COMPANY HAS FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE OF ITS FOUNDER TO GIVE BACK TO OUR LOUISIANA COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT ROYOMARTIN.COM.

CONTRIBUTING OVER $3.5 BILLION FOR K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION, THE LOTTERY IS GIVING LOUISIANA A REASON TO SMILE.

SUPPORT FOR THE 2018 LOUISIANA LEGENDS COMES FROM WILLIS KNIGHTON, A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION, SERVING PATIENTS SINCE 1924.

HELLO.

WELCOME TO THIS EDITION OF "LOUISIANA LEGENDS."

I'M IN THE LOVELY HOME OF THOMAS CHANCE, OR THE BOYHOOD HOME OF THOMAS CHANCE.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU, THOMAS.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.

WELL, I APPRECIATE IT, BETH.

IT'S A GREAT RECOGNITION, AND I'M HUMBLY APPRECIATIVE.

WE APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOU TAKING THE TIME TO VISIT WITH US, BUT FIRST LET'S TAKE A LOOK BACK AT OUR LITTLE BIO CLIP WE DID FOR THE "LEGENDS" EVENT.

THOMAS CHANCE IS FEARLESS, BRILLIANT, AND HUMBLE.

HE IS A HIGHLY MOTIVATED PERSON.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

HE'S ALWAYS SHOOTING FOR THE STARS.

AS A YOUNG BOY, THOMAS CHANCE WANTED TO BE AN INVENTOR AND WAS IN AWE OF MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL THINGS.

FROM DAY ONE, HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED TO DO.

HE WAS AT A CAMP EVERY SUMMER.

THOMAS WAS CAMPER OF THE WEEK MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD, I BELIEVE.

HE REALLY STRIVED TO DO GREAT.

IN SEVENTH GRADE, THOMAS JOINED HIS SCHOOL'S FOOTBALL TEAM AND MADE A GOOD BENCHWARMER UNTIL HIS COACH TAUGHT HIM FUNDAMENTALS AND PUT HIM IN THE GAME AS A LINEMAN, GIVING 110%.

HE QUICKLY MOVED TO FIRST STRING AND FINISHED AS ONE IN 4 CHOSEN FOR THE ALL-STAR TEAM.

IT WAS A GREAT CONFIDENCE BUILDER, AND THOMAS WENT ON TO BECOME JUNIOR HIGH PRESIDENT, KEY CLUB PRESIDENT, AND WAS CHOSEN TO ATTEND A NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PROGRAMMING IN ENGINEER AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.

HE MAJORED IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AT LSU, AND IT WAS ON A UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED TRIP TO GERMANY THAT THOMAS MET ANOTHER LSU STUDENT, LISA MANSUETO.

WE'VE BEEN A TEAM SINCE DAY ONE.

IF THERE'S SUCH A THING AS A SOUL MATE, I FOUND IT.

TODAY, SOME 36 YEARS LATER, THOMAS AND LISA ARE PARENTS TO FIVE CHILDREN AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN WITH ANOTHER ON THE WAY.

AS A DAD AND A HUSBAND, HE'S AN AMAZING MAN.

I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DOES IT ALL BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF HOURS HE PUTS INTO HIS CAREER AND INTO HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING.

THOMAS CHANCE CREDITS HIS PARENTS JOHN AND JORETTA CHANCE FOR MUCH OF HIS SUCCESS.

HIS FATHER'S OIL AND GAS SURVEYING AND MAPPING COMPANY EMPLOYED OVER 400 PEOPLE AND HAD MORE THAN A DOZEN SURVEY VESSELS.

I THINK HIS BIGGEST ROLE MODEL IS MY DAD.

HE WAS A WONDERFUL ROLE MODEL NOT ONLY FOR ALL OF US, BUT FOR THOMAS.

EVERYBODY IN TOWN LIKED HIM.

HIS EMPLOYEES LOVED HIM, AND THOMAS GOT A LOT OF THAT.

WHILE WORKING FOR HIS FATHER, THOMAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STARFIX, THE WORLD'S FIRST PRIVATELY-OWNED SATELLITE-BASED NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

SIMILAR TO TODAY'S GPS, STARFIX WAS REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY FOR ITS TIME AND WAS BUILT BY A TEAM BASED IN LOUISIANA.

