They'll Fight Over It When You're Dead!

0.94 lb

9.38

6.25

1.13

$19.95
(2 reviews) Write a Review
SKU: 01-39-0060
They'll Fight Over It When You're Dead!

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If not, read the true and crazy story of how Dave Munson started a leather brand with one of the stronger cult followings in the world. He has sometimes been referred to as a real live Indiana Jones but with a wife and kids. In They’ll Fight Over It When You’re Dead, you’ll discover:

How to build a brand that people will love, trust and fight over when you’re dead.

A different way of thinking about why you do what you do.

Why perseverance (and a good sense of humor) is the key to overcoming setbacks.

Healthy ways to think about your failures.

Saddleback Leather is more than a brand— it’s a faith-based mission-driven company that puts people first. So jump right in and figure it out along the way—that’s where the good times begin.

(2)
5 Stars Write a Review
  • 5
    It Was Never About the Bags

    SB review Allow me to begin with a mildly controversial statement: you don’t really like Saddleback because of the bags. It’s not that they’re bad bags — they’re excellent, actually. Heck, a few weeks ago, my 16” grandfather briefcase kept my extremely expensive laptop dry after I ran 1.5 miles through a torrential monsoon in a monkey-filled rainforest. However, for most Saddleback customers, the utilitarian aspect of the leather being that much stronger, the design being that much cooler, the uniqueness being that much greater — these are awesome side effects. They’re not the main squeeze. That’s because the REAL reason we all like Saddleback (Dave correctly points out in the book that we say “love” about objects too much, so I’ll stick to “like” here) is because of what Saddleback means to us. See, Saddleback GETS us. Yes, Gen Z, that’s your cue for a barrage of warm-and-fuzzy emojis. If one had to put a definition on the niche most of us belong to, perhaps it’s this: Saddleback customers are aspirationally independent-minded. We see a problem and try to figure it out. We carve our own path — or at least, we want to. When we stumbled across this leather company, most of us probably felt that most essential of human emotions: belonging. Saddleback itself belongs to a long heritage of ideals and values. The products come forth from a place of knowing — from the firsthand knowledge of what it means to think for oneself. I’ve only spoken to Dave once, on the phone (I’m a consultant, but I called him to rave about the caskets as I grew up in a family funeral business), so I can’t say I know the man. That said, I was astonished to hear how closely parts of my own narrative, interests, and formation mirrored his. The first vehicle I bought with my own money was a Land Cruiser, and for the same reasons as Dave — they last forever (and it saved my life, too). Toyota quality is real. I loved Allan Quartermain as a kid as did Dave, but no one nowadays has ever heard of H. Rider Haggard, and I once had to find a book of his especially for a school book report as it was nowhere to be found in local libraries. On and on it went — Dave appreciates cigars, and when I was young man, I started a cigar shop mostly because it seemed cool and everyone was sure I would fail (I didn’t, but that’s another story). Dave talks a lot about faith. Faith underpins everything I do, or I try to have it that way. Of course, my imperfections are more prominent than the scratches on my leather bags. Somewhere in the course of the book, I realized that Saddleback is not just a company at all, but an ideal — and that the reason I, and likely many others, are so attracted to it is that Dave carved out a set of products for people whose tastes and lifestyles are so similar to his own (though thankfully my life has never been threatened by Mexican gangsters). As a business book, it’s a solid teaching tool that drives home a few key points (but you’ll have to read the book to learn more): - Fail forward (hat tip to John Maxwell for the term). You only learn by doing, messing up, and doing again. Saddleback has messed up a lot, and it has learned a lot, too. - People are everything, and a business is its people. The anecdotes here will remind anyone to be careful about who you put on the bus, before figuring out where to put them (alright, I stole that descriptive too, but from Jim Collins). - Doing things right is the only way. This really matters. Dave’s appreciation of kaizen and the Toyota way is evident of this, but so too his infatuation with making the best product. - Business can be fun. There’s no reason to walk around with a sour countenance when you can have a blast. Especially when the last point I’ll draw out is true… - God is number one. If you recognize that life is short, we all look through a mirror dimly, and that our priorities are at least a little out of wack, you gain the humility to lead a life of purpose and intentionality. Dave emphasizes that in his business and personal endeavors. We should all strive to. Everything would be a lot easier if we did. It’s a good book. I “read” it by listening to Dave read it, which was even better. It’s a fantastic audiobook. Someday I hope to meet Dave and have a cigar with him. Until then, like most Saddleback customers, I’ll keep living and loving life on my own — and hopefully, God’s — terms. Or, at least, aspiring to.

  • 5
    Life in a book

    Reading Dave’s book has changed my life. Sometimes we get caught up in the routine and need a kick in the backside to get back on ground level. This book is the kick I needed. Thanks Dave and I look forward to your next novel.