Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on September 24, 2026, link to article HERE.
Dave Gruver, UGG’s director of sales for North America, visited Martinsburg High School on Tuesday to inspire students through the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative’s K-12 Speakers Bureau.
The free platform connects teachers with speakers across the state to share their stories and expose students to unique career opportunities.
Gruver earned his degree in business administration from North Carolina Wesleyan University in 1987, and for over 30 years, he’s worked in the consumer products industry. Though he grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland, Gruver said that he always tells people he’s from the Eastern Panhandle. He has a strong connection with West Virginia, and for many years, Gruver worked with West Virginia University and shared his story with the design and business classes.
It was through this connection that he joined the K-12 Speakers Bureau and was invited to speak at Martinsburg High School.
“The challenges students face today are completely different from the challenges 10 years ago,” Gruver said. “I think a critical part for a brand and for me, personally, is to give back and share knowledge with the next generation.”
Gruver shared with students four foundational pillars used by the UGG brand that has helped it find success and explained how the students could use them as they look toward their future. The first pillar focused on aligning with channel champions, so, in other words, working with brands that share the same values. For students, that means finding friends who will push them to the next level.
Gruver explained that the people closest to them can have the greatest influence on who they become. Spending time with someone who acts in a certain way often means that behavior will rub off. This extends beyond friends and includes teachers, coaches, family members and mentors, who can help the students as they think about the future. Gruver also encouraged the students to be that person to someone else.
The second pillar focused on scarcity. For UGG, this means saying no to retailers and being intentional on where its product shows up. However, for students, it means protecting their time and attention and understanding their worth. It also means being different and choosing not to follow the crowd. One of the main things Gruver hoped students take away is that they should never get bored of the basics.
“The extraordinary is usually built from ordinary things performed consistently and consistently at a high level,” Gruver said. “Show up on time, practice, read, prepare, sleep, keep your word, ask for help and say thank you.”
Gruver shared a story about a friend who got to meet Kobe Bryant, a five-time National Basketball Association champion. His friend got to watch Bryant practice, and he spent the first 45 minutes doing basic drills. Gruver said that it’s because he understood and valued the basics of basketball that Byrant had the skills to win. In the same way, it’s the basics that will help students succeed.
The third pillar was that UGG runs a full-priced business. Its products rarely go on sale, so in a world where people are always offering discounts, he encourages students to never lower their standards and never compromise their values for temporary approval.
“Knowing your value is not the same as believing you are better than the other person,” Gruver said. “Real confidence and humility can exist together, and I refer to that as a quiet confidence. Remember, ego is the enemy, but quiet confidence is fine. You can know that you matter and also know that every other person matters. You can be proud of what you earned and grateful for everyone who helped you earn it.”
The fourth and final pillar focuses on culture and accountability, which means that when Gruver makes a commitment to his team, he is responsible for it, and when he makes a mistake, he owns it. He doesn’t blame the market or another department but finds a way to correct and get everything back on track.
Gruver hopes that students understand that it’s not talent that makes people successful but the people who consistently show up every day. With that mindset, he is confident they will find their purpose.
For more information about West Virginia Public Education Collaborative’s K-12 Speakers Bureau, visit https://wvpec.wvu.edu/events-and-initiatives/k12-speakers.