Curtis Leaverton has served as the chief executive officer of Vintco in Clive, Iowa, since 2018. His responsibilities in this leadership position include managing the company’s business plan, overseeing financial operations, and coordinating all marketing and sales initiatives. Curtis Leaverton draws on his experience as a collector of vintage motorcycles to assess the vintage motorcycle parts market, particularly dirt bikes.
Between 1991 and 2016, Mr. Leaverton was the owner and chief executive officer of C&L Companies, the parent company of eight other companies in the dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle repair and maintenance business. He expanded the company to include multiple warehouses, manufacturing and distribution facilities, and a motocross track used for testing C&L parts.
Mr. Leaverton holds an engineering degree from Iowa State University and a master of business administration from Drake University in Des Moines. Apart from his business activities, he enjoys riding motorcycles and racing cars. He has enjoyed numerous podium finishes as a racer on the national stage.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My day always starts off with a cup of coffee. There’s something about quiet contemplative time first thing in the morning that gets me thinking! I have an alone spot in my house and sit there every morning, looking outside. Staring at nature, while wind blowing through trees and birds flying makes my mind wander.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Being in the dirt bike industry, my ideas come to life by simply doing what I love. Riding dirt bikes! Dirt biking is an intense and physical activity, so at the moment, I don’t really come up with any ideas. Ideas tend to come when I’m working on the motorcycle – maintaining it. That’s when I start thinking of ideas. The next question I ask myself: “is there a market for the idea I have?” If I feel there is a market, the next step is to make it actually happen!
What’s one trend that excites you?
There seems to be a movement for more outdoor activity. Clearly, the last 10 to 20 years, many people sit indoors and experience very little. I think people are realizing that it’s time to get more physical and spend time in nature. Humans are genetically disposed to be outdoors and physical.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
This may sound strange, but physical exercise produces incredible mental stamina. There is a relationship between physical activity and mental activity. The more fit I become, the more productive I become both physically and intellectually.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Success doesn’t come from controlling outcomes, it comes by going with the flow of what is happening around you. Treat life and business like a jazz musician; improvise with the music that’s playing around you.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Well, it’s not something that people don’t agree with me with. It’s just something they don’t see in business. And that is: you manage peoples’ conduct, not their performance. When you get a group of people working together harmoniously, the performance automatically goes up. Don’t focus on performance; focus on how people are working with each other in terms of values.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Work to live, and not live to work! There is much more to life than business.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I find that putting my mind only in the moment will relax me. Worrying about the future only produces anxiety. The three best activities I’ve ever discovered to make me live in the moment is riding dirt bikes (because of the mental focus required), racing cars (once again, because of the mental focus required in the moment), and finally, playing guitar (once again, something that is done in the moment). I believe it was Sigmund Freud who said all depression comes from worrying about the past and all anxiety comes from worrying about the future. Living in the now is the only thing that will free your mind.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
When I sold my first business, I had 200 employees. The most important lesson I learned to go from one employee to 200 was the power of good morale! When people feel like they work for a company that will care for them, they will care for the company. It’s often difficult for the owner who started the business to continue all the decision-making. However, creating an organization where the employees feel empowered in decision-making will produce a much better company
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I’m going to answer it like Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones – there is no such thing as failure. There are only lessons! I don’t look at things in terms of failures. I look at it as a lesson that made me better. I certainly don’t want to make the same mistake again, however, I won’t because I learned my lesson.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Without a question, Microsoft Excel. It’s very customizable for engineering situations. It’s such a versatile program, and it allows complicated mathematical expressions to be utilized and solved quickly.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite business book is called The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It is a 2,000-year-old book on military strategy. Many people are aware of this book, and it is obviously considered a masterpiece. Just the first chapter alone on the five characteristics of a successful army can be used to develop a successful business organization. It’s interesting, when I recommend this book, some people find the name of the book off-putting. However, once a person begins reading, they discover it has nothing to do with war. It’s really how to develop a successful organization that will survive on its own.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
My all-time favorite television series is Star Trek: The Original Series. The message that collaboration of all humanity (including some aliens) is required to discover the universe! In my opinion, it is unparalleled by any other television series. Cooperation is the key element of progress!
Key learnings
- Productivity comes from a free mind that is not worried about controlling outcomes but flows side by side with the situation.
- It is impossible to have a great organization unless the morale of the staff is high and collaboration is encouraged and rewarded.
- As the owner, try to make money while you are sleeping. This concept is essential to creating an organization that will self-grow and become a sellable entity.