{"product_id":"authentic-a-memoir-by-the-founder-of-vans","title":"Authentic: A Memoir By The Founder Of Vans","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn The Tradition Of Bestsellers Such As Shoe Dog, Authentic Is A Surprisingly Candid, Compelling Memoir By A High School Dropout Who Went On To Establish One Of The World'S Most Iconic Brands.You May Not Have Known Their Creator, But You Certainly Know The Shoes: For More Than Four Generations, Vans Shoes Have Been Synonymous With Cool.Now In Authentic, A Memoir Written By Paul Van Doren And Published Just Before His May 2021 Death, The Charismatic Founder Of Vans Shares His Story Of Heading West And Capturing The American Dream.Authentic Is A Celebration Of Van Dorens Remarkable Life And The Iconic Brand He Built, Beloved By Skateboarders, Creatives, And Fans Everywhere For Its Laidback, Colorful Socal Vibe, And Famous For Its Peopleoriented Company Culture.In Authentic, He Shares His Unlikely Journey From Highschool Dropout To Sneakerindustry Legend. A Bluecollar Kid With No Higher Education And Zero Retail Experience, Van Doren Started Out As A 16Yearold Service Boy At A Local Rubber Factory. Over The Next Few Decades, He Leveraged A Knack For Numbers, A Genius For Efficiency, And The Knowhow To Make A Great Canvas Tennis Shoe Into An Allamerican Success Story. What Began As A Family Shoe Business Has Today Evolved Into A Globally Recognized Brand With Billions Of Dollars Of Annual Revenue.Van Doren Is Not Just An Entrepreneur, Hes An Innovator. In 1966, When The First House Of Vans Store Opened, There Were No Standalone Retail Stores Just For Sneakers. Pauls Bold Experiments In Product Design, Distribution, And Marketing (Why Not Sell Custom Shoes? Single Shoes?), Aided By Legions Of Fans  Skateboarders, Surfers, Even Sean Penn Wearing Vans Famous Checkerboard Slipon Shoe In The Film Fast Times At Ridgemont High  Made Vans A Household Name. But There Was Also Backbreaking Work, A Shocking Bankruptcy, Family Turmoil, And A Profound Shift In How Customers Think About Athletic Shoes.The Book Details Van Dorens Personal Life, But Also Hardwon Business Lessons Learned Over Six Turbulent Decades In The Shoe Trade: The Importance Of Deeprooted Values, Of Improvisation, Of Vision (And Revision), And Above All, Of Valuing People Over Profits.Authentic Is Paul Van Dorens Written Legacy And His Lessons For The Innovators Of Tomorrow.Bracingly Forthright And Totally Entertaining, Authentic Is A Business Memoir By An American Original.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vertel Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47087396389109,"sku":"SONG164112024X","price":9.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/5804\/8501\/files\/61zfjs9P4jL.jpg?v=1759380272","url":"https:\/\/ergodebooks.com\/products\/authentic-a-memoir-by-the-founder-of-vans","provider":"Ergodebooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}