywood celebrities who were clients of O’Melveny & Meyers. He told stories about working with movie stars like Marlon Brando and Bing Crosby. He talked about working with actor William Holden and negotiating the pay for his role in “Bridge Over the River Kwai.” David told about his blessings to have met and learned from some wonderful mentors over the years. He talked about a turning point in his life when he met Joseph Drown, a local businessman and real estate investor. He quit the law firm and went to work with Drown, which led him to leadership positions in several businesses like Getty Financial Corp, Beachcomber restaurants and the Bel Air Hotel. Then David went into the Golf business and the rest is history. During our interview, it was very interesting to me how David Price could recite Shakespeare and quotes from the Bible. We talked about John Myers and his being such a great friend to so many. We talked about how John Myers had so many friends that did not know each other. I mentioned this might be the best legacy a man could have, to have touched so many in so many different ways. David told me how he got to know John initially through John’s wife Lucia. Lucia was a remarkable woman in her own right. She was on the Board of Directors of Bank America for a long time. David talked about times with John Myers at the Sunset Club and at Bohemian Grove and at the LA Country Club. He talked about flying with John in his helicopter in Merced and about thier common love for aviation. I was very touched by my interview with David Price. He is a nice guy. He is a true lover of aviation. David Price a self-made man who reads the Bible, can recite Shakespeare, and loves to race WWII airplanes for fun.

Peter Mullin - CEO MullinTBG, Car Collector, Philanthropist, Friend to Johnny Myers

Director RJ McHatton with Peter Mullin

It was a warm day in Brentwood. I was driving to meet Peter Mullin, CEO of MullinTBG, to interview him for my documentary “Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” Peter is a great guy. He is a car lover. My dad was a car lover and I think I am a car lover, too. I saw a show on the SPEED channel last year that showed Peter Mullin and his car collection. Peter has one of the world’s greatest collections of French classic automobiles. From Bugatis to Delahayes, Peter has one. He is also a great race driver himself. Trophies and ribbons and placques are everywhere. Peter is a successful businessman, but I could tell the race car trophies mean a lot. Peter did an excellent job in the interview. We discussed his friendship with Johnny Myers. Peter talked about John’s integrity and his love for automobiles. He said that John used to come over and look under the hood of these incredible cars. Peter talked about the incredible character in the man John Myers. He said that he was a rare man indeed. I really enjoyed my time with Peter Mullin. He seemed like a good man. It is interesting to me how so many of the successful business people I am meeting all have a similar focus on the importance of values and character and integrity. I told Peter about how much my Dad loved Model A Fords and had restored many. Peter said, “they were a great car.” As I looked around at the incredible high end French classic cars, I thought how Model As would compete against such beauty and grace. Peter talked about how the French auto makers used aviation design to enhance the aerodynamics of these French automobiles so many years ago. As you look at the smooth lines of these cars you can see a lot of aviation in those cars. Maybe John Myers could see that too.

You can see a nice inteview with Peter from the SPEED channel by clicking here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m8kdJVQsms

H. Russell Smith - Businessman, Philanthropist, Friend to Johnny Myers

H. Russell Smith with Director RJ McHatton

It was a little bit smokey over in Pasadena this afternoon. There was a 120,000 acre fire up in the foothills. But it was pretty nice down in Pasadena. I was there to interview H. Russell Smith, former CEO of Avery Dennison and good friend of Johnny Myers for over 75 years. Russ had agreed to be interviewed for my new documentary “Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” Russ was originally from Ohio and his family settled into the Whittier area in the 1920s. Russ had some great stories about his youth and his family history. His family were Quaker farmers who raised Russ with tremendous values and integrity. Russ went to high school with Richard Nixon. Russ always had interest in economics and political science so he won a scholarship to Pomona College where he was the captain of the track team. After college Russ went to work for Kidder Peabody investment banking in New York City. This was in the middle of the Great Depression. He spent a year working in Switzerland during the late 1930s. Upon returning to the US, he worked for a year with Blue Diamond until the war started. He served in the US Navy during WWII. After the war he took a leadership role in Avery Adhesives (later Avery Dennison) where he rose to CEO. He first met John Myers through John’s lovely wife Lucia. Over the years John Myers and Russ Smith became close friends. They were in a lot of clubs together including the California Club and the very exclusive Sunset Club. Russ told me some great stories about his friendship with John Myers, including some of his fun flying adventures together. Russ talked about Lucia Myers and her terrific personality and wisdom. Russ did a fantastic interview and I really appreciate having the opportunity to meet him. Russ talked about how John Myers was a handshake type of man. I could see that Russ Smith was that type of man, too. Russ and I talked about family history and biography. He showed me two books he had written, one about his life and one about the letters he wrote to his mother throughout his life. Russ signed his autobiography book and gave it to me. I am grateful for his generosity. As I started reading his book I learned how many charities and important causes that Russ has helped over the years and the list is long. Pomona College. Childrens Hospital. Philharmonic. Psoriasis Research. The list goes on. Russ is an inspiring man in many ways.

