Jim ‘Mattress Mac’ McIngvale is the powerhouse behind the Houston-based Gallery Furniture, the country’s top revenue producing single-site retail operation, with sales of $150 million per year. Mac is a marketer extraordinary and a developed philanthropist. His story contains a basic philosophy of success that can be understood and used by people in all walks of life.
From the Inside Flap
Adapted from the Introduction…
Jim “Mattress Mac” McIngvale’s furniture store, Gallery Furniture, in Houston, Texas, sells more furniture per square foot of retail space than in store in the world! His single-site store sells more than $200 million worth of furniture annually. Gallery Furniture stands alone as the most productive furniture stores in the world. That’s BIG!
And Mac’s influence extends far beyond Gallery Furniture. He is one of Houston’s most well-known philanthropists and community leaders. You won’t read about Mac in the society pages attending gala events. He doesn’t go in for those things. Mac’s philanthropy, like all of his endeavors, is done in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. Whether he’s feeding tens of thousands of people at the Convention Center for Thanksgiving, purchasing the Grand Champion Steer at the charity auction of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, or organizing a welcome-home party for Houston’s NBA Championship team, Mac ALWAYS THINKS BIG!
Think of a mix of P.T. Barnum, Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg, and George Steinbrenner all rolled up into a single, dynamic personality. This mixture would resemble Mac. He is a store owner with a flair for entertainment, a reputation for keeping promises, a commitment to doing the right thing and helping others, and insisting—with a steel fist—on selling high-quality furniture at a fair price.
The core of Always Think Big! is seven principles that Mac uses as his approach to marketing and management. He uses these principles every single day. They are the compass points that guide him in solving problems, making decisions, and delighting customers. Mac’s lessons are applicable to work settings, career management, community involvement, and life. They are specific, practical, and powerful.
These principles can be modified to fit any reader’s situation. They are easy to understand and easy to implement—in business and elsewhere. As you capture the essence of Mac’s seven principles you’ll have fun and laugh, while learning about how Mac became a successful business owner and community leader. He arrived in Houston in 1981 and immediately changed the way furniture is bought, sold, and delivered. Now at the beginning of the twenty-first century, his principles still have tremendous value—and plenty of punch—for anyone who wants to learn how thinking big can enhance their business and their life.
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