FIVE YEARS IN HIS CAREER, THOMAS RETURNED TO SCHOOL AND OBTAINED A MASTER'S IN MANAGEMENT FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY.

WHEN HIS FATHER SOLD THE COMPANY, HE AND HIS BROTHER STARTED C & C TECHNOLOGIES WITH TEN OFFICES WORLDWIDE.

UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS SONAR TECHNOLOGY, C & C DEVELOPED AN AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE.

IT WAS THE FIRST COMPANY IN THE WORLD TO OFFER THESE SERVICES.

AS THE COMPANY GOT BIGGER, SO DID MORE OPPORTUNITIES GROW.

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE EXPANSION OF ANOTHER COMPANY.

ASV GLOBAL DEVELOPED AND THE BUSINESS OF UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES.

BASICALLY, DRIVERLESS BOATS BECAME PART OF THE MIX.

IT IS A NAVY TECHNOLOGY HISTORICALLY THAT THOMAS GRABBED HOLD OF.

IT IS A MARITIME SURFACE VESSEL THAT HAS NO PILOT ON BOARD.

EVERYTHING COMES ACROSS VIA SATELLITE.

THE CAPTAIN CAN BE SLEEPING IN THEIR OWN BED AT NIGHT BUT STILL PILOTING THE HIGH SEAS.

PRETTY INTERESTING.

IN 2018, THE CHANCE BROTHERS SOLD C & C TECHNOLOGIES.

NOT READY TO RETIRE, THOMAS BOUGHT HIS PORTION OF HIS BROTHER'S ASV.

HE IS REGARDED THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY INDUSTRY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR BUT ALSO KIND OF A GENTLEMAN OF A LOST BREED, SO TO SPEAK.

A HANDSHAKE IS AS GOOD AS A CONTRACT.

WHILE IT MAY SEEM THOMAS CHANCE IS ALL BUSINESS, HIS AUTONOMOUS INVENTION TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO HIS PLAY.

EVERY HALLOWEEN TIME, HE SETS UP TWO 40-FOOT CONTAINERS IN HIS DRIVEWAY.

HE'S GOT A FULLY ROBOTIC HAUNTED HOUSE.

IT HAS A "ONE COME, COME ALL" SIGN IN FRONT OF IT.

HE ENTERTAINS ALL OF LAFAYETTE'S CHILDREN ON THIS THING AND HAS TAKEN GREAT JOY IN THAT FOR YEARS.

IT'S BEEN A LIFETIME OF GOOD DECISIONS THAT HAVE LED TO SUCCESS FOR CHANCE.

AS A PERSON OF HIGH INTEGRITY, HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED THINGS THAT OTHERS ARE DAUNTED BY.

HE HAS A REMARKABLE TRACK RECORD.

HE HAS A SMILE ON HIS FACE ALL OF THE TIME.

NO MATTER WHAT.

HE'S A REALLY NICE PERSON.

AND THAT MAKES ME PROUD.

SO, THOMAS, WE'RE HERE IN YOUR BOYHOOD HOME OF HAZETOWN, A LOVELY TOWN HERE IN LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.

EVERYONE SEEMS TO LOVE LIVING IN LAFAYETTE.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT'S SO?

LAFAYETTE CERTAINLY HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE CULTURE.

HAVING GROWN UP HERE IN THE 60s, THERE WAS A LOT OF FRENCH-SPEAKING PEOPLE, WAY MORE THAN THERE IS NOW.

THE OIL INDUSTRY BROUGHT PEOPLE IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER, BUT I DON'T KNOW.

LAFAYETTE WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE HAPPIEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY JUST A FEW YEARS AGO BY "WALL STREET JOURNAL."

PEOPLE LOVE THE PLACE.

YOUR FAMILY IS HERE IN LOUISIANA HAPPILY.

YOU HAVE HOW MANY CHILDREN NOW?

MY WIFE AND I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN, THREE GIRLS AND TWO BOYS.

THREE OF THEM ARE HERE AND TWO IN BATON ROUGE, SO NONE OF THEM ARE VERY FAR, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.

NOWADAYS YOU SEE KIDS RUNNING OFF ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THEM HERE.

THEN WE HAVE FIVE GRAND KIDS TOO.

