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Forward: The Importance of Hard Work 
There’s nothing in life like working with your hands, but if you’re going to
work hard, work for yourself. I came from my own tireless work and investments.
You can never let yourself stop looking for the next deal. 
I have six kids who I had working for me from the time they were little,
along with all their friends. None of them liked me because I worked everyone
hard. That’s the way you run a business, though; when the employees start liking
you, you’ve got a problem. I always squirted a little oil on the squeaky gears — I
helped my kids when they needed it and gave them ideas, but they’ve always put
together and run their own businesses without relying on my money. That’s what
my folks did with me. They had some money, but I never saw any of it. They’d tell
me and my brother “If you want money, you go earn it.” 
 My kids wanted me gone, because when I left it meant they were on their
own two feet. When starting a business, you have to be the owner-operator. That’s
the first thing. It gets you first count on the money, with no one in between. As
soon as you start a business, the alligator’s out the backdoor, eating. The business
is only as good as what you’re willing to make it.  
I always had an ethic to really work when I worked on something, doing the
job all the through the day. My help would quit at 5:00 or 6:00, but I’d keep going
until 10:00 or 11:00, until it was done and done right. I kept the pressure on. I
worked Saturdays and Sundays, too, because no one wanted to work ten hours a
day, seven days a week. Sometimes, I’d make more on Saturday and Sundays than
I did during the whole week. You have to work like that to really make money.
People used to ask me all the time, “How do you pay your bills?” I worked!
 You have to make your own decisions in a business, not hire a bunch of
people to make choices for you. It’s like four gas stations on four corners: There’s
always guy in one of those gas station who’s always there, because he’s the owner
and knows how to work on cars that none of the rest do. Those other stations are
all just pumping gas. The guy who owns and comes in every day has something to 
offer and he’s there when you need him; people work all day, so if you work at
night and on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll be there for customers and a day ahead
of the competition. Those other gas stations are wondering why your corner is
always busy. It’s because you’re always working!
 Once you start making money, leave it in your business. When you need a
little, you can write yourself a check, but never take too much. When you keep
your money in your business, you’re strong and resilient.
 I’ve been owner of a lot of businesses, but at heart, I’m in the dirt business. 
Dirt’s a hard product to sell. Not everybody can afford or wants a load of dirt and
dirt is very seasonal. When it’s raining, no one will touch dirt, because it’ll turn to
mud. The best thing about the dirt business, the reason I put my kids into dirt when they were starting is because you cannot screw it up. I know it's safe as long as you're in the dirt.