Magic Johnson appears at Wayne State

Some of Wayne State University's most generous volunteers got something back last week when Michigan native and NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson dropped by campus for a guest appearance at a leadership luncheon and summit hosted to honor the volunteers.

Speaking during the Advocates and Champions Volunteer Leadership Luncheon and Summit at the Hilberry Gateway, Johnson, the former Los Angeles Lakers great who co-founded the SodexoMagic food and facilities management company, bantered with Richard A. Bierschbach, interim president of Wayne State University, as the two praised the work of the more than 100 honored faculty, staff and community volunteers.

"I pride myself on hiring the right people, paying them and then stepping back to let them do their job," said Johnson, co-founder of WSU food services vendor SodexoMagic, during his campus visit.

"Thanks to all of you for what you do," Johnson said during a 40-minute chat on Friday. "Thanks for providing all these great young people with a quality education. Thanks for all of you who reach back and give back to help these young people achieve their goals and dreams. Somebody helped you, and somebody helped me achieve my goals and dreams. So, thank you for what you do for Wayne State University."

Johnson, whose SodexoMagic was named WSU's official food and dining facilities vendor earlier this year, talked with a mix of passion and humor about the importance of teamwork, effort and vision in business. A five-time NBA champion as well as an NCAA national champion at Michigan State, he also shared how tough lessons learned from his father during his upbringing in East Lansing served him in sports and business.

Johnson, an NBA and NCAA champion, visited the WSU Fieldhouse following his conversation with President Bierschbach.

"My father had two jobs: He worked for General Motors during the evening, and he owned a trash hauling service," Johnson recalled. "During the school year, I would work on the trash truck on Saturdays. My job was to get all the loose trash around the barrels and then he would pick up the barrels and take them and dump 'em on the truck. One day, we must have had 10, 12 inches of snow. It was too cold for me that day. So, I did the job halfway, and I ran back to the cabin of the truck. Just as I closed the door, my father opened the door and grabbed me with one hand, took me back to those barrels. He said, 'Listen to me, if you do this job halfway, you're going to practice basketball halfway. You're going to do your homework halfway. I want you to chop that ice and get that trash out of the ice and put it on the truck.'

"That's when my life changed. Everything I did from there improved. My father really set the tone for me. And my job is to set the tone for my team. I'm a very disciplined man probably from that (experience) as well as from basketball so I want my team to be disciplined."

Johnson, who also has owned movie theaters, restaurants and health clubs and is part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and the Washington Commanders of the NFL, said that he's able to keep his business empire - organized collectively under his Magic Johnson Enterprises - running smoothly by staying focused, hiring the right people and insisting on accountability at every level.

"Just like any organization, we've got to have great people who have outstanding expertise and who are willing to work together for the company, for the brand, and then for the clients and customers that we serve every single day," said Johnson. "I pride myself on hiring the right people, paying them and then stepping back to let them do their job. And then the last thing is about accountability. I'm big on accountability. Whether it's in business or team sports, holding each other accountable is how you end up winning. I won't tolerate anything less than the best, I don't make excuses, and I don't want to hear any."

Johnson, whose SodexoMagic partnered with Wayne State in July, sits next to Darryl Gardner, WSU Vice Provost for Student Success, Support, and Engagement, who manages the partnership for the university.

After speaking at the summit, Johnson briefly visited the Wayne State Fieldhouse to chat with SodexoMagic campus and student life employees.

In July, SodexoMagic and WSU partnered to provide catering as well as food and facilities management for the university's main residential dining hall, Towers Café, in addition to other campus retail locations.

"Our aim is to create a dining program that exceeds expectations and reflects the cultural, dietary and nutritional needs of the full scope of our diverse, energetic university," said Dr. Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, in an announcement about the partnership. "Working with SodexoMagic will allow us to provide these dining services while heightening our focus on efficiency, transparency and customer satisfaction."