AS OF YESTERDAY, WE WENT FROM FOUR TO FIVE.

CONGRATULATIONS.

HOW WONDERFUL.

YOUR BUSINESSES ARE REALLY INTERNATIONAL.

WHAT IS IT LIKE NOW DOING A BUSINESS IN A WORLD ENVIRONMENT?

HAS IT CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARS?

SURE.

IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE THE WORLD HAS GOTTEN SMALLER AND BUSINESS IS ROUTINELY DONE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

WE'VE HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE WORLD.

THE CULTURES ARE DIFFERENT.

THE BUSINESS IS THE SAME AND THE BUSINESS THINKING IS ALMOST THE SAME, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT.

YOU GO TO SOUTH AMERICA.

YOU GO TO AFRICA.

YOU GO TO EUROPE AND THE FAR EAST.

IT'S AMAZING HOW DIFFERENT.

YET SOME PARTS ARE VERY SIMILAR, BUT SOME PARTS ARE ACTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT.

I WAS SO FASCINATED LEARNING ABOUT THIS UNMANNED BOAT THAT YOU DO.

DID YOU PERSONALLY INVENT THAT?

WELL, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING UNMANNED BOATS FOR PROBABLY -- THE FIRST ONE WAS DONE 80 YEARS AGO.

MY FIRST COMPANY, C & C TECHNOLOGIES, WE WORKED IN AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE BUSINESS WHERE WE DEVELOPED SYSTEMS TO SURVEY ALONG THE OCEAN BOTTOM WITHOUT IT TETHERED TO SURFACE.

WE REALLY LED THE WORLD IN THAT AREA.

HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE, I COULD SEE THAT THE MOON AND STARS WERE REALLY IN ALIGNMENT FOR US TO DO THE SAME THING IN UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLE AREA.

WE WERE LEADING THE WORLD IN THAT UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLE AREA.

NOW WE'RE CERTAINLY IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE LEADING THE WORLD IN THE UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLE AREA.

LIKE DRIVERLESS CARS, WE'RE DOING DRIVERLESS BOATS.

HAVE YOU HAD SOME ACCIDENTS?

I WILL TELL YOU IF YOU'RE OUT IN THE OPEN OCEAN AND YOU'RE DOING 5 OR 10 KNOTS, IT'S A LOT MORE RATIONAL THAN BEING ON THE HIGHWAY.

NOBODY IS AT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THERE'S KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT.

THE WORLD IS NOT QUITE READY FOR THAT.

THAT LAST BIT OF AUTONOMY IS TOUGH TO GET.

YOU SAID YOU LOVE TO DO THAT.

YOU ENJOY EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, SO IT IS FUN BEING IN BUSINESS.

YEAH, IT'S FUN.

IT'S FUN.

IT HAS ITS CHALLENGES, BUT IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO DO THAT, CREATE NEW THINGS?

AS A YOUNG CHILD?

I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD CLASSIFY MYSELF AS AN INVENTOR, BUT CERTAINLY, EVEN AS A YOUNG CHILD, I REALLY LIKED TO INVENT.

THEN I ALWAYS WANTED -- EVER SINCE I COULD REMEMBER, I WANTED TO BE AN INVENTOR, RIGHT?

IT WAS KIND OF UPSETTING BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THOMAS EDISON INVENTED EVERYTHING.

THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO INVENT.

BUT AS TIME WENT ON, CERTAINLY AS A CHILD, I WAS DOING ALL KIND OF THINGS FROM CHEMISTRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY AND MAKING PROJECTORS AND MAKING MOTORS AND MAKING SOAP THAT WOULD MAKE RINGS IN THE BATHTUB THAT MY MOM COULDN'T GET OUT AND ALL KIND OF THINGS.

BUT AS TIME WENT ON, THEN THE IDEA OF, HEY, LOOK, WE CAN GET A BUNCH OF SMART PEOPLE TOGETHER AND DO A LOT MORE THAN WHAT ONE PERSON COULD DO.

SO, I CAN'T SAY I'M A TECHNOLOGICAL LEADER MYSELF, BUT I'M WORKING WITH A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE.

THEY CAN GET IT DONE.

BUT YOU'RE CURIOUS.

ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK CURIOSITY IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE INBRED IN YOU.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT OR NOT?

