School of Hard Knocks Podcast Vic Keller | Sold 9 Companies Including 3 to Berkshire Hathaway on Building Durable Businesses, Partnerships, and Wealth
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Jan 29, 2026 Vic Keller, serial entrepreneur who founded 17 companies and sold nine, including three to Berkshire Hathaway. He recounts blue-collar lessons that forged his edge. Topics include building durable, service-first businesses; choosing the right partners and hiring for character; deleveraging founders so companies survive; and when to walk from lowball offers.
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Product Failure Nearly Bankrupted Him
- Vic imported a tire-pressure device that initially failed across 1,600 tires, nearly killing the business overnight.
- He flew to Asia, re-engineered the product, begged forgiveness, and sold the improved product for a decade.
FAA Crisis And Choosing Loyalty
- A warehouse employee mistakenly shipped flammable automotive products by plane causing an FAA investigation within 24 hours.
- Vic kept and trained the worker instead of firing him, and the employee remained with the company for years.
Hire For Character, Competency, Chemistry
- Hire for character, competency, and chemistry as your primary hiring filter.
- Reject unicorns who damage team chemistry even if they're technically brilliant.