What Gets Passed Down: Founder of SkyWest Airlines, Ralph Atkin & Joe Atkin Talk Family

Two generations of entrepreneurs sit down together for an interview with Desert Founders and land on the same conclusion: the most important thing either of them ever built has nothing to do with business.

This is probably the most unique interview we’ve ever done. Primarily because it felt like we were at the Atkin family dinner table.

Ralph Atkin founded SkyWest Airlines in 1972 out of St. George, Utah. What started as a small, struggling regional carrier eventually became the largest regional airline in the United States. In 2005, SkyWest bought Atlantic Southeast Airlines from Delta for $425 million cash.

His son, Joe Atkin, built a career of his own. With roles such as board member and investor at MTN OPS and Viori, former president of Owlet Baby Care, and now Chief Investment Officer of PV3 Enterprises, he’s helped build and grow his fair share of successful companies.

Desert Founders sat down with both of them at the same time, which resulted in a far more rich experience than our typical founder interviews. What happened between them was wonderful to witness. An entrepreneurial conversation between father and son that spanned decades of time and multiple generations. Watching them interact, answer questions with different stories, finish each other's thoughts, remember things differently at times, and agree on key aspects was uplifting. You could feel their love and mutual respect for one another.

Both men have built things, changed lives, and been wildly successful in their business endeavors. Yet both will tell you, without hesitation, that the thing they’re most proud of building is their family.

The One Thing You Shouldn't Lose

Joe grew up watching his dad navigate the inevitable turbulence of building companies. Wins and losses and uncomfortable stretches of uncertainty. Seeing his dad experience those times taught him a life lesson.

"You can win and lose in business pretty easily," Joe told Desert Founders. "But what really matters is keeping your family. That's the one thing you shouldn't ever lose."

"Never," Ralph added.

“When times got tough, the people that hang with you is family,” Joe told Desert Founders. “That’s what I want to spend my time on.”

Where You Come From

Ralph's family came from Rutlandshire, the smallest county in England. His ancestors crossed the Atlantic by ship, which was the cheapest passage they could find. They then pushed handcarts across the plains to settle in what is now Southern Utah. What they once called Atkinville started as literally just four homes.

Ralph has also been a member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers for many years. He takes its mission seriously. "Keeping in mind where you came from helps you propel toward what you can become," he said. "The opportunities are unlimited. You are never, ever stuck."

The Atkins know where they came from, and it’s helped orient and guide the value they’ve added to the world. Ancestors who arrived with almost nothing built a thriving community and wonderful life in a desert. Their descendants eventually built an airline. And then raised children who went out and continued to build and change their communities for the better.

Family inheritances like this don’t show up on a balance sheet, but it certainly makes a difference. For anyone building something right now, the question isn’t just what you’re building. It’s what you’re passing down. Not necessarily in assets or trusts or titles, but in stories and examples and memories. How you handle yourself right now will inevitably be looked back upon by your posterity. Give them something good to remember.

Winston Churchill once said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Looking to their ancestors for inspiration, Ralph and Joe Atkin seem to understand that.

Recognize the Voice

Near the end of the conversation, Joe shared something his father-in-law, former CFO at Franklin Covey, had taught him.

“I feel like there are times when you’re kind of called to something, something that’s really appealing to you,” Joe said. “And my father-in-law says that his wish for us is that you recognize the voice — your promptings that you’re getting — and that you have the courage to just do it.”

“I think writing it down, making it a goal, makes that much more likely to happen.”

Most people have felt that pull toward something, whether it’s business they keep thinking about or a problem they’ve always wanted to solve. Something they dream about bringing into existence and adding to the world. The Atkins aren’t suggesting it’s easy, but they are suggesting that the pull to create it means something in and of itself.

And leaving an internal call unanswered is its own kind of loss.