YEAH, CERTAINLY.

I PROBABLY DO THINGS AND DEVELOP SOME THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE SCARED OF.

THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, THOMAS IS CRAZY.

MAYBE I AM.

IT'S OKAY.

IT'S OKAY FOR ME, SO IT'S WORKED OUT SO FAR.

THE OTHER THING IS HARD WORK.

YOU'RE NOT A VERY BULKED UP FELLOW.

YOU'RE SLIGHT, BUT YOU PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

IN SEVENTH GRADE, I WENT AFTER THE FOOTBALL TEAM.

OF COURSE, THEY TOOK EVERYBODY AS THEY DO NOW.

I WASN'T BIG.

I WAS A GOOD BENCHWARMER FOR THE FIRST FEW GAMES.

I TOLD MY COACH, HANK PERETT, WHO IS AN ATTORNEY NOW, PUT ME IN TO DO SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO.

I CAN'T RUN FAST.

I CAN'T CATCH THE BALL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO LEFT.

HE PUT ME IN AS A LINEMAN.

I'VE BEEN PUSHING A LAWN MOWER SINCE I WAS 8 YEARS OLD, SO IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMILAR.

WITH HIS COACHING, I REALLY EXCELLED.

IT GAVE ME A LOT OF CONFIDENCE AS A YOUNG BOY.

I REALLY HAVE TO SAY THAT IT SNOWBALLED INTO OTHER THINGS THROUGH MY BUSINESS, THROUGH MY MARRIAGE.

BUT IT TAKES HOURS OF DETERMINATION, SO YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE DOING, RIGHT?

THERE'S THAT FAMOUS BOOK THAT TALKS ABOUT 10,000 HOURS OF PRACTICE, WHETHER IT IS SOCCER OR THE CELLO.

RIGHT.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT WHOLE CONCEPT OF HOURS OF PRACTICE?

ABSOLUTELY.

I WAS SPEAKING TO A GROUP JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

I TOLD THEM, I SAID, LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO START A COMPANY, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS GO WORK FOR A COMPANY YOU LIKE, LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, AFTER FIVE YEARS, GO AND TRY THAT.

THAT'S KIND OF THE OPEN COURT LAYUP AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, I'M GOING TO DROP OUT OF COLLEGE BECAUSE BILL GATES DID THAT, AND I'M GOING TO START A COMPANY IN SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW ABOUT.

THAT'S A VERY LOW PROBABILITY PATHWAY.

THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER WAYS TO DO IT THAT ENSURE SUCCESS.

IT TAKES HARD WORK, CURIOSITY, DETERMINATION.

DO YOU THINK YOU WERE ALSO PREPARED BY YOUR SCHOOL PREPARATIONS IN LAFAYETTE AND THEN WHEN YOU WENT ON TO LSU IN ENGINEERING?

SURE.

JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM HERE, I'D WALK TO SCHOOL.

IT WAS FIRST GRADE THROUGH 12th GRADE AT THE TIME.

THEY CERTAINLY TAUGHT ME THE GOLDEN RULE.

CERTAINLY LEARNED THAT AND WENT OFF TO LSU, WHICH IS A BIT TERRIFYING FOR ME BECAUSE IT WAS AN HOUR AWAY.

IT WAS KIND OF FAR, RIGHT?

BACK IN '77, STUDIED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, WHICH IS ALSO TERRIFYING.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY THERE DURING ORIENTATION THEY GOT US ALL IN THE ASSEMBLY CENTER.

THEY SAID, WELL, LOOK AT THE PERSON ON YOUR LEFT.

LOOK AT THE PERSON ON YOUR RIGHT.

OF THE THREE OF Y'ALL, ONLY ONE OF YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS ENGINEERING PROGRAM.

I KNEW I HAD TO RUN HARD BECAUSE I HAD A LOT OF GOOD, SMART PEOPLE THERE, BUT I LEARNED TO RUN HARD FROM AN EARLY AGE.

YOU WERE A LONG DISTANCE RUNNER.

I WAS A LONG DISTANCE RUNNER, BUT I LEARNED TO WORK HARD FROM AN EARLY AGE.

AND LOOK OUT AT THIS GENERATION NOW.

WE WORRY ABOUT ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA NOW.

