By Kelly Murphy-Redd
Gus grew up as a city kid in Detroit, Michigan. When he was a young boy, riding in the back seat of the family car, Gus saw something that changed his life. His face, plastered against the window, he saw a bearded biker pull up beside the car. Gus could feel and hear the motorcycle before he could see it. The biker turned to see Gus and gave him a thumbs up. It was the coolest thing Gus had ever seen.
A father who was a fire chief for 40 years in Detroit, a mother who worked for the Ford Motor Company, and his brothers, one a fireman and the other who works in technology, shows Gus came from a hard-working family. He went to college, played football, and after college got a “real job” in sales and advertising.
Telling his parents corporate America was not for him, Gus went to the Harley Davidson store to sell bikes in 1997. The owner, who became a mentor, took Gus under his wing, showed him the business, and was patient while he made mistakes. After managing dealerships, his mentor helped make Gus’ dream come true. In 2014 Gus bought the Harley Davidson store on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.
In the 10 years Gus has owned Emerald Coast Harley Davidson, the store has won national awards for sales and customer service. It helps to have a 120-year-old global, iconic brand. Another contributing factor is having a vision.
Selling bikes happens but Gus feels the responsibility to be a community pillar with a dedication to helping the people and the community grow and develop. He lives here and raises his kids here. He and his employees volunteer. In fact, Harley Davidson has donated nearly 1 million dollars to various organizations in the community in the last 10 years.
As with most companies, hiring and keeping a dedicated team is a challenge. The team needs to love the brand and want to work at Harley Davidson. The store is open late when others are closed, sometimes until 10 p.m., and open on weekends.
There is a 90% failure rate when selling bikes. It is a want-based purchase not a need-based one. The team has to have the energy and emotion to make it happen. They can’t hide in a cubicle and it doesn’t matter if they are not “feeling it” on a particular day.
The purchase of a bike is an entirely emotional decision. There is no logic. Gus loves hearing the journey someone has taken to arrive at his store ready to buy a bike. He doesn’t know what lives inside them to inspire them. Owning a bike represent freedom and escape. It’s a lifestyle.
The customer base is very broad. The younger generation may say their dad had a Harley. An older customer has waited 20 years until the kids got out of school. The 90-year-old buys his 36th bike, a trike, and says it’s the best part of his day.
Some will try to justify the purchase by saying the bike is to get to work. But, whatever the reasons, they trust Gus and his team to be a part of the decision. They’ve done their research beforehand and no matter what their friends may say, they have the courage to walk in the store.
There are misconceptions people have. Some think all bikers are like Sons of Anarchy. But bikers are lawyers, doctors, accountants, military, garbage men and more. They all have a little rebel in them.
It hasn’t always been easy and it’s been hard work. But Gus say anything good takes hard work. He has put every penny earned into the company and bet his family’s financial security on it. Success is the only option. Gus says a lot of people walk up to the edge of the cliff but few jump off when it comes to putting it all on the line to realize a dream of owning your own business.
He has created a culture of development, accountability and volunteerism for his team. Their hurdles are his hurdles. They have each other’s backs.
Gus says he’s made mistakes at full speed and it’s important to have humility and self-awareness. Proud of his business, there is nothing he would rather do or any place else he would rather live.
For more information visit https://www.emeraldcoasthd.com.