Interview with Roy Wolford – worked for Northrop for 61 years

Roy Wolford with Director RJ McHatton

It was a warm day in Southern California. The news had headlines about the terrible fires all across the hilltops of the Ranchos Palos Verdes area where I was headed and I didn’t know what to expect. Luckily the fires had been mostly put out and the actual fires were about two miles over the hill from where I was going. I was there to interview Roy Wolford, the official photographer for Northrop during those incredible test pilot years when Johnny Myers was risking his life on first flights. Roy had worked over 60 years for Northrop. Hard to believe these days that anyone could work one place for so long. Over the years Roy had worn many hats in many departments. He was the first photographer for Jack Northrop when he was pioneering the Black Widow and Flying Wing technologies. Eventually Roy led a whole department of photographers with high tech still and motion picture cameras. We talked for a long time about the different kinds of cameras and equipment he used to capture the test flights. Then we talked about John Myers. Roy was a good friend with John Myers since Myers first day with Northrop. Roy talked about the character, will, and integrity of John Myers. He talked about the leadership skills John had when he eventually became the VP of Northrop. Then we talked about the crash. Roy was there that day that John Myers had a terrible crash that nearly killed him. Roy told me about how he ran up to the wreckage and he screamed to John several times, only to see Myers totally quiet. Roy feared the worst but he kept screaming to John and finally he saw John’s eye twitch some movement and Roy realized John was alive. This was a very emotional moment of the interview. Roy is a great guy. He talked about how he first learned to fly and how much he loved aviation. Roy showed me several books on Northrop history and a lot of the photos from the test pilot days. In one book he showed me tons of photos of John Myers and the test pilots. All the photos had a credit to Roy Wolford. In one photo it showed several of the pilots all together with Roy in his flight suit. Roy flew in the planes being tested and outside the planes and in front of the planes and behind the planes. Roy’s photos were a tremendous help to the engineers working to test these aircraft. In the early days, the test pilots would have a small notebooks taped to their legs so they could make notes during a flight. Roy had the idea that photos would really help the engineers learn what really was happening during those flights. He was right. Thanks to Roy we have lots of photos of those early test flights and early planes. Roy has donated all of his photos and materials to several museums in the area. I am hoping to get access to them there and also through Northrop, who has kindly donated access to their archives for this project. Roy and I hit it off. I enjoyed talking to Roy very much. He lived during some of the most fantastic times in Aviation history and he was right there. He talked about flying with John Myers in the P61 and about his meeting Howard Hughes. Roy’s wife of over 59 years died a few years ago and now Roy lives in a nice assisted living place. But I don’t think he’s ready for much assistance yet. We went out to lunch and Roy showed me where the Western Aviation Museum is located at Torrance. Roy talked about how at the age of 94 he still feels strong and wants to keep active. At his apartment he showed me boxes where he has over 30,000 slides. Through his work at Northrop he was able to travel all around the world, including time during the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia. All the time, in every continent of the world, Roy Wolford took photos. I kept asking him how he could hand hold a camera and get perfect focus on those test flights. He said he had a steady hand and good eyes. As a lover of photography myself, I was in awe of the incredible skills of Roy Wolford. Meeting him was a true joy.

