Family drama
One Hour
Lee Mooney is at his best turning around failing companies, with little concern for the human cost. When he returns home and finds his family’s manufacturing business in shambles, he is forced to reckon with what he truly values.
A Personal Story
Too Late the Hero is a deeply personal story.
I’ve lived with these people. Hired these people, fired these people. Been these people.
Just a few years after I was brought on to “rescue” my best friends’ family manufacturing business, I was the one who closed the doors after the last piece of equipment was sold.
Like TLTH’s Lee Mooney, I told the daughter of a company’s founder that her family sold the business. During the office Christmas party. I changed the locks on a factory an hour before a presidential candidate visited the union’s town hall meeting; you may have read about that one in Time magazine.
I have also saved jobs. I helped teams shave tens of millions of dollars from their products and processes, and have gone toe-to-toe with corporate board members to recognize and respect “the little guy” who gets it done.
When Lee Mooney faces The Choice – making a lot of money shuttering companies or earning self-respect for saving them – I know where he’s coming from.
Capitalism rewards “creative destruction”, without acknowledging exactly who or what is being destroyed.
Lee Mooney’s father taught him that to win respect in life, you have to win respect in business. To chase every nickel. But when Lee turns his market marauder’s eye on Mooney Manufacturing…
Americans glorify business leaders until we vilify them. We honor the people who drive society until we tear them down. Where does Lee Mooney, his family, his community fit in that continuum? Can a professional turnaround expert turn things around when it’s personal?
When he faces his family’s cratering business, will he do the right thing?
What even is the right thing?
Is he monster or savior? And if the latter, is it too little too late?
