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teased me about the fact that I’ve retired at the
age of forty-eight, after selling the Katikati site.
Instead, I’m looking forward to helping others
achieve their goals, thinking outside the box.
Maybe sharing a little bit of my experience will
help them with theirs.”
And, he tells us, “It just keeps getting better.”
COLLAPSE AND REBIRTH
Lester and Sanna eventually bought a home
along with another 3 businesses, and 4 more
service stations; each with their unique issues,
including corporate down-sizing of sites and
closure of a couple of the businesses.
“When our very first service station, in Katikati,
went up in flames due to an electrical fault, I
chose to see it as an opportunity to start with
a clean slate and do something better for
the town by improving the service we were
providing. We created the town’s first-and-only
24-hour café as part of the rebuild.”
Within two years the turnover had doubled, and
they were able to sell the business for more
than Lester ever imagined possible simply by
thinking ‘outside the box’ and looking at what
the town really needed.
POWER IN THE PEOPLE
“No matter where I have been, what I have
done or the trials I have faced, it always comes
down to good ole Kiwi family values,” he said.
“If you take care of your people, they take care
of the customers, who then become part of the
wider family. If people are laughing and having
fun, they go home happy and that flows into
their family lives and the wider community.”
Lester again emphasises the importance of
people, of family values, as the corner stone
of success. “If you share responsibilities,
as well as innovation, challenges and the
rewards, you get more from people than simply
‘work’. Systems and processes, delegation
and responsibility are all part of the mix, but
ultimately – everything is about people; about
making a difference in people’s lives.”
Recalling the attendant at the petrol station
all those years ago, Lester says, “You know, I
often think back to the guy who simply knew
us all by name, made us laugh and gave us an
occasional treat. Such simple things create real
and lasting impressions.”
Lester shares how difficult it was to walk
away from the family they had created at
Katikati when they sold in September 2016.
“Fortunately, Sanna, the kids and I all got
to go back and celebrate with them at the
Christmas party. We also still have a team
in Opotiki, which lets me stay involved in
the service industry. A couple of mates have
The Gray family on their first holiday to Hawaii
last year – Sanna, Evan, Lester and Lexi.
Lester and Sanna on their wedding day at
Waihi Beach.
If you’d like to ask Lester more about his story or invite
him to a speaking engagement, contact him at 021 757 599 or
Or find him on facebook – lester.gray.79.
IGNITING THE POWER OF VISION
FOR STRATEGY, SIMPLICITY & SUCCESS
021 257 9249 |
Filled with anticipation, fresh hope and
fired up about the year ahead? Great!
Capture that enthusiasm and create a new
vision for yourself, your team or business
and make this year – the best yet!
A ‘vision’ is a mental picture of the future
– what it could hold but has not happened
yet. It moves you to do different things
providing clarity, direction and purpose.
When you really connect with what you
want to create, everything aligns and
moves you naturally in that direction. Your
thoughts, decisions, action and energy
levels all improve, and you develop a new
perspective and appreciation of what you
are doing because you are aligned with a
stronger sense of purpose.
A good vision will inspire you to stay
committed to where you are headed,
reduce stress and costly mistakes. It will
keep you focussed on the ‘big picture’
when life throws you curve balls and reduce
the attraction of distraction!
Where to start?
a. Be honest with yourself – start with a
blue sky session capturing all the things
you ‘think’ you want. The next step is
to sift out the pieces you ‘feel’ are what
you really want to achieve. Design a
power statement that clearly captures
your ideas into one short, easy-to-
remember statement, set of bullet points
or affirmation.
b. Create visual imagery – make it bright,
bold and vibrant, include graphs or
charts anything visual that clearly shows
you the end goal.
c. Tap into your passion. Describe how you
will feel when you have achieved it and
‘tag’ those onto your imagery to remind
yourself of WHY you are doing this. It’s
amazing how those emotions add fuel to
your fire!
d. Develop 3 or 4 ‘mini’ statements that
highlight key goals to hit along the way...
and away you go!
It’s never too soon to spark your
imagination and start creating a new
definition of success! Stand firm, believe
in yourself and create a new sense of drive
and determination for 2017!
Leanne has 35 years’ experience in strategic
planning, change management and
spiritual intelligence. She brings a wealth of
knowledge and insight that enable you to
gain clarity, direction and momentum.
Lester and the Caltex team after the local iwi blessed the station and the sale of his business.