b"HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A SHOOTING STARI first met Bill Pulte in 11th grade at De La Salle High School in Detroit, MI, and we quickly became friends. Even then, it was clear that Bill had no interest in following the traditional college path. While our teachers warned that skipping a college degree would leave him digging ditches, Bill had a visionand nothing was going to stop him from building homes.By the time he was 21, Bill had already built several houses, proving he was onto something. So when he asked me to join his new business, I hesitated. But then someone gave me a simple but powerful piece of advice: Hitch your wagon to a shooting star. So I did. I took the leapand soon foundmyself riding shotgun as employee #2 of Pulte Homes, one of the most unconventional and successful homebuilding enterprises in the country.Bill had a way of solving problems that was as fast as it was brilliant. When we struggled to get people to visit our subdivision, Concord Green, traditional signage wasnt an option. I suggested putting a car with signs on a main road. Bill didnt just run with the ideahe supercharged it. He bought a fleet of old cars, painted them green, and strategically parked them all over town, including in front of competitors developments.That one move changed everything. We had sold only afew homes in the previous six months. But after Bills bold marketing play, we sold nearly 50 homes in the next six months. Joe Baranska forged a lifelong Sales skyrocketed, and even our competitors had to admirefriendship with Bill, built on the genius of it. trust, hard work, and shared Despite his growing success, Bill never lost his humility. Hevision. Joe was Pulte Homes' attended Mass every morning, no matter where he was, andfirst sales manager, later rising believed in hiring people smarter than him in key areasthento Vice President of Sales giving them the freedom to do what they did best. before serving on the Board of Directors.He also had a funny quirk: he never carried cash. More than once, we had to bail him outlike the time his car got stuck in an airport parking lot because he had no money to pay. At a class reunion golf outing, three of his credit cards got declined, andwe had to cover for him so he could play. He just laughed it off, never worried about appearancesor impressing anyone.From a rebellious teenager to one of Americas most successful homebuilders, Bill Pulte proved that determination, faith, and simple yet brilliant thinking could reshape the landscapeliterally. The boy once told hed never amount to more than a ditch digger became one of the most influential builders in the country.Through it all, Bill remained the same humble, faith-driven manalways finding a way to solve problems, lift others up, and, most importantly, have fun doing it.By: Joe Baranska27"