THERE SEEMS TO BE -- WE SEEM TO HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT OUR STATE.

WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT WE'RE AT THE BOTTOM OF LISTS THAT ARE ONES WE WANT TO BE AT THE TOP OF LISTS.

DO YOU SENSE THAT MAYBE LOUISIANA WASN'T AS POSITIVE AS IT WAS WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

LOUISIANA HAS HUGE OPPORTUNITIES.

WE HAVE HUGE CHALLENGES HERE.

WE HAVE GREAT UNIVERSITIES.

THE ONE IN LAFAYETTE IS PHENOMENAL.

IT'S A PHENOMENAL SCHOOL WITH A PHENOMENAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM, PHENOMENAL COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM.

I'VE HIRED A ZILLION PEOPLE FROM THIS AREA FROM THE UNIVERSITY.

I'LL STACK THEM UP AGAINST THE SILICON VALLEY AND NEW YORK PEOPLE.

THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS HEARING ABOUT THAT.

LET'S FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY.

IT'S SO BIG HERE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT HURRICANE COMING THAT MIGHT HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON LOUISIANA?

I GREW UP HEARING ABOUT HURRICANE AUDREY.

IT'S TERRIFYING.

IF I LEARNED ANYTHING GROWING UP ABOUT HURRICANES, IT IS GET THE HECK OUT OF THE WAY.

DON'T SAY, OH, YEAH, I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.

I'M NOT SCARED.

I REMEMBER -- I GUESS IT WAS HURRICANE CAMILLE.

ALL THE COLLEGE KIDS WERE IN A HURRICANE-PROOF HOUSE, AND A LOT OF THEM DIED.

WE'RE NOT GOING THERE.

THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT HURRICANES.

WE'RE ALSO WORRIED NOW THAT SOME OF THE MARSH AND PARTS OF LOUISIANA ARE ERODING.

THAT SEEMS TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THINGS WE HAVE DOWN ON THE COAST.

YOU'RE WONDERING HOW LONG THEY CAN BE SUSTAINED.

RIGHT.

THE MARSH AND THE WATER IN THE MISSISSIPPI, 99% OF THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 99% OF THAT COASTAL EROSION.

IT IS ALMOST A MANMADE PROBLEM.

AND AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO SUSTAIN IT BY BUILDING OFFSHORE STRUCTURES IS -- TIME WILL TELL IF THAT WORKS.

MOTHER NATURE IS PRETTY POWERFUL WHEN IT DECIDES TO COME IN WITH A HURRICANE AND JUST WIPE OUT EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS IN ONE NIGHT.

RIGHT.

ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S DREAM TOGETHER.

LOOKING OUT INTO THE FUTURE, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT TO DO THAT YOU HAVEN'T DONE YET?

OH, GEEZ.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I'M A GUY THAT LIKES TO STICK TO THE NEEDNEEDING.

I UNDERSTAND THE AUTONOMY STUFF.

I'M AN ENTREPRENEUR, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DANCE OUT OF THE CORRIDOR THAT I UNDERSTAND.

THERE'S CERTAINLY AREAS IN THE UNMANNED BOAT BUSINESS THAT ARE JUST BLOSSOMING FROM A DEFENSE STANDPOINT AND COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT.

BOATS, LARGER AND LARGER, ARE LOOKING TO GO UNMANNED.

WE CAN REDUCE COSTS.

WE CAN BUILD LARGE VESSELS AT HALF THE COST AND GET TWO VESSELS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE IF THEY GO UNMANNED.

IT'S NOT GOING BACK.

IT IS LIKE A TRACTOR HAS TAKEN OVER FROM THE MULE AND PLOW.

THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK TO THE MULE AND PLOW, RIGHT?

RIGHT, RIGHT.

UNMANNED BOATS ARE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD.

NOT IN 100% OF THE CASES, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE OF THAT.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR GRANDCHILDREN?

WHAT KIND OF JOBS DO YOU THINK THEY'LL HAVE?

THEY'LL BE WAY AHEAD OF ME.

MY OLDEST GRANDSON, WHO IS 5 YEARS OLD, YOU GIVE HIM ANOTHER FIVE YEARS -- YOU KNOW HOW 10 AND 11 AND 12-YEAR-OLD KIDS ARE.

