Customer Reviews

Always Think Big

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"Always Think Big--How Mattress Mack's Uncompromising Attitude Built the Biggest Single Retail Store in America" provides a fascinating, well-written account of Mattress Mack's rise from penniless salesman to multi-millionaire businessman and philanthropist. Mack's combination of attitude, perseverance, and successful marketing techniques have made him a legend in Houston, but "His "Treat Everyone Like a Movie Star" techniques are valuable in any location or arena: small businesses, large corporations, schools, government, charitable organizations.

This is a great story! Mattress Mack is an impressive business person and such a positive contributor to his community and society. Gallery Furniture is like no other store in the country. It is truly a must see experience.

A Texas entrepreneur who produced the most productive singlesite retail furniture store in America, Jim McIngvale is justifably known as 'Mattress Mack'. By promising - and delivering - extraordinary service and thinking big about the future, McIngvale built his empire. Always Think Big incorporates the basics of his approach for those who would think big in their own businesses.

I personally know Mac as he was a customer of mine for many years. Coming from the furniture industry I can tell you a man like Mac doesn't come along every day. His book points out his concepts and methods not all that I like or agree with but you can't argue with his huge success.
His company is constantly in the top 100 furniture retailers in the country and he has done this all with one large store in Houston, while most on that list have many outlits. I think this is a good read for any business person as there is many a good lesson to learn - Some to use and some to steer away from but either way you can't afford to pass up the chance to learn. Knowledge is power.
If you're in the furniture business or any retail business this is an important, insightful read. I even go so far as to mention Mac and his book in my book "Through My Eyes" so I'm sold on it.

Great Book.

Maybe I'm biased, because of the opportunity to hear Mac in person when I was in my 20s.

This was back in 1990 or 1991 my employer had Mac come and give a talk at our annual IS Department gathering.
I'm not sure what the connection was that brought Houston Light and Power to bring that crazy guy on those TV commercials to come and speak to a bunch of computer people, but I'm glad they did. It's now 20 years later and I don't recall if it was supposed to be a motivational speech, but that is what it was for me. Mac was a great and entertaining speaker. His talk gave me the inspiration to "take a chance" and about a year later I became an independent contractor.

Fast forward to the day several months ago when I ordered this book, a co-worker happened to read about the fire at Mac's primary Gallery Furniture store in Houston on one of one of the Houston News Websites. That night I jumped on Google looking for more news on the fire, and one of the first matches I found was to a used version of this book for sale here on Amazon. The book arrived in like new shape and even with shipping it was still under $5.

I read it cover to cover in less than a week. The beginning of the book was very much the same as I recalled Mac's speech of 20 years ago telling about how he came to Houston with only a Dream of making it big and barely any money.

Some may consider the book to be for salesman, I'm not into Sales and don't intend to be. I find a lot of us do many of the things he mentions in this book every day just communicating with people.

Now if I can find my way to his store in Houston and get it signed by him, then it will never leave my bookshelf.

Mac is just another rich jerk with an inflated ego. He got rich by employing young pushy kids who won't leave you alone until you buy something or leave. If you decide to buy, his sales rats try to push you to not buy with cash, but instead apply for credit (with super high interest)from Gallery. This just lines Mac's pockets even thicker. What's the big secret? There's not one. He does sell quality furniture, but it's not cheap like his ads claim. His motto is "Gallery Furniture Really Will Save You Money! I save myself money and a major headache by not shopping there anymore.

By the way, Mac lost millions on bad investment deals like the Sam Houston Race Park. Then cried about it like a little girl.
He's a sore loser in my opinion.