LifeOnaPlate
Well-Known Member
Gail Miller recently published a faith-driven memoir/self-help book for members of the LDS Church. Her story of changing from "a timid, unsure housewife and stay-at-home mom to being the owner of one of the 200 largest privately owned businesses in the United States" is pretty impressive. She's candid about difficulties in her marriage with Larry (he was a workaholic), but she also talks about how he valued her as a partner in the company and always sought her input and gave her credit for her involvement.
I thought you all would be interested in some excerpts where she mentions the Jazz. She doesn't give any juicy inside details, but the ethos of how the team is managed comes through in what she shares here. We have Gail to thank for the outstanding gift of essentially giving the team to the state of Utah via a Trust. She's a real and invested fan of the team. We're truly fortunate to have owners like this.
Here's something from a chapter on patience:
"Because we're imperfect, it's fair to say we've all struggled with patience at some points in our journey. In fact I'm still asking the questions. 'When will the home repair be done? When will my child call me back? When will the Utah Jazz win an NBA title?' ... We're patient and prudent, of course, but we don't sit around quietly waiting for our turn. We're actively patient; we've turned patience into a verb. Because to be impatient could mean becoming foolish, imprudent, and impulsive. The only way to win a championship is to consistently work, plan, prepare, and tackle each day with patience for a better tomorrow." (p. 120)
Here's an excerpt later in the book on how success is relative:
"It's obvious that in sports, the ultimate measure of success is a championship, and no one wanted to win an NBA title more than Larry H. Miller. But time and time again, even after the close losses to the Chicago Bulls, Larry and I remained committed to our values. We continue to look for players of good character who reflect what we stand for. We hire good coaches who know how much the team means to our community. We can and will use our resources to enrich lives with good, wholesome entertainment, and as we do, we will continue top enjoy strong support from our fans and add economic value to our communities."
[She talks about when Larry played competitive softball and how he was sometimes faced with the chance to "condone a deal that was against league rules" or "look the other way," but he refused because he "wanted to win a championship the right way." She continues:]
"The same is true for the Jazz. We understand that each team starts on equal footing in October and by June there is only one champion. Let's not sugarcoat it, we want that trophy in Utah as much as anybody. That's what we play for. We put the best team we can on the floor and hope that this is the year. But if our players play their very best, if we entertain our fans and treat everyone well, we can deliver a successful experience. When we win a title, and we will, we'll do it the right way! Good guys don't always finish last." (pp. 143-144).
(If you're interested in my review of the book, it's here.)
I thought you all would be interested in some excerpts where she mentions the Jazz. She doesn't give any juicy inside details, but the ethos of how the team is managed comes through in what she shares here. We have Gail to thank for the outstanding gift of essentially giving the team to the state of Utah via a Trust. She's a real and invested fan of the team. We're truly fortunate to have owners like this.
Here's something from a chapter on patience:
"Because we're imperfect, it's fair to say we've all struggled with patience at some points in our journey. In fact I'm still asking the questions. 'When will the home repair be done? When will my child call me back? When will the Utah Jazz win an NBA title?' ... We're patient and prudent, of course, but we don't sit around quietly waiting for our turn. We're actively patient; we've turned patience into a verb. Because to be impatient could mean becoming foolish, imprudent, and impulsive. The only way to win a championship is to consistently work, plan, prepare, and tackle each day with patience for a better tomorrow." (p. 120)
Here's an excerpt later in the book on how success is relative:
"It's obvious that in sports, the ultimate measure of success is a championship, and no one wanted to win an NBA title more than Larry H. Miller. But time and time again, even after the close losses to the Chicago Bulls, Larry and I remained committed to our values. We continue to look for players of good character who reflect what we stand for. We hire good coaches who know how much the team means to our community. We can and will use our resources to enrich lives with good, wholesome entertainment, and as we do, we will continue top enjoy strong support from our fans and add economic value to our communities."
[She talks about when Larry played competitive softball and how he was sometimes faced with the chance to "condone a deal that was against league rules" or "look the other way," but he refused because he "wanted to win a championship the right way." She continues:]
"The same is true for the Jazz. We understand that each team starts on equal footing in October and by June there is only one champion. Let's not sugarcoat it, we want that trophy in Utah as much as anybody. That's what we play for. We put the best team we can on the floor and hope that this is the year. But if our players play their very best, if we entertain our fans and treat everyone well, we can deliver a successful experience. When we win a title, and we will, we'll do it the right way! Good guys don't always finish last." (pp. 143-144).
(If you're interested in my review of the book, it's here.)