IF YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HOW YOUR PHONE WORKS OR YOUR COMPUTER WORKS, YOU ASKED A 10 OR 12-YEAR-OLD.

YOU DEFINITELY HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR FOR HALLOWEEN.

IS THAT FUN FOR YOU, HAVING THE FUN ROBOTIC THINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

IS THAT A PLEASURE?

YEAH.

IT'S 25, 20 YEARS AGO WHEN MY KIDS WERE LITTLE.

THEY SAID, DAD, COULD WE DO A HAUNTED HOUSE.

I SAID, YEAH.

WE DID SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE.

I GOT PLASTIC SHEETING AND MADE A TUNNEL.

PEOPLE WOULD WALK THROUGH AND SEE PICTURES OF GHOSTS AND PUMPKINS.

THEY WOULD GET SOME CANDY.

NOTHING SCARY.

NOTHING GORY.

AS TIME WENT ON, I ADDED MORE AND MORE STUFF.

NOW IT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND.

WE'LL HAVE 1600 PEOPLE SHOW UP AT OUR HOUSE FOR THE LAST FOUR NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN OF OCTOBER.

IT IS ALL FREE.

KIDS START ASKING ME ABOUT IT MIDSUMMER.

MR.

THOMAS, ARE YOU GOING TO DO THE HAUNTED HOUSE?

YEAH, I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO.

EVERYBODY IS BANKING ON IT.

IT IS A LOT OF FUN FOR THOSE KIDS AND THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS.

IT IS AN AUTONOMOUS TRAIN RIDE AND EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH.

IT IS VERY FAMILY ORIENTED.

DO YOU FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO GIVE BACK NOT ONLY TO YOUR FAMILY BUT TO THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN?

ABSOLUTELY.

I GUESS THAT'S PART OF IT.

I TRY TO DO THAT AS MUCH AS I CAN.

OF COURSE, I'M ALWAYS RUNNING BUSINESSES AND DEDICATING HUGE AMOUNTS OF TIME TO THAT, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE'VE DONE SOME OF THAT AND HELPED SOME OF THE LOCAL CHARITIES.

THERE'S ALWAYS PLENTY TO DO IN THAT AREA.

DO YOU THINK YOU'RE EVER GOING TO RETIRE AND SIT BACK IN A ROCKING CHAIR?

I CAN RETIRE FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES.

THEN I WILL GO CRAZY, SO I'VE GOT TO KEEP GOING.

PROBABLY NOT.

WHAT ARE THE SPORTS YOU LIKE TO DO?

I USED TO RUN.

I HURT MY BACK A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I KIND OF BACKED OFF, BUT FOR YEARS, I'VE RUN.

I CERTAINLY LIKE TO WATCH THE LSU FOOTBALL GAMES AND ALL OF THE COLLEGE SPORTS, WHICH ARE REALLY EXCITING FOR ME.

WE VIEW YOU AS A LEGEND.

WE'RE SO IMPRESSED WITH ALL YOU HAVE CREATED IN YOUR BUSINESS FIELD AS WELL AS IN YOUR COMMUNITY HERE AND WITH YOUR FAMILY, BUT GIVE SOME ADVICE TO OTHERS.

LET'S GIVE OUR VIEWERS JUST A LITTLE ADVICE ON HOW THEY MIGHT SUCCEED.

WELL, CERTAINLY, SUCCEEDING IS A MATTER OF BEING TENACIOUS, WORKING HARD, NOT GIVING UP, CERTAINLY GETTING INPUT FROM OTHERS.

IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING, IT IS IN THE SEISMIC INDUSTRY THEY STACK DATA.

THEY GET ENOUGH SAMPLES UNTIL THE NOISE STARTS TO GO AWAY AND THE REAL STUFF COMES OUT.

MAKING CONSENSUS DECISIONS BY TALKING TO PEOPLE AND THE CUSTOMERS AND THE TECHNICAL PEOPLE AND BRINGING ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY TO SUCCESS.

IF YOU GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, TEN YEARS LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO BE WAY IN THE HECK OVER THERE OR WAY IN THE HECK OVER THERE DEPENDING ON HOW YOU RUN THAT RUTTER TODAY.