Tad Devine - son of Actor Andy Devine

Director RJ McHatton with Tad Devine

It was a warm and beautiful drive down to Corona Del Mar.  I was there to interview Tad Devine for my documentary “The Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.”  Tad is a great guy.  He is the oldest son of the famous actor Andy Devine and he knew Johnny Myers ever since he was a little kid.  I have always been a fan of Andy Devine.  He was in my favorite movie of all time, the John Ford and John Wayne film “Stagecoach.”  Andy Devine had worked in Hollywood since the silent days, had tremendous success both in the movies and on television.  He had a very successful television show for many years.  Tad did a fantastic job in the interview.  He told me some fantastic stories about his family history, how his mother’s family raised horses and his father’s family ran a hotel in Kingman, Arizona for many years.  He talked about how his father came to Hollywood and got into the movies because of his football playing.  Tad told me how his father got that unique voice that became his trademark.  Then we talked about Johnny Myers.  Tad had met Johnny Myers when he was very young.  John Myers was one of the world’s first entertainment attorneys and had worked with many of the most famous movie stars in the 30s, including Bing Crosby and Andy Devine.  Over the years John Myers became more famous as a flyer and a test pilot.  But he kept in touch with his friends, including Tad Devine.  Tad talked about how their friendship endured all the way until Johnny died in his 90s.  I asked Tad if he could tell me stories of John Wayne, since John Wayne was always my number one hero.  Tad told me some great stories about John Wayne and his memories of his dad.  I could tell that Tad was very close to his father.  I am very grateful that Tad took the time to let me interview him for my movie about Johnny Myers.  It was a great experience.

Chuck Grouws, CEO of CHG Building Systems

Chuck Grouws with Director RJ McHatton

I drove down to Renton to interview Chuck Grouws of CHG Building Systems.  CHG had reached the finals of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s annual “Best Workplaces” Award.    I was immediately impressed by Chuck Grouws.  He had a great handshake and looked me in the eye.  Chuck seemed like an old-style business owner who made friends for life.  Chuck did a super job in his interview.  He talked about how he started the business over 30 years ago and some of the simple fundamental secrets to his success.  He said that he believes hiring good people and treating them nice was very important.  He said that backing his word and backing his work was the backbone to a successful business.  Chuck talked about how some of his team has been with him all these years.  One family had six members work for CHG.  Chuck talked with pride about a lot of the projects CHG has worked on over the years.  He also was proud that his sons had joined him in his business.  Chuck talked about the benefits his employees receive when they work there, including all the usual items like insurance, 401ks, etc.  But I really liked the annual fishing trip to Alaska benefit that four employees get each year.  Chuck told me that he really believes in his focus on the values of integrity and ethics and doing the right thing.  I really enjoyed my visit with Chuck Grouws.  He reminds me a lot of my dad and how emphasis on values still can work in today’s business world.

Mike, David, & Anika from Projectline

Mike Kichline, David Jones, Anika Lehde, with Director RJ McHatton

It was a sunny, warm day as I ventured over to the Projectline offices in Seattle. I was there to interview the top leadership team of Mike, David, and Anika, the founders of Projectline, for the Puget Sound Business Awards for their “Best Workplaces in Washington Award.” Projectline is a Marketing and Advertising firm. I was very impressed with the enthusiastic team and their laid back offices. Once we sat down for the interview I learned that there is way more to this story than I anticipated. Mike, David, and Anika are incredible leaders with a deep passion for creating a fun workplace, where creative people can be creative and supported by the entire team. We did our interview in a room with a foosball table, kitchen, and big red couches. I learned that Projectline is a very successful company that has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA by INC Magazine. They have over 100 employees, but the company still feels like a family anda team of friends. I really enjoyed my visit with Mike, David, and Anika and appreciate their hospitality.

Jim Rogers, Alex Bogaard, Tracy Johnson of Rogers & Norman Insurance

Jim Rogers, Alex Bogaard, Tracy Johnson, and Director RJ McHatton

I really enjoyed my interview with the team over at Rogers & Norman Insurance of Seattle. They were nominated as one of the very Best Workplaces in the state of Washington. Tracy Johnson is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm and she really set a positive tone for our interview. She is an awesome leader who goes the extra mile to help inspire her team to make each employee have a fun place to work. Jim Rogers was very philosophical about the importance of the Core Values of the team, that everyone be treated as we each would like to be treated. Jim talked a lot about how its vital to hire good people with integrity and character. Alex Bogaard reinforced how important the Culture was to the success of the organization. I learned a lot.

