#413: From GameStop to Kinko's: Gary Kusin on Building, Scaling, and Creating Legacy Businesses

Independence by Design

In this episode of Independence by Design™, I sit down with Gary Kusin—an entrepreneur who built some of the most recognizable brands in the world, including GameStop and Kinko’s. Gary's incredible journey, from starting Babbage’s (which became GameStop) to leading Kinko’s to a billion-dollar sale to FedEx, is packed with lessons on scaling businesses, transitioning leadership, and maintaining company culture.
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We explore Gary's principles of leadership, his approach to mentorship, and how he helped align operations with the ownership's goals to achieve long-term value creation. Gary dives into how he balanced entrepreneurship with large-scale corporate leadership, shares why empathy and open communication are critical, and talks about the transition from founder-led businesses to strategic ownership.

If you're a business owner or operator who feels stuck in the weeds of day-to-day operations, this conversation will give you actionable steps to begin your own transformation. Gary’s experience aligns perfectly with the Independence by Design™ Framework, showing how owners can scale their businesses, create sustainable cash flow, and build a legacy without being trapped by the daily grind.

Gary Kusin is a serial entrepreneur and business leader, best known for co-founding GameStop and leading Kinko's through a massive growth phase before its acquisition by FedEx. Over his career, Gary has built and scaled multiple companies, mentored countless leaders, and distilled his insights into six core leadership principles that have guided his success. His upcoming book, Always Learning, is a deep dive into the lessons he’s learned on building businesses and developing teams that thrive.

Chapters:

• (00:00) Gary Kusin shares his leadership principles and mentoring approach, his journey from Texarkana to GameStop
• (05:39) Harvard Business School, unexpected career path, co-founding GameStop
• (13:00) Early days of GameStop, educating customers about video games, loyal fanbase, Wall Street challenges, maintaining relationships
• (19:00) Leadership's role in implementing a strategic turnaround, prioritizing trust, transparency, and open communication, leading to increased profitability and engagement
• (22:00) Building Team Culture: The importance of team buy-in, autonomy, and why "command and control" doesn’t work in every business, importance of empathy and communication for long-term success.
• (35:00) Thoughts on nurturing future leaders and creating a culture of ownership, Transformative leadership journey, hands-on management, high aspirations, hiring leaders with CEO potential, inclusive company culture, open communication, trust, recognizing diversity and privilege.
• (45:00) Foundational principles, clear communication, and empathy are crucial for a healthy work environment and team dynamics.
• (54:54) Transformative journey of navigating toxic workplaces, lessons from mentors, fostering supportive cultures, and making tough decisions with transparency and accountability.
• (1:06:00) Final Thoughts: Gary's advice for owners who want to scale and create lasting value without losing their identity.
• Share with the owner/operators you know!

Ryan Tansom is a seasoned entrepreneur, speaker, and the founder of Independence by Design™, a transformative ownership framework for growth-oriented business owners. After turning around and selling his family business in an eight-figure exit, Ryan spent over a decade dissecting the lessons learned from his journey. His mission is to help other business owners avoid the pitfalls he encountered by providing them with the tools and knowledge to align their business operations with their personal and financial goals.

With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by owner-operators, Ryan developed Independence by Design™ to empower owner-operators to create sustainable cash flow, grow their company’s equity value, and achieve true independence. He has shared his insights on hundreds of stages, including Vistage, EO, and industry associations, and has reached over 500,000 listeners through his podcast.

Ryan is passionate about helping business owners get unstuck from the day-to-day grind and design a business that serves their life, not the other way around.

Resources:

Gary Kusin LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/garykusin-author/
Website: https://www.garykusin.com/
Leveling Up Podcast https://www.garyandjillpodcast.com/
Always Learning by Gary Kusin – Gary’s upcoming book with stories and leadership principles from his journey.
Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel – A guide to scaling through acquisitions.
Independence by Design™ Owner’s Workshop https://ryantansom.com/independence-by-design-workshop
Independence by Design™ Ownership Coaching: Ryan Tansom’s Ownership Accelerator programs and coaching https://ryantansom.com/coaching
Ryan Tansom Website
Ryan Tansom LinkedIn
Ryan Tansom Twitter https://twitter.com/RyanTansom
Ryan Tansom YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ryantansom
Ryan Tansom 30-Minute Ownership Strategy Call https://calendar.app.google/tsKk7z6ohugDchWq8

Sound Bites:

"You have to check your ego at the door if you want to build a business that outlasts you." – Gary Kusin

"I wasn’t emotionally attached to the companies—I was attached to my team and the customers. That’s where the legacy is built." – Gary Kusin

"You have to align your operations with your ownership goals. If you don’t know what those goals are, you’ll be running in circles." – Ryan Tansom