The LBJ Foundation honors entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner with the 2015 Lady Bird Johnson Environmental Award at the LBJ Presidential Library on May 21, 2015. The program was introduced by Larry Temple and Tom Johnson, moderated by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, and LBJ’s daughters, Lynda Robb and Luci Johnson, presented the award. Photo by Chris Caselli.

“How was he as a captain?” I asked yesterday after she told me she crewed for Ted Turner. “He was excellent,” she said, describing how she sailed with him twelve-or-so years after his 1977 America’s Cup win on the Sparkman & Stephens 12-meter Courageous in Newport, RI.

“He wanted the boat run his way, but he was cool, didn’t yell, and treated the crew well. We were sailing on the J-Class yacht Endeavor after she was restored in the late 80s.”

It was Turner’s post-race antics that he was known for with his “Captain Outrageous” persona at press conferences, living up to the nickname “The Mouth from the South.” He made the sailing establishment cringe during what was probably the peak of the “Golden Era” for the America’s Cup in Newport, RI.

I didn’t know this, but Turner was the last “amateur” skipper to win the Cup before the era of fully professional, year-round sailing teams whose members I see working out at the gym.

Turner was anti-establishment, an outsider to the prestigious New York Yacht Club. His crew, led by tactician Gary Jobson, was nearly flawless, winning the defense trials with an incredible record, losing only one race out of 11. And in the Cup Match, facing the Australian challenger, swept the series 4-0, a dominant performance that ended with the theme from “Rocky” blaring across Newport harbor.

One day, when Your Survival Guy had an internship during the summer between my junior and senior years at Babson at a start-up outside of Boston, having lunch in the conference room, the CEO asked who we would have lunch with if we could have it with anyone. I forget who I said, but I remember he said, “Ted Turner.” Which promptly led me to learn everything I could about Turner.

It’s amazing how not having to worry about money can create confidence. Being cool at the helm lends itself to good decision making, and having an A+ crew and treating them well is essential.

Action Line: The benefits of being relaxed and confident apply to investing as well. Remove the barriers to your peace of mind and make great happen. I believe in you. Tell me your success stories. Need a tactician? Email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com.


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Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.