Somehow, Ken Winans Makes Time for It All

Simply listing Ken Winans' accomplishments makes my head spin, so click here to access his website to find out details about his books and his company. For the moment, let’s go straight for the gusto and find out about what it was like to ride with the Blue Angels.

Were you frightened?

I really wasn’t. I had piloted sailplanes (gliders) in the past and I still have my license for that, so I wasn’t afraid but I did prepare myself for the possibility of getting sick or konking out. I was doing sit-ups a month prior to my flight. I fought the Gs by tightening up my muscles because that’s how the Blue Angel pilots do it – they can’t wear pressurized flight suits (because the automatic inflation of the suit could interfere with the controls) so they have to do it “old school,” by being in amazing condition.

Besides being extremely confident and polite people, those pilots are amazing athletes – total V shapes and not an ounce of body fat on them. I’ll never forget going 450 miles an hour 20 feet off the ground and then literally going straight up. ... I needed to qualify for the flight by going through an extensive physical to test my reflexes, and they also have strict height and weight requirements. At 6-foot-2 I just made the height restriction. My wife (Debbie Wreyford) is trying to get in the next round. (VIP riders need to be nominated by the people who run Fleet Week.) 

How long have you been married? 

I married my wife in 1998. It was a first marriage for both of us. A lot of things I’ve accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without Debbie.

Were you always a go-getter? 

Well, yes. I was very active in track and field as a kid growing up in a small mountain town in Southern California. I competed in a decathalon in the junior Olympics — Bruce Jenner was my hero — and later I got to travel to Europe to compete. I’ve always pushed myself and I consider my greatest assets an active mind and lots of energy.

So do you think that’s what it takes to make a successful person? An energetic mind and body?

And willpower. You need to tune out the negativity. Also, focus and determination. 

You’re a trustee for seven nonprofit organizations (Museum of Finance in New York; W Foundation in Novato; USS Hornet Museum in Alameda; Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland; San Francisco Fleet Week Association and the Society of California Pioneers in San Francisco; and The Holland Society of New York.) What does that mean? 

It means I'm responsible for the smooth running of those organizations. … I join for specific reasons and goals and I’m not afraid to step down when the mission is accomplished.

What is your secret to time management?

It’s a constant struggle. My wife says I’m like a piece of cellophane and I stretch and stretch. … but it’s who you surround yourself with. I have a great staff at Winans International. I have a digital pen that quickly records reminders. I use technology that works for me but I don’t get bogged down by it or non-critical items. I try to stay a couple days ahead of myself. As a ski racer, or any athlete will tell you, you have to look ahead to see where you’re going. I know what I’m doing two or three  days ahead. Like today, it’s Monday, but I already know what I’m going to do on Wednesday and Thursday. ... Also, it’s being self-aware and knowing when I’m burned out so then I take time to decompress and de-tech.

Why Novato and what are some of your favorite places here?

I lived for years in Mill Valley. When I got together with Debbie who was in San Francisco at the time, we wanted our dream house in the sun and we found that in Novato. Since we’re in S.F. two or three days a week, (Highway) 37 was my Pluto, my outer limit. ... Novato still has a bond, a community and a proud sense of their own history within Marin County. ... I ride motorcycles, and I love to go down Novato Boulevard out to Point Reyes Station. And being so close to the Wine Country, you can’t beat it.  But, we need the (commuter) train! Why don’t we have the train? 

OK, one last question: What’s the actor Bill Pullman like? (Winans was a producer of Pullman’s space-themed play “Expedition 6" at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in 2007.)

He’s a great guy. A down-to-earth guy, another Dutch guy, with a fondness for history and he’s passionate about the arts. He and his wife have been married a long time with three nice children. He lives in upstate New York and loves to farm.