Bob Frause interview - CEO of Frause

Director RJ McHatton with Bob Frause

We were asked to go interview Bob Frause at Frause in Seattle for the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Best Workplaces” video project. Bob is the CEO of a PR company named after himself in Seattle. I was very impressed with Bob’s philosophy about the importance of ethics and treating people right. Bob is a great guy who really believes the secret to success is to have a great attitude and to always serve others. You can learn more about Bob and his team at www.frause.com

Gordy Graham on Transitions

Gordy Graham with Joe Cargile

Gordy Graham stopped by to brainstorm about a new series of Videos he wants to make about the topic of Transitions. I have known Gordy Graham for over 20 years now and he always makes me think about life and change. I took Gordy into our green screen studio and started recording some of his thoughts about transitions. Gordy feels that so many Americans are going through transitions, whether it be transitions from the loss of a job or transitions from divorce or the transition from changing of a career path or the loss of a 401k. We agreed that Gordy was right on about the need for such a video DVD. So we set up a time for Gordy to come into our studio to record his new DVD on Transitions (COMING SOON).

Dave Lockwood Memorial - Tumble Creek, Cle Elum

Dave Lockwood is the little boy in this picture

I got the call that Dave Lockwood had passed away in a terrible accident near Roosevelt Lake in Northeastern Washington. Dave was a very well known builder-outdoorsman in Snoqualmie Pass and Suncadia Resort. His family contacted me to see if I could prepare a professional Memorial Video and also to record the actual event and to interview several people who knew Dave. Dave Lockwood was one of those unique individuals who seem to touch so many people who do not know each other. Dave led a full life, from Michigan to Texas to Washington. A successful businessman, more importantly he was a successful human being. It is very inspiring to learn the story behind this man.

Joe Cargile - Spanish Voice Over Recording

Joe Cargile records Spanish Voice Over for Director RJ McHatton

Joe Cargile is an intern visiting from Auburn, Alabama, helping Cathy Crosslin with her new company InStar Performance. Once we heard that Joe had spent a year in Spain, we recruited him to record a Spanish-language Voice Over for a series of videos from a seminar by nationally known motivational speaker, Gordon Graham. I first met Joe’s father when I went back to Saginaw, Michigan to interview several employees and managers at Plant 6 of Delphi Steering. Joe’s father Curt was one of those I interviewed there in Saginaw. Joe turned out to be an awesome speaker in the Spanish-language, so the recording sessions went well. We shot four hours worth of Spanish language with Joe. Next stop is the actual editing of the language tracks into the video footage.

Scott O'Brien - interview for his father's Video Biography

Director RJ McHatton with Scott O'Brien

It was a gorgeous day as we drove up to Cashmere, WA . We decided to go interview Scott O’Brien for his dad’s video biography on our way to a family funeral down in Oregon. My Suburban was occupied by my son Jason and my great-granddaughter Virdenna. It was one of the hottest days of the year in the Seattle area, so it was fun to go up in the higher elevations towards Cashmere. Cashmere is located north of Cle Elum in Central Washington. Scott had hired us to make a professional Video Biography on the Life and Times of his father Michael O’Brien. Over the past few months I had interviewed Mike several times up in Edmonds and several of his kids. Scott was to be our final interview for this project. As we arrived at Scott’s business, Jim’s Auto Sales, we were very impressed with the cool selection of cars on his lot. Scott did a super interview. We went ahead and shot lots of footage of the cars and trucks and did another interview of Scott for a possible TV commercial we want to do for him. You can see a short clip from our Video biography of Michael O’Brien by clicking here: VIDEO CLIP

John Hempelmann, CEO of Cairncross & Hempelmann

Director RJ McHatton with John Hempelmann

I really enjoyed my interview with John Hempelmann, CEO of Cairncross & Hempelmann, one of the largest and most successful law firms in the Northwest. John told me some great stories about how he was mentored by the late great Senator Skoop Jackson and Congressman Tom Foley to go into law instead of teaching. John talked with pride about how his team has created such a wonderful, effective, and positive work culture. John gave me a terrific tour of the great artwork of Northwest masters thtoughout his entire office. John was so enthusiastic and passionate about his team and his artwork, that I became an instant fan.

