EP 4 Lee's Resilience After a Gut-wrenching Business Exit

Sometimes, even when we try to do everything right, life doesn't always go to plan. Host Diane  M. Simard tells the story of an acquaintance whose life and career unraveled quickly. But thanks to his resilience, a miracle happened. The story is about hard  work, men's fast-pitch softball, heartbreak, and—ultimately—perseverance, and Diane shares a poem she wrote that played a key part in the story. 


Personal website:  https://www.dianemsimard.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DianeMSimard1965
LinkedIn (Personal):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-moravec-simard/ 
LinkedIn (Unlikely Gift Productions):  https://www.linkedin.com/company/81847025/admin/
Diane's book:  https://www.dianemsimard.com/book/

Larry's Sorta Fun Stories podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larrys-sorta-fun-stories/id1612127522

Transcript

Diane M. Simard: 0:02

Hi friends! Welcome to episode four of the Unlikely Gifts Podcast. I'm your host, Diane M. Samard, and with me is my producer and host of his own podcast, Larry's Sort of Fun Stories, my friend Larry King. How are you doing today, Larry?

SPEAKER_01: 0:17

Oh, it's good to get back into the studio and get recording again. I'm anxious to hear more stories from Diane.

Diane M. Simard: 0:24

Oh, thank you, thank you. Well, I'm feeling melancholy today. So I'll be sharing a story about someone special to me whose life took several unexpected turns. It's a story about resilience. Larry, you've certainly been through some ups and downs. Do you recall a memorable time when you had to tap into your resilience?

SPEAKER_01: 0:43

Well, there have been many times in my life, but you know the the important thing is you you grind an axe to get the edge, to get better. And every time a failure happens, you know, you get better. So one of the great things that happened to me was a radio station in Lincoln, Nebraska. But it didn't work. So I had to move on. But I've learned a lot.

Diane M. Simard: 1:09

And that's the summary of life, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01: 1:11

Yep.

Diane M. Simard: 1:12

That's what life is all about. Well, as our listeners know, we share stories from our lives that we refer to as unlikely gifts because they made and left a permanent impression on our memories. And for the past four years, I've been sharing some of my personal stories in my monthly blog, which is called Middle Age Moxie, that you can subscribe to at DianeMSumar.com, which is my website. And I'm honored to have followers from all over the globe. And Larry, you've read all of my blog posts. How would you describe my writing style?

SPEAKER_01: 1:42

You are warm, you're personable, and you're honest.

Diane M. Simard: 1:48

Well, not too shabby for a small town kid from Coatesfield, Nebraska, who only had three in her kindergarten class, huh?

SPEAKER_01: 1:55

Not bad.

Diane M. Simard: 1:57

So today I have a story that I wrote a year ago, and I shared it on LinkedIn, and I got some positive responses, but I decided to wait until the right time to share it with the rest of the world. And that time is now.

SPEAKER_01: 2:09

Great. This is the great time to do it. I'm waiting to hear it.

Diane M. Simard: 2:14

Well, super. So it's my honor to introduce you to Lee Faberg from Grand Island, Nebraska, and that's in the central part of the state. I've known Lee for a long time, and he's one of those kind-hearted people who loves sports and is someone you can always count on for a laugh. Lee's a few years older than me, and he attended the same high school as me, Elba High School in Elba, Nebraska, but he graduated in 1980. I graduated a few years later in 1983. He was our football team's quarterback, and he wrestled and played fast bitch softball in the summer, so he was a very popular guy. After high school and college, he was a store manager for Radio Shack, which in the mid-1980s was one of the few places anyone could go to to buy personal computers and other consumer electronics.

SPEAKER_01: 3:05

Radio Shack has has a place in my heart because I used to work at Radio Shack myself.

Diane M. Simard: 3:12

That's fantastic. So what's the the back quick backstory on that?

SPEAKER_01: 3:19

I was part of a television program in Chicago. As all things happened, it ended. I was in between. Radio Shack was constant. One one screw after another, you know.

Diane M. Simard: 3:49

Absolutely. I I just remember it was just the constant flow of people. And and and and personal computers and electronics, it was they were just having their moment. And so everybody was like playing with these gadgets. Yeah. And it was it was just one of the very few places that you could go walk in, and they would have pretty much everything you need, right?

SPEAKER_01: 4:09

Absolutely. Absolutely. I loved it.

Diane M. Simard: 4:12

That's great. Well, some interesting history about Radio Shack. It was actually founded um in 1921, um over a hundred years ago, by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. And although things look much different for the company today at its peak popularity, Radio Shack had more than 7,300 locations across the US. The Deutschmann brothers founded the company because they wanted to provide retail and mail order equipment for amateur radio operators, which is also known as ham radio. So, Larry, given your career in TV and radio, did you ever dabble in ham radio?

