success

Bing Crosby was singing “White Christmas” on my radio today as I did my morning walk. Here it was the middle of November and I heard my first Christmas song. It brought back memories of a time when I set some goals to bring credibility to my business.

In the ‘70s I thought that if I had a celebrity for a client that would bring credibility to my small Silicon Valley business.  At that time I knew of three celebrities that lived near the Silicon Valley area: Bing Crosby, Shirley Temple Black and Tennessee Ernie Ford.  Now, if you are under 40 you probably only have a vague idea of who these stars were, but they were well known and as popular as any star of today.

My goal was to have one of the three celebrities as my client. I put an ad in the “Yellow Pages” of the phone book. The timing was right. I just met the deadline because the new phone book would come out in about three months.  I also began putting flyers on bulletin boards and announcing my services to networking groups I attended.

I had a business name that always perked the interest of business people who needed some secretarial and printing work done fast. It was called, “Instant! Girl Friday”– A name created before the women’s activists groups were well established to tell me it was not a good name to use. Yet, I got lots of business because of the name.

The new phone book came out and I began getting several calls a month for new business. One day a male voice called and asked if I could type a speech right away because his wife had to take a plane in a few hours. I agreed.

When he arrived at my home-based business, I opened the door, and I was taken aback. I knew him. “Mr. Black!” I said excitedly.

He looked surprised. “You know me?” Charles Black said looking a little perplexed.

“Yes,” I said anxiously. “I used to work at Ampex Electronics Corporation the same time you did.”

He was a financial executive and walked through our purchasing area many times to see the purchasing agent. In fact, I didn’t tell him this although he was probably aware of it that every time he walked through the clerical typing pool area all the “clickety clack” of the Royal© electric typewriters stopped as the ladies watched debonair, dark haired, good looking Charles Black stroll by them.

That was the beginning of an awesome four years in my life as I typed the speeches of Mrs. Shirley Temple Black on my state-of-the art IBM Selectric© Typewriter. Now I could say that I had a celebrity for a client.

Rarely did I see Shirley Temple Black as Charles Black always delivered the handwritten pages from Mrs. Black’s yellow tablet.  Yet, one time she was going to deliver the work to me herself. I was excited. Now all the neighbors could see my famous client.  I told everyone she was coming.

She did arrive… In an old beat up yellow pickup truck, her hair in curlers with a scarf on her head and big dark sunglasses.  Alas, no one could recognize her.

I learned from the speeches I typed that the Blacks were silent Goodwill Ambassadors for America. They visited many foreign governments showing how the needy could be self-sufficient.  Mr. Black was an expert in the new field of marine and freshwater aquaculture and as I recall he was an early pioneer in helping foreign countries develop fish hatcheries for their citizens. Most of all, he was the biggest fan of his wife and supported her in everything she did. I found that remarkable for the time in the ‘60s and ‘70s where working women usually had very little support from the men in their lives.

It was a wonderful time for me. I learned that goal setting was important. Planning what you want in your life and in your business has a better chance of happening if you plan for it and then take action.

What are your goals for the New Year?  Do you have some big dreams? And some small ones? It’s time to set up your plan of action. Nothing will happen until you do something about it.

Goal setting is an art and a learned skill. Start today. Who knows in a few months you may have a “Charles Black” and a “Shirley Temple Black” in your business life.  It can happen if you plan for it. It all starts with a dream… A vision.

Joan Clout-Kruse, copyright 2008

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The Words4Money Quote of the Week
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“A life that hasn’t a definite plan is likely to become driftwood.”
–David Sarnoff
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© 2008 Joan Clout-Kruse, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from Words4Money in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

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