OTSS Podcast - Bruce Meyer

Well, let's take a minute because one of the things that I think about with you is that it seems like you've sort of built your life around passion.

And whether it's Geary's and a passion for customer service or car collecting, the Peterson, the network of friendships and people you surround yourself with.

Talk a little bit about Geary's and tell us kind of when did you get involved? Because I know you really broke some new ground there.

So if you can kind of tell us a little bit about what that was like.

Sure, sure.

Well, just taking a step back, my dad grew up very humble beginnings.

I mean, I don't want to say dirt poor because they had a roof over their head, but he didn't have a lot of money.

And he worked at a hardware store downtown Los Angeles called Eastern Columbia.

The building is still there.

It's a green building.

It says Eastern on top.

But my dad grew up in the hardware business.

And then in the 40s, he was able to get an appliance franchise, kind of selling appliances at department stores in Alhambra and Glendale.

And it was an okay business.

It was okay.

And we got by.

And then a store called White Front came along.

And White Front was a category killer.

It was a discount department, discount appliance store.

And literally put my father out of business immediately.

Within a month, my dad had no business at all.

So he was completely, had nothing going on.

And in Beverly Hills was a store called Geary's.

And it was kind of a small, I don't want to say department store, but it was specialized in gifts and art supplies and small appliances.

And my dad had nothing going on.