Driven, by Larry H. Miller and Doug Robinson

Three months ago, I finished reading Driven, the Larry H. Miller autobiography co-authored by Doug Robinson. Ironically, this book is the main reason I haven’t read a book since. I shall say more about this later.

From a general interest point of view, Driven is easy to read and absorbing. For those of us living along the Wasatch Front who thought we knew this guy, Miller’s autobiography reveals that most of us really didn’t.

Larry Miller’s life story is the classic rags to riches tale. Arriving home from school one day at age 16, he found his clothes and personal possessions packed and sitting on the front porch. By age 50, he had risen to the top of the business world; controlling a group of companies worth millions.

Driven could as easily been entitled Obsessed. Indeed it appears that everything Larry Miller did in life was to excess, or as he would put it, with laser-like focus that precluded anything less than optimal results. From throwing softballs for hours on end to perfect his pitching skills to memorizing every part number in the auto parts catalog to master his trade, if Miller set his mind to something, he would not be denied. Which begs the question: At what price success? In the end, it was his hyper-driven life style that killed him and only when death was imminent was he able to reconcile with his family for years of neglect.

On the other hand, Miller's contributions to society and the State of Utah are well beyond measure ... from frequent small and unnoticed acts of kindness to charitable giving of monstrous proportions. His business empire employs thousands of people across several states and after 3 years of service, children of employees qualify for full college scholarships courtesy of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. Against all odds, he managed to keep the pro basketball Jazz in Utah, build an arena for them to play in, and turn the organization into one of the finest in the NBA. An effort to support the school of business at Salt Lake Community College resulted in the construction of an entire campus. And without Miller’s financial support and determination, the Joseph Smith Papers would still be but a wish waiting to come true.

It was while reading Driven and learning more about the Miller Group and their business philosophy that I began to explore the possibility of going to work in one of their divisions. Having an inside connection, I commenced to inquire.

(I shall also mention at this point that the “H” in Larry H. Miller, stands for Horne—which also happens to be the name of my wife’s great-grandmother. Perhaps with a little luck, I reasoned, I could not only get a job but weasel my way into the Miller family will!)

The inside connection is my oldest son, who has worked in the advertising/marketing arm of the Miller Group of Companies for sometime and seems to have a bright future for himself as well as scholarships for his kids. He arranged for me and my wife to star in a car commercial and in the process, meet the GM of the dealership where the commercial was to be filmed. To make a long story short, I’m now working 50 plus hours a week at Larry H. Miller Ford in Salt Lake as a car and truck salesman and it’s a good thing because after multiple takes, it was readily apparent there was no future for me in acting! The rigorous work schedule also explains why I haven’t time to read anymore as mentioned in paragraph one.

There is something oddly satisfying about being in the automotive business, in addition to driving the new trucks around the lot. I think it has something to do with the thought that if I can survive this job, I can survive anything: like John McCain and POW camp. Plus we get free lunch on Saturdays.

Driven is a good read and a worthwhile use of time. Working for the Miller Group is a good thing if you’re Deron Williams or Paul Millsap but only time will tell if it’s good thing for me. Hopefully Congress will raise the minimum wage before too long into next year.