SPEAKER_01: 4:54

Well, that's I wanted to be a ham operator, actually, because I could talk on a microphone when I got out of high school. That's what I looked at. Instead, I got into real broadcasting, but I I have a place in my heart for ham operators for sure.

Diane M. Simard: 5:09

And and they still operate today, from what I understand.

SPEAKER_01: 5:11

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Diane M. Simard: 5:12

Yeah, it's a big deal. Okay. Um, well, anyway, back to my story. Lee was a store manager for Radio Shack in the mid-1980s at various locations in the Midwest, including Council Bluffs, Iowa. But then Wendy's restaurants of all places recruited him away from retail and he got into management for them. Within a few years, he was promoted from store manager in central Nebraska to district manager over a regional cluster of Wendy's restaurants in central and western Nebraska that changed ownership group several times over the next 25 years, which is quite common in that industry.

SPEAKER_01: 5:47

Wow, yeah. But he moved right up the chain of chain of command there.

Diane M. Simard: 5:51

He certainly did. And Lee always used to tell me how proud he was to work for Wendy's, which is named after the daughter of founder Dave Thomas. You might remember him, who is a successful businessman and a very generous, generous philanthropist who passed away in 2002. And some might remember the Wendy's name is Wendy's old-fashioned hamburgers, and of course, their hamburgers are square.

SPEAKER_01: 6:14

Yeah, because he never wanted to lose a a part of the hamburger.

Diane M. Simard: 6:18

So no, no, no, actually. Um according to Lee, Dave Thomas always said never square sip square hamburgers because you should never cut corners.

SPEAKER_01: 6:29

Ah.

Diane M. Simard: 6:30

So so that's the story behind the the square hamburgers.

SPEAKER_01: 6:33

Did you know that Dave Thomas came from Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Diane M. Simard: 6:37

No, no, see, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_01: 6:39

He was working with uh Colonel Sanders and they split off. Dave wanted to do the hamburger, he did it.

Diane M. Simard: 6:46

And and had quite amazing success and really established a unique niche, I think, in that whole restaurant industry.

SPEAKER_01: 6:55

Well, anyway, back to Lee.

Diane M. Simard: 6:58

Anyway, things were going great for Lee for many years with Wendy's restaurants. He and his wife, Lisa, raised two lovely daughters, Kayla and Kelsey. And the owners of his cluster of restaurants in Nebraska always let him have lots of autonomy until a couple years ago when his fourth group of new owners appeared to have different plans and began to put what I call a squeeze plate on him.

SPEAKER_01: 7:22

Oh, that always happens. Someone out top wants to squeeze the guy, make him work harder, do more, do more.

Diane M. Simard: 7:28

Yep, yep, and it happens a lot in the business.

SPEAKER_01: 7:32

What did they force out of him?

Diane M. Simard: 7:34

Well, they just they just started to make his life uncomfortable, you know, applying those tactics. Um, acting like maybe they wanted to force him out, which again does happen a lot in the business. Yeah. But Lee's stores were always profitable, and he had a great rapport with all his store managers. So his owner's actions didn't make sense, but he began to worry so much that it impacted his health, and six months later he had a major stroke.

SPEAKER_01: 8:01

Oh my goodness, that that stress does work on some people. That's yeah, it does.

Diane M. Simard: 8:06

It does. And then a few months after that, he had double bypass heart surgery. He had to go back to work right away and was on his feet most of the time, which complicated the healing process. So by the end of that year, he made the excruciating decision to take the high road and retire.

SPEAKER_01: 8:23

Well, that's I guess it's about time. You know, he worked for it.

Diane M. Simard: 8:28

He did, he did. Well, it was likely the right decision, but Lee was very sad after having done everything right, trying to protect his managers and caring so much for the team members at all his restaurants.

SPEAKER_01: 8:39

Oh, I f you know, I really feel bad for him.

Diane M. Simard: 8:42

Yeah, no, it was tough. He tried to focus on his health, but he soon learned that his best friend from high school had terminal cancer. And on top of that, one of the his other best friends, with whom he had coached a men's fast pitch softball team, was battling recurring colon cancer.

SPEAKER_01: 9:00

Oh my goodness.

Diane M. Simard: 9:01

Yeah, and the team that they had coached together is Home Federal in Grand Island, Nebraska. They actually had won the National Men's Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in Hoosier's fashion back in 2001. It's quite a story. Wow. Yeah, they just kept winning and winning until they won the whole tournament, and it's truly, truly a Cinderella story.

