I was young and wet behind the ears when I went to work for Gary Kinsella in February 1985 at PMI Acoustics, a Dallas-based consulting firm. Howard Pelton joined us later that year and soon we became Pelton Marsh Kinsella (PMK).
Gary was my mentor, not only in the technical aspects of our profession, but more importantly as a gentleman and consummate businessman. I admired the way he dressed, the way he walked and talked. He had southern charm. I noticed when he opened doors for people and that he stood up when a lady entered a room.
When meeting with clients in person or on the telephone, Gary was a meticulous note-taker. He encouraged (i.e., required) me to do likewise. He was a natural marketer and he “showed me the ropes.”
Gary appeared larger than life to me in the first year or so. He took me everywhere with him and I followed like a puppy dog. Apparently, I attempted to emulate his behavior to the point that clients occasionally mistook my voice for Gary’s when I answered the telephone. Despite my efforts, it took some work to shape me up. I have some funny (and some embarrassing) stories highlighting my inexperience at the time with business travel and, in one case, just navigating revolving doors (ask me about that sometime). Nevertheless, Gary took me under his wing and taught me how to “behave.”
Gary believed in me. He apparently saw more than I saw in myself at the time. He promoted me aggressively as the firm grew. I was President when we sold PMK in 1992 and became Pelton Marsh Kinsella, a division of Carter & Burgess. At that time, Gary moved to Miami, continuing his association with PMK through a profit-sharing arrangement. I continued to receive advice from Gary (whether I asked for it or not).
In 2006, I and others bought PMK back from C&B, but Gary decided not to join with us in the buyout. Instead, he started Kinsella Acoustics. My new partners at Pelton Marsh Kinsella, LLC then bought me out in 2009. I called Gary to see if he wanted to “do it all over again.” Soon, Kinsella Acoustics became Kinsella-Marsh Group. Meanwhile, PMK fell victim to worldwide economic crisis. I acquired PMK’s intellectual property and various assets, deciding finally to continue the old firm re-branded as Marsh/PMK International. Gary’s reaction was not unlike a parent seeing their only child leave the nest.
Completely out on my own for the first time in my career, I heard Gary’s words in my head just about every day. When we were swamped with work, he would encourage me to work harder saying, “Make hay while the sun shines.” In regard to time management, “Call clients when they’re there. Design work can be done after hours.” When planning marketing calls, “Take project leads, don’t go empty handed when asking for work.” In regard to priorities, “We’re in business to make money” and “Cash is king.” I still recall that on the first day of the month all project work stopped until invoicing was done. These things will stick with me the rest of my life.
My mentor passed away two months ago. While closing on the acquisition of Kinsella-Marsh Group’s assets last week, I spent time with Janie, Gary’s widow. We talked about the infant days of PMK. She laughed at some of my stories, especially when I told her how I used to follow Gary around like a puppy dog. Then… it began to sink in that he was really gone. I was struck with the realization of just how influential Gary was in my life for the past 30 years, not just during the puppy dog days. I will definitely miss him, but his voice rings on in my ears.
Link to Gary Kinsella’s obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/herald/obituary.aspx?pid=174002637
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