Detroit roots, big dreams: Cramton, Wier share success stories
Kevin Cramton’s self-made story of success sounds a lot like Greg Wier’s self-made story of success.
Cramton, a Detroit-area businessmen who orchestrated $25 billion dollars in mergers and acquisitions during his 30-plus year career, was a guest on Wier’s podcast, “More Than Just Luck”.
“You and I are very similar,” Wier said.
Both grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Detroit and rose above the odds to accumulate wealth, wisdom and privilege, Cramton in the automotive and private equity business and Wier in the security guard and entertainment business.
Both also wrote books and host podcasts. Cramton’s book is called, “Tuned: Leadership Lessons from a Motown Kid Turned Global CEO”. Tuned Talks is his podcast with Dick Schultz, the 97-year-old former head of the NCAA and U.S. Olympic Committee.
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“The No. 1 attribute of successful people, according to studies by Harvard, is the ability to adapt,” Cramton said on Wier’s podcast. “If you think about what’s going on with AI, it’s just the latest change. We’ve been through these changes as a human race several times over the course of the last 300, 400 years.
“But if you’re able to adapt, if you’re able to learn new things, if you’re able to build relationships, you’re going to be a big-time winner.”
Wier’s book is called, “More Than Just Luck”, a no-holds-barred saga of ambition, betrayal and triumph.
“Some of the things you just said resonate with me,” Wier said on the podcast. “I came up with no education, just kind of listening to people like you that were my mentors at the time. I followed direction and they always told me about the importance of relationships.”
Not surprisingly, building relationships was one of Cramton’s four keys to staying in tuned and achieving your dreams:
- Find Points of Connection: Build lasting relationships that fuel your growth
- Pursue Alignment: Discover where your talents meet the world’s needs
- Take Smart Risks: Embrace calculated challenges that stretch your abilities
- Be a Player: Actively engage in life, don’t just watch from the sidelines.
At the end of the podcast, Cramton had one piece of advice for job-hunters.
“I tell my kids this, that the reality is you’re a free agent,” Cramton said. “Understand that. Don’t expect other people, the company, or whatever, to take care of you.
“You need to constantly be developing and learning new things, looking at your opportunities”.
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