SPEAKER_01: 9:21

It sounds like something that 3030 should do on ESPN. We should get it there.

Diane M. Simard: 9:28

There you go. Let's work on that, right?

SPEAKER_01: 9:30

Give you my Howard Gow.

Diane M. Simard: 9:34

So again, we should try to tell that story on a future episode. How does that sound?

SPEAKER_01: 9:39

Sounds like a good idea. Uh so his best friends were battling cancer, and they just found out about it after he lost his job. He must have been in a very dark place at that time.

Diane M. Simard: 9:51

Yeah, he really was. It's like a lifetime of joys and victories for a guy who was on top of the world and all came crashing down within a year's time, and my my heart ached for him.

SPEAKER_01: 10:01

I can imagine.

Diane M. Simard: 10:02

And unfortunately, Lee's best friend from high school died in August 2020, which was of course the year of COVID, and his fellow coach died 364 days later. Almost a year. Yeah. And Lee eulogized both at their memorial services and and brought everyone, including me, to tears.

SPEAKER_01: 10:20

Wow. My condolences to both friends and families. I'm sure they were great men.

Diane M. Simard: 10:26

They definitely were. They were both gifted athletes and upstanding individuals who were beloved, and we miss them both so dearly. And you know, cancer is just so cruel.

SPEAKER_01: 10:36

Well, you you know that firsthand.

Diane M. Simard: 10:38

Yes, I do. Yes, I do. But you know what? A miracle soon happened. A few months later, Lee was notified of his acceptance into Nebraska Softball Hall of Fame, primarily for coaching that Cinderella team that won the national championship 20 years before. Oh my goodness. Yeah, I cried again, but this time they were tears of joy and thankfulness. Lee so deserved that recognition after everything he'd been through.

SPEAKER_01: 11:04

Wow. Talk about some type of divine intervention or something.

Diane M. Simard: 11:09

Yeah, it sure seemed like it. And I've learned through many experiences that life can't always be explained or understood. However, I believe the essence of living is not about the magnitude of the challenges and resulting traumas we face, but how we deal with them and ultimately persevere.

SPEAKER_01: 11:26

Well, Lee certainly is the epitome of resilience.

Diane M. Simard: 11:30

Well, he sure is. He's someone I idolize and admire for so many reasons. However, the main reason I adore him is because, wait for it, he's my brother.

SPEAKER_01: 11:44

Oh my, I did not see that coming. I thought a big story was wow, no wonder you're so attached to the story.

Diane M. Simard: 11:52

Well, I'm glad you're surprised because I planned it that way. And as you can probably imagine, Lee relentlessly picked on me while growing up, but he's always been there, encouraging me to never let up. He's one of those influencers in my life who taught me to never give up, no matter how difficult the challenge.

SPEAKER_01: 12:10

Well, that's quite a story. It seems like the adversities in our lives do seem to happen all at once, but you're right, it's how we face them that often makes all the difference.

Diane M. Simard: 12:25

Absolutely. The blessings of living are oftentimes disguised as challenges. And that's been one of the things that I've discovered the most through my cancer experience and opening my eyes a whole lot wider to what life throws at us.

SPEAKER_01: 12:42

I'll say amen to that. So, what's in store for us the next time we meet?

Diane M. Simard: 12:47

Well, I'm glad you asked. We're going back in time to reminisce about a couple historical events I witnessed that are forever etched in my mind because they were so visual. I think we should plan a future episode and have you tell us about some of the historical events you witnessed from your perch in the news side of the television business.

SPEAKER_01: 13:07

I've seen a lot, that's for sure. Several events really come to mind really quickly, so watch out.

Diane M. Simard: 13:14

I'm sure they do. I know we've chatted about a couple already. Well, as always, Larry, thank you for contributing your production and editing capabilities to make the Unlikely Gifts podcast possible. And be sure, again, to check out Larry's Sort of Fun stories wherever you listen to your podcast.

SPEAKER_01: 13:31

Thanks so much. I appreciate it. Like everybody listening.

Diane M. Simard: 13:35

And before we close, please remember to follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn by searching for Diane M. Samard. Sign up for my monthly middle-aged Moxie blog and Unlikely Gifts Insider newsletter at my website, DianeMsumard.com. Tell your friends about our Unlikely Gifts podcast and share your thoughts in the comments section of the podcast page. Our special memories truly are our unlikely gifts. And we are delighted to share our stories with you. I'm Diane M. Samard, and this is the Unlikely Gifts Podcast.