GF Blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

GFX 2013: ‘The Rookie’ Tells Attendees to Follow Their Dreams

Jim Morris, keynote speaker for GFX on Tuesday, June 11, inspired conference attendees during his speech on following dreams. Morris, whose life story was made into a movie, “The Rookie."

by Staff
June 12, 2013
GFX 2013: ‘The Rookie’ Tells Attendees to Follow Their Dreams

 

1 min to read


Jim Morris, keynote speaker for GFX on Tuesday, June 11, inspired conference attendees during his speech on following dreams. Morris, whose life story was made into a movie, “The Rookie,” talked about giving up his dream of becoming a baseball player and starting again (and succeeding) when he was in his 30s.

He went through life with “dreamkillers,” or those who prevented him from achieving his dreams. “Dreamkillers come in all shapes and forms. Know who’s around you,” he said.

Ad Loading...

He also spoke about “dreammakers,” or the people who inspired and encouraged him to follow his dreams. In Morris’s case, it was his grandparents, who he lived with during his teenage years.

He recommended the audience surround themselves with good people, and to get the dreamkillers out of the way. Finally, he told the audience what his grandfather taught him, to “remember who you are.” He said people should always do their best, and not do anything they wouldn’t be proud of or want to hide.

Morris added that one of the most important lessons he learned as a youth baseball coach was teamwork.

“It’s about teamwork. It’s about doing what you’re supposed to do and helping others do it,” Morris said.

AssetWorks sponsored the keynote address. Joe Keefe of AssetWorks introduced Morris.

More Operations

A youtube cheat sheet graphic.
Operations•October 11, 2026

Hazard Alerts, Fleet Car Sales Rise and a New Shuttle Concept

Fleet car sales doubled, but the bigger picture tells a different story in this week’s roundup.

Read More →
an image with let the data drive text overlay
Operations•by Jeanny Abraham•October 9, 2026

How St. Johns County Turned Fleet Data Into Better Replacement Decisions

St. Johns County, Florida, had fleet data, but turning it into reliable decision guidance was another matter. Instead of starting over with a new fleet management system, the county connected existing tools and built a scoring system that gives managers an objective look at fleet health.

Read More →
A graphic of passes for Fleet Forward.
Operations•by Staff Writer•October 6, 2026

Fleet Forward Conference Introduces One-Day Passes for 2026 

New one-day registration lets fleet professionals attend Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, with passes available for $249.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two buses with a logo above them.
Operations•by News/Media Release•October 5, 2026

ENC Unveils its ZAVIR Medium-Duty Shuttle

Two variants of the concept shuttles were revealed: a low-floor configuration and a high-floor configuration.

Read More →
A graphic of an auto shop and cheat sheet text.
Operations•October 2, 2026

Could Your Next Fleet Technician Start as an Intern?

What if your next technician hasn’t worked in a fleet shop yet? What fleets are doing to free up time.

Read More →
a technician working with a text overlay that says Building Talent From Within
Operations•by Jeanny Abraham•October 2, 2026

How Phoenix Is Building Its Next Generation of Fleet Technicians

With more than 8,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment to maintain, the City of Phoenix could not afford to wait for fully trained technicians to walk through the door. Instead, they revamped their entire workforce strategy and showed how public fleets can create their own talent pipeline while preparing existing employees for increasingly complex vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A youtube graphic with a collage fleet images.
Operations•October 2, 2026

What’s Slowing Your Fleet Down?

Could a change in how work gets done help your fleet return vehicles to service sooner?

Read More →
A story graphic with data and cars.
Operations•by Nichole Osinski•October 1, 2026

Can Public Fleets Trust the Data Driving Their Decisions?

Public fleets have more data than ever, but inconsistent records and missing information can still undermine maintenance, replacement, and cost decisions.

Read More →
John Deere 40 P-Tier Compact Excavator
Operations•September 28, 2026

John Deere Introduces 40 P-Tier Compact Excavator

John Deere is adding a compact excavator designed for crews that need to move equipment between jobsites and handle multiple types of work with one machine. The 40 P-Tier weighs less than 10,000 pounds and offers configurable hydraulics, attachment options, and connected fleet-management capabilities.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A cheat sheet thumbnail with images of a checklist and fleet image.
Operations•September 25, 2026

How Leading Fleets Improve and Why Business Plans Matter

This week, we look at what past Leading Fleet winners can teach us about making progress, plus how to build a business plan your fleet will actually use.

Read More →