When speaking with Simon Blattner, there is a strong sense of accomplishment. Anyone in town, who at least knows of him, can recognize the events, boards and committees he is a part of. Yet as an important man of influence, Blattner also has a lot of gratitude and remains very down-to-earth. “There is no big deal in working hard and making some money,” he said. Always approachable, Blattner graciously chatted with this reporter. Curious about the ‘secrets to success,’ he laughed as he noted, “I have no secrets to success; besides simply working hard and forming good skills. I was very lucky.”
“I often wonder how I got here. I am amazed,” he said.
The sense of gratitude and being very lucky is one of the reasons why Blattner is passionate about philanthropy. As reported in The Sonoma Valley Sun in March, Blattner is one of the benefactors behind the micro-loan program at The La Luz Center. La Luz has a presence online and donations can be made through its website. Yet, much of the work La Luz does is in person, at a grassroots level, family to family. And, through someone like Blattner, its by way of one community group reaching out to another.
He credits much of the work with La Luz to his wife Kimberly. She has been a driving force for La Luz Center. “Kimberly has said to me more than once, ‘we started out at third base, when so many people don’t even get to the field to play at all.’ That is why she and I have been working with La Luz, to level the playing field for others so that more people can get a chance to be in business.”
That “starting out at third base” for Blattner was Northwestern University in Illinois. Describing himself as “just a kid from Lima, Ohio. It was my older brother (the one who became a lawyer) who pushed me to get better grades in college. My first year at Northwestern was party time,” he said.
Still, it was when his father began to struggle financially, that Blattner had to really dedicate himself to completing his degree. “My dad wanted me to leave Northwestern, come home, work for a year or two and then transfer to Ohio State University. I told him ‘No, dad I want to stay at Northwestern and if that means I have to work and go to school, then that is what I will do.’”
Since that time, Blattner has dedicated himself whole-heartedly to any work or project he believes in. His love of art, specifically hand-made limited-printed books, is evident throughout his office. It was his interest in printing, papermaking and paper products that brought him into the business world. “I like to compete; it is all part of working hard,” he said. Although the company Blattner worked for started out small. As it grew, he then later bought it and became CEO. In those early days, one of the reasons why they could stand up to the competitors was dedication.
“Listening is a key element, Blattner said. And, find the spot that discloses more to you.”
He noted that while their largest competitor “had more resources, made hard sales,” his company beat out the big competition because…”we consistently delivered immediately and knew our customers.” “We also, hired the best people.” Which, as he noted, for a any small business can be difficult when budgets are limited.
Whether large or small, in any business, “relationships are important. But you must deliver,” he added. While competitiveness is exciting and drives a business, Blattner noted, a business does not have to win at the expense of crushing others. Aim for a deal that works for both sides,” he said.
At this point in his life, looking back, he is very grateful he can participate in philanthropic work and promote the efforts of an outreach like La Luz.
