Home Depot is one of the most iconic, admired, respected and profitable companies in the U.S. The company founders, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank created a brand - and a culture that changed everything in the world of home improvement.

You could do an online search for the number of millionaires Home Depot created through their employee stock program; according to an interview with Ken Langone in 2018, the company boasts 3,000 multimillionaires, thanks to its incredible success.

In this brand new book, Home Grown Legacy, 33-year old Home Depot veteran and author, Erik Dardas, boldly shares the ups, downs, as well as the dirty and often shocking details and tales of climbing the Home Depot corporate ladder; from dealing with the public to managing employees, to learning to control one's own ego and behavior.

Along with merchandise, human nature is on full display for better or for worse, but as Dardas' relates from his own experience, you have a choice in both retail and life: you can either allow its complexities to break you or build you up into a better human being. He chose the latter.

Struggling with the daily pressure to honor the legacy of his own father, a Home Depot long-time veteran as well, this motivational book celebrates the timeless values of work ethic, integrity, and leadership; qualities that, in today's business climate, we could greatly benefit from.

"You learn as much from the people who are doing things wrong, as you do from those who are doing it right" his father advised; this lesson was instrumental in his rise up the corporate ladder.

Not every leader at Home Depot was a great leader; not every manager was a great manager, but Dardas learned from the poor ones and the exemplary ones to achieve his own standard of success.

The company's top priority was to get the job done well and differentiate themselves from our competition. This remains a strong lesson in today's world.

"Choose your battles wisely, his dad cautioned, "because you're not going to win all of them. In fact, if you fight ten battles, you're probably going to lose eight or nine. I know you. You will want to fight all ten. But when you fight ten battles, you can't allocate the right resources to win the one that means the most to you."

Dardas shares the battles and the battle scars in his new book and how his fathers' and the founders' leadership and integrity, shaped who he became.

Contrary to the popular misconception, Home Depot employees are not losers of society working a last-resort job: they are people who want to help others and enjoy being around people. In fact, many of them are military legends, doctors, nurses, first responders, and tradespeople...all unbelievably talented. Dardas considers himself blessed to have worked with so many amazing people at Home Depot at all levels.

When it came to dealing with the public, he admits, it wasn't easy.

Dardas' father warned: "You're either gonna love the customers or you're gonna hate the customers. IF you hate the customers, you need to get out. Don't stay. Find something that's more suited to you."

Dardas loved the customers and that's why he stayed for 33 years.

In addition to all the valuable lessons learned, Dardas shares true stories from the trenches that you just can't make up.

Like the time he had a visit from the mob or the time the police called because a dead body was found in the River and it was in a Home Depot water heater box and they wanted to know who bought that water heater.