
Authentic
A Memoir by the Founder of Vans
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Narrated by:
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Tony Alva
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By:
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Paul Van Doren
About this listen
In the tradition of best sellers such as Shoedog, 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
Paul Van Doren is the founder of Vans - the shoe company beloved by skateboarders, creatives, and fans everywhere for its laid-back, colorful SoCal vibe, and famous for its people-oriented company culture. How did Van Doren, who started as a 16-year-old "service boy" at a local rubber factory, establish a family shoe business that evolved into a globally recognized brand with annual revenue of more than four billion dollars?
A blue-collar kid with no higher education and zero retail experience, Van Doren leveraged a knack for numbers, a genius for efficiency, and the know-how to make a great canvas tennis shoe into an all-American success story. In 1966, when the first House of Vans store opened, there were no stand-alone retail stores just for sneakers. Paul's 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 slip on shoe in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High - made Vans a household name.
But there was also back-breaking work, a shocking bankruptcy, family turmoil, and a profound shift in how customers think about athletic shoes. Authentic details Van Doren's personal life, but also hard-won business lessons learned over six turbulent decades in the shoe trade: the importance of deep-rooted values, of improvisation, of vision (and revision), and above all, of valuing people over profits. Refreshingly forthright and totally entertaining, Authentic is a business memoir by an American original.
©2021 Paul Van Doren (P)2021 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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In-N-Out Burger
- A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
- By: Stacy Perman
- Narrated by: Loren Lester
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It's the untold story of the renegade burger chain that evokes a passionate following unlike any other. In fast-food corporate America, In-N-Out Burger stands apart. Begun in a tiny shack in the shadow of World War II, this family-owned chain has steadfastly refused to franchise or be sold. It is a testament to old-fashioned values and reminiscent of a simpler time when people, loyalty, and a freshly made, juicy hamburger meant something.
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Flowery Promo Piece
- By Melissa on 02-22-10
By: Stacy Perman
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Under the Bridge
- By: Michael Harmon
- Narrated by: Josh Hurley
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Tate's younger brother Indy is probably the best skateboarder in Spokane. He's also really smart though he couldn't care less about school. But when Indy clashes with his father one too many times and drops out of school, it's up to Tate to win his brother back from the seedier elements of Spokane. Can Tate convince Indy to come home, finish his high school degree, and return to skating under the bridge with their crew?
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Great Book
- By Maria C. Weathers on 04-04-15
By: Michael Harmon
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The Story of Lululemon: Little Black Stretchy Pants
- By: Chip Wilson
- Narrated by: Chip Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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The unauthorized story of Lululemon. Chip Wilson’s part in this story comes from the learning of thousands of mistakes. He set the culture, business model, quality platform, and people development program and then got out of the way. Lululemon’s exponential growth, culture, and brand strength have few peers, and it is because of those employees who choose to be great. This book is also about missed opportunity - five years of missed opportunity. Chip was playing to win while the directors of the company he founded were playing not to lose.
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Score settling second rate business advice
- By Amazon Customer on 07-13-19
By: Chip Wilson
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The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger
- The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Through and How It Became a Beloved Cultural Icon
- By: Lynsi Snyder
- Narrated by: Amanda Sanfilippo, Lynsi Snyder, Tim Tremaine, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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When Lynsi Snyder’s grandparents founded In-N-Out Burger in 1948, they built it with a passion for quality and service that Lynsi embraced at a young age. After starting as a store associate at age seventeen, she then worked in other departments, gaining firsthand experience with almost every aspect of the family business until she became president in 2010. She has led the company through explosive growth—today, there are three-hundred-ninety-two stores and counting—and is deeply committed to the well-being of the In-N-Out Burger family.
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Great story about dedication and perseverance
- By Anthony Fasulo on 10-20-23
By: Lynsi Snyder
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Invention
- A Life of Learning Through Failure
- By: James Dyson
- Narrated by: James Dyson
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success. In Invention: A Life, Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome.
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Inspiring
- By Shogun on 09-25-21
By: James Dyson
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Kickflip
- By: Christina Lee
- Narrated by: Iggy Toma
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Tattoo artist Cory Easton has been going through the motions and staying busy enough to keep the noise in his head at bay. Until he lays eyes on the quiet and aloof skateboarder Jude York, who is so unreadable, unreachable, and unlike anyone else, he arouses Cory's curiosity. As captivating and complex as his ink, Jude is a mystery, and Cory falls fast and hard under his spell. But rumors about Jude's past overshadow him, whispers of secrets keeping him under the thumb of a local motorcycle club. As Cory digs deeper, he begins to wonder how much he really wants to know.
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I Love 💘 this book.
