Godfather of Santa Barbara and why you should love him....

Ty Warner. Hum, sounds familiar but how do I know that name. Well if you live in or visit Santa Barbara my guess is you have heard this name and you have a true appreciation for this man. I think I can go out on a limb and even say the old fogies who don't read this blog love him deep down. But who is he again? Ty Warner is the Beanie Baby King. Well, at least that is how I refer to him. He is the greatest marketer of our time and most people have never even heard of him. And if he had his way he would keep it that way. Ty Warner is famously protective of his privacy. Hat's off to him for that. Who wants to be bothered all the time as a famous person. Besides he already tried to become an actor and that didn't work out so Businessman has its perks of anonymity.

Some of the reasons why you should love, really LOVE, Ty Warner...he is responsible for improving or building the following in Santa Barbara:

1. Four Seasons Biltmore
2. San Ysidro Ranch
3. Montecito Country Club
4. Sandpiper Golf Course
5. Glen Annie Golf Course - technically Goleta (Survives today solely because of Ty Warner)
6. Rancho San Marcos (Santa Ynez)
7. Ty Warner Sea Center

He singlehandedly (Not confirmed since I don't have the time. This is a blog for crying out loud and I have a real job, so get over it.) employs more people in the city than any other individual. For this alone he should be revered.

He is known for his demand for quality and perfection. If I were him and had my name on something, I too would demand such things.

Ty Warner decided to become an Entrepreneur in 1986 after 20 years working for Dakin, now merged with Applause, and strike out on his own. In 1993, Ty came out with the Beanie Babies concept of plush toys and the rest they say is history.

http://world.ty.com/

But, what would a story such as this be if the secret behind the success not be revealed. How did he do it? How did Ty Warner create the most profitable toy company in the entire country and nobody even realize it, acknowledge it, or believe it. Until of course, Ty got a little peeved with the press and showed them his accounting records to set the record straight once and for all. How in the world did he do it?

Well, from what I can tell he had a secret weapon: He had a pipeline whereby he could sell his toys. This pipeline and the ability to supply product through them, these small family owned knick nack shops, allowed him to create a business in the beginning with very little overhead or staff. Genius I say. Total Genius.

And now some 10 years later he branches out into real estate. But not just any real estate, only the creme de la creme.

Check out his property in Kona, Hawaii:

http://www.konavillage.com/

Wow. I spent time here as a child and boy would I love to go back and see what he has done. Wow.

So if you are wandering around Santa Barbara and you happen to run into Ty Warner, smile, nod and be grateful to all he has done. Or better yet go buy one of his plush toys, maybe one where all the money goes to charity. I am sure he would appreciate that. Don't stop him, say hi, or even ask for his autograph, for he is just a man who appreciates his privacy and is content just living the good life in Santa Barbara, so leave him alone.

However, if Ty Warner is reading this and wants to have the most interesting man in Santa Barbara come be his Apprentice all you have to do is say the word and I will be there. Until we meet, my extreme respect. Senor Savvy....