by Jim Cathcart

Yesterday I visited the famous Hollywood Guitar Center, the largest music store in the world. General manager Jason Vanderpal gave me a tour and I am impressed! As we toured the store he introduced me to each of his coworkers and bragged about them to me. It’s clear that he’s proud to work with them and I’m pretty sure they feel the same way. 

The inventory in this store is massive, millions of dollars of guitars and accessories. Keyboards, sound systems, studio control panels, and more. The entryway has handprints of the rock stars and plaques of famous musicians. They have a virtual museum of guitars in cases throughout the store. It’s a music maker’s wonderland. 

Then Jason took me down a back corridor, through the warehouse and into a special place filled with musty guitar cases containing some very special instruments. He asked me to sit on a couch while one of his most trusted colleagues opened a case and handed me a 1959 Gibson Les Paul sunburst guitar with “humbucker pickups” that has an estimated worth of half a million dollars! 

I know it doesn’t look all that unique but for folks who know guitars this baby is like a Stradivarius violin. What a special treat to play such an instrument! 

Now let’s get back to Jason. Here is a man who just turned 30 and you wouldn’t expect him to be a leader, much less and excellent leader. But he is. Jason has created a team atmosphere where everyone feels valued, has fun doing their job, (the smiles prove this), and feels like they are part of something special. 

Of all the cool settings and suites in this massive store, the most modest and unappealing is Jason’s own office. He spends his time on the floor with his team and is continually being paged over the intercom. He gave me the kind of tour a Rock Star would get and I can see why they are so successful. Jason himself has been with the company for I think ten years and he’s managing the biggest store of its type at the age I was when I began professional speaking. 

The interesting extra twist to this story is that Jason is also a speaker! He has been taking training fromSteve Siebold’s Bill Gove Speech Workshop and he spent a day of coaching with me last year. In addition to that he’s giving speeches every week to civic clubs and is refining his message around the subject “Rock n Roll Retailing.” A topic he knows backward and forward. His store is producing millions in sales each year and is the top of the food chain in their field. 

Visit them when you are in LA next time. You’ll love the experience even if you don’t yet play an instrument. Hats off to Jason Vanderpal and Guitar Center for such a great example of living a motivated life. 

Guitar Center Hollywood, 7425 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046, (323) 874-1060