Largest plastics manufacturer in the western United States - John Dudash

Episode 204, John Dudash

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Part 2:

John Dudash

John Dudash is the CEO of MityLite, a domestic manufacturer of tables and chairs often used in large meeting areas and dining spaces. The company is wildly successful as it distributes internationally and employs thousands throughout the Utah County area. John credits his personal success with the quality of his network. What makes his system work is his understanding of the difference between networking and learning from others and then curating it with people who have different life experience. He said:

"Every CEO is challenged with and try to get different perspectives on how to approach problems and how to overcome certain obstacles. And that type of advice you can't get from your staff, you can't get from strangers, you rarely get from a book. But you can get from a group of people who've done it before or in the throws of it. And you can give back to those people as well."

John focused on building relationships with people that didn't have an obvious financial return, working to learn from others who may not have followed a traditional path. He didn't happen to follow the yellow brick road himself. He did things a little differently, getting his MBA at 40 instead of in his 20's as he realized he needed to grow in new ways to contribute at a higher level. He credits his company's longevity and high employee retention from his desire to create a genuine, personal connection with others.

This episode was sponsored by Corporate Alliance