WORK HARD AND CONCENTRATING IN AN AREA AND LEARNING IT WELL, GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE CUSTOMERS AND LETTING THAT DRIVE YOU AS OPPOSED TO TECHNOLOGY PUSH ITS MARKET POOL AND GETTING THAT CONSENSUS INFORMATION BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION.

I GUESS ALSO IF YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL, YOU'RE GRATEFUL TO SOME PEOPLE.

IN THIS INSTANCE, PROBABLY YOUR FAMILY.

SOUNDS LIKE YOUR MOM AND DAD.

SURE.

CERTAINLY, MY FAMILY.

EVERYTHING FROM MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO WORK HARD TO MY PARENTS -- YOU PAID YOU $3.50 FOR MOWING, RIGHT?

$3.50 TO CUT THE YARD.

THAT WAS GOOD MONEY BACK THEN.

BUT CERTAINLY MY PARENTS, MY SCHOOL.

IN BUSINESS, THE EMPLOYEES AND THE CUSTOMERS.

THE EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD GO -- FROM THE OFFICE STAFF TO THE FIELD STAFF AND PEOPLE IN THE FIELD THAT ARE WORKING AWAY FROM HOME FOR WEEKS AT A TIME, A WHOLE CAREER AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES, IT IS REALLY TOUGH ON THE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE FAMILIES, SO I'M IMMENSELY GRATEFUL FOR ALL -- IT TAKES ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE RUNNING -- IT IS LIKE A CHAIN IS AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK.

EVERYTHING HAS TO PULL TOGETHER FOR IT TO WORK.

A LOT OF SMART LEADERS IN THE COMPANIES I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH, A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE, WHICH IS REALLY -- SO, ANY ADVICE TO LOUISIANIANS WHO WANT A SUCCESS FOR THEIR STATE?

LOUISIANA HAS AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND PROBABLY MORE SO NOW WITH THE INTERNET GOING.

PEOPLE MOVE AROUND THE WORLD SO EASILY.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE IN NEW YORK TO DO INTERNATIONAL WORK.

YOU CAN DO IT FROM HERE IN LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.

STAY HERE.

BE TENACIOUS.

WORK HARD.

GET OPINIONS OF OTHERS WHO ARE IN A GOOD POSITION TO KNOW AND DOG THE HECK OUT OF IT.

THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU SAID YOU BRING AN EMPLOYEE DOWN HERE TO YOUR COMPANY.

HOW DO YOU KEEP THEM?

IN ADDITION TO HIRING LOCALLY, WE FIND SOMEONE WHO IS TRAINED IN SOME SPECIFIC AREA.

THAT MAY BE FROM CANADA OR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IF YOU GET THEM HERE LOCALLY AND WORKING AND THEY'RE YOUNG, IF THEY END UP MARRYING SOMEBODY LOCALLY, THEN THE LIKELIHOOD IS -- THAT'S A BIG ANCHOR, RIGHT, BECAUSE MOM IS RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.

GRANDMA IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

AND SO, IT HELPS IN RETAINING EMPLOYEES FOR SURE.

TOM, THANKS FOR LETTING US COME TO YOUR HOMETOWN.

CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING A "LOUISIANA LEGEND."

WE'RE VERY PROUD TO KNOW YOU, AND THANKS FOR THE CONVERSATION.

THANKS, BETH.

IT WAS VERY ENJOYABLE.

I'M BETH COURTNEY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

SINCE 1923, ROY O. MARTIN, A LOUISIANA-BASED WOOD PRODUCTS COMPANY, HAS FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE OF ITS FOUNDER TO GIVE BACK TO OUR LOUISIANA COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT ROYOMARTIN.COM.

THE LOUISIANA LOTTERY IS PROUD TO JOIN LPB IN HONORING THE 2018 LOUISIANA LEGENDS, CONTRIBUTING OVER $3.5 BILLION FOR K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION.

THE LOTTERY IS GIVING LOUISIANA A REASON TO SMILE.

SUPPORT FOR THE 2018 LOUISIANA LEGENDS COMES FROM WILLIS KNIGHTON, A NOT FOR PROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM SERVING PATIENTS SINCE 1924.

FOR A COPY OF THIS PROGRAM, CALL 1-800-973-7246 OR GO ONLINE