Lissa Myers Wolfe - Daughter to Johnny Myers

Lissa Myers Wolfe with Director RJ McHatton

We drove to Pismo Beach to meet with Johnny Myers only daughter, Lissa and her son William. Lissa was very nice to us. She led us to her garage where there were tons of boxes full of photos, newspaper clippings, and memories of John and Lucia Myers. We spent the afternoon shooting and capturing digital versions of all the incredible memorabilia. Looking through the boxes brought back a lot of memories for Lissa. As we went photo by photo, Lissa was kind enough to tell us incredible stories behind each moment that the photograghs had captured with Johnny Myers. Lissa told us stories about Johnny’s father, her grandfather, who was a Justice on the California Supreme Court. She talked about her parents and her older brother Lou, who had passed away many years ago. She showed us some great photos from Johnny Myers career as a test pilot, and a terrific shot of Johnny as a kid on a horse when he was going to the prep school Thacher. She talked about Johnny’s love for polo and for flying. Lissa told us about how she learned to fly when she was only 15. Her eyes lit up and then filled with tears as we started looking through a massive collection of beautiful photos of her mother Lucia. Lucia was a stunning, strong woman who was on the board of several large organizations including Bank of America, at a time when there weren’t many women on Boards. Lissa showed us a large book from Northrop with lots of great stories about the test pilot days of Johnny Myers when he was testing the P-61 Night Fighter and the experimental Flying Wing. There were some incredible pictures of when Johnny Myers saved the life of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. We are very thankful to Lissa for allowing us to come into her home and to go through all her boxes. Our next return trip here will be to interview Lissa for our documentary “The Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” To learn more about this project, go to www.flyingmandocumentary.com

Cleo & Carroll Shelby - Automotive Racing, Aviation Legend - Friend of Johnny Myers

Cleo & Carroll Shelby with Director RJ McHatton

All you need to do is type in the words “Shelby Cobra” into youtube and you will see first hand the incredible Automotive classic cars that Carroll Shelby has designed and built ever since in the 60s. Cobras and Vipers and more. Carroll has been an aviator since the 1930s when he paid one dollar to fly in a bi-plane. During WWII Carroll was a training flight instructor for the US Army Air Corp. He has been flying all through out his career.

We were there to interview Carroll Shelby and his beautiful wife Cleo for our documentary “The Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.” Carroll and Cleo have become great friends of Johnny Myers over the last dozen or so years. They had spent time with John up at his ranch in Merced, California and on several other trips, including one at the giant Oshkosh Aviation Celebration. Cleo told some great stories about how John Myers was very inspirational for her learning how to fly. John was a major influence to her. Carroll talked about his friendship with John Myers and how they really respected each other. He said that John was so humble, that it took a lot to get John Myers to talk about his legendary flying skills. He talked about John Myers’ sense of humor and his always being a gentleman.

I really enjoyed meeting and interviewing Carroll Shelby and his wife Cleo. They both remind me about the importance of appreciation. Carroll talked about how he has some other man’s heart in his chest. He had a heart transplant many years ago. He said he was very appreciative of every moment he has on this earth. Cleo and Carroll talked about how they met. They are a great couple. Carroll told me so awesome stories about his relationship with his father. How his father had encouraged him to go for his dreams. The message for me is to try to be a better “encourager” to others and to be more “appreciative” of life.

Thank you Cleo and Carroll Shelby for a fantastic time together.

To learn more about our new documentary “The Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers” go to

www.flyingmandocumentary.com

You can learn more about Carroll Shelby at www.carrollshelby.com

Here is a great artist rendering of Cleo with Carroll Shelby.http://www.kevingearyportraits.com/Gallery/pages/CarrollShelby.htm