- By Tjhill on 04-08-20
By: Christina Lee
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The LEGO Story
- How a Little Toy Sparked the World’s Imagination
- By: Jens Andersen
- Narrated by: Peter Cross
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s estimated that each year between eighty and ninety million children around the globe are given a box of LEGO, while up to ten million adults buy sets for themselves. Yet LEGO is much more than a dizzying number of plastic bricks that can be put together and combined in countless ways. LEGO is also a vision of the significance of what play can mean for humanity.
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Great book! Don't miss this
- By hgpilot - MM on 04-27-23
By: Jens Andersen
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Made from Scratch
- The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
- By: Kent Taylor
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In Made from Scratch, the late business maverick Kent Taylor tells the legendary story of Texas Roadhouse and in the process reveals its recipe for success: embracing unorthodox business practices. Because isn’t it a little unusual for a company to do almost no advertising? Is it wild to give away free peanuts and rolls and keep prices low, even as costs rise, or to keep the menu basically the same since it opened? Does it fly in the face of reason to prohibit coats and ties at headquarters and to have a CEO who dressed like he was part of the landscaping crew?
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rock on
- By Eric Bourgeois on 09-16-21
By: Kent Taylor
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The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
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Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
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Never Enough
- From Barista to Billionaire
- By: Andrew Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Once a barista in a small cafe making $6.50 an hour, Andrew Wilkinson built a business valued at over a billion dollars by the time he was 36—and yet, his path to success was anything but a straight line. In Never Enough, Wilkinson pulls back the curtain on the lives of the ultra-rich, sharing insights into building a successful business that has been called a “Berkshire Hathaway, but for internet companies,” and a surprising first-person account of what it's actually like to become a billionaire.
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Fire Your Ghostwriter
- By Leah C. Day on 08-22-24
By: Andrew Wilkinson
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Shoe Dog
- A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- By: Phil Knight
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
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Just read it. (or listen, whatever)
- By Dan D on 07-07-16
By: Phil Knight
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Poor Charlie’s Almanack
- The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
- By: Charles T. Munger
- Narrated by: Grover Gardener
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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"Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up," Charles T. Munger advises in Poor Charlie’s Almanack. Originally published in 2005, this compendium of 11 talks, delivered by the legendary Berkshire Hathaway vice-chairman between 1986 and 2007, has become a touchstone for a generation of investors and entrepreneurs seeking to absorb the enduring wit and wisdom of one of the great minds of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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Wisdom from grandpa Charlie
- By J R Cavanaugh on 08-18-24
What listeners say about Authentic
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- DPhipps
- 02-17-23
Incredible
Shoe dog 2.0. I loved the authenticity. Very easy read and am awesome story. Loved it
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- Doug
- 06-06-23
Must read! It’s Vantastic!
The entrepreneurial Journey is exemplified in this must read founder story. I also just purchased some Vans.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-27-21
Great read
man re-read aspiring to be in the freeway in this you myself this is a definitely a good inside of the ins and out of the industry and also what makes a brand a culture rather than just powder definitely would recommend RIP Paul Van Doren
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lynn Kirk Hunter
- 05-31-21
Riveting
I loved it. it was great to hear about someone with such high moral standards overcome difficulties and maintain those standards.
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- Lewis K N
- 12-31-21
Very Interesting
I’d recommend this book to first time entrepreneurs as it covers the different stages and roadblocks one would come across while building a business. The book has a couple of nuggets that would work in this day and age.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-30-24
incredible
I've listened or listened to probably a hundred business books and biographies, and this one is one of the best!
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- Abbey C. Suchoski
- 04-30-21
Excellent biography about an amazing life!
What an inspirational story of an American dream come to life. Paul Van Doren has had an incredible life that is rooted in an amazing work ethic. With an eye for creative problem solving at a very early age, he took a simple idea of wanting to make the best shoes into one of the best companies in the world. Listening to Paul’s story injected a new energy into my own professional drive. I am going to listen to this one over and over again.
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- Jpeddy
- 04-28-21
Simply amazing
This book was everything I hoped it would be it’s no wonder why you feel at home when you walk into a Vans store. This is a book about a amazing man and his family it’s also a book about the birth of an awesome and reliable shoe company. I highly recommend this book. It doesn’t matter if you’re a wafflehead like me or someone who just enjoys a true American dream story you will love this book. TA does an awesome job telling the story and also bring Vans skate culture full circle. 👍🏻❤️🏁
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- 350zman
- 06-15-23
Vans - Off the Wall and everything in between
Love the story and the provenance of one of Americas most beloved sneaker companies, the rich history and family ties; plus all the ups and downs along the ways.
My only criticism is the performance could be better, but it doesn’t detract from this amazing story.
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- Dan McCarney
- 05-26-22
interesting read and good advice
if your looking to start a clothing brand definitely pick this book up the advice isnt typical bullshit other entrepreneurs spew out.
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2 people found this helpful