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[The Story Teller]

These posts are very informative.

I thin you'll enjoy them all. Sit back, read and enjoy...

 

[The Story Teller]

March 19
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The Beliefs of Borg-Warner
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“A man should have the courage and conviction to do what is right, and what is for the interest of his principles, no matter whether he represents a corporation or an individual.”
—Philip Armour
​

Many times the “beliefs” of a company are promotional hype developed by a marketing agency to put the best face (and often a false face) on the enterprise. Other companies really do operate from a set of beliefs that guides corporate decisions. In 1981 James Bere, chairman of Borg-Warner, began a process that involved more than 100 managers in an effort to define the basic business principles that governed the corporation. The results are summarized in five major statements:

1. Dignity of the individual: Each person is unique and has pride, needs, values, and innate personal worth.

2. Responsibility of the common good: To create superior good, to provide meaningful jobs, to honor life, and to improve the world.

3. The endless quest for excellence: To continue to improve and to surpass that which has already been achieved.

4. Continuous renewal: Adapt to change, discard that which is no longer true, and seek vision for the future.

5. The commonwealth of the company and the people: To maintain freedom while building strength, recognizing the need for faith in political, economic and spiritual heritage; pride in work; and the conviction that power is strongest when shared.

Consider This: Beliefs are the foundation of any great movement. But beliefs are a hollow nothing unless they are backed up by a strong commitment to make them work.



Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 20
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Pete Musser and Safeguard
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“Diligence is the matter of good fortune.”
—Miguel de Cervantes
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Safeguard Business System manufactures a rather mundane product, a folding double check-writing system for small businesses that sells for about $150 each. Safeguard Chairman Warren (Pete) Musser saw the product as a hard way to make much money. When Musser entered the business world in 1954, he wanted to be involved in something glamorous, like the cable television business. He started such a firm but lacked the cash to make it successful. In 1963 he launched a small business that made check-writing machines. As an add-on, the company offered the small folding notebook. While this business plodded along, Musser heard Wall Street’s call to diversify and went on a buying spree that took the company into auto parts and marketing.

When the economy turned sour, most of the new businesses Musser had acquired began drowning in red ink. It was only after several years of trying to prop up his empire that Musser again focused his attention on the folding notebook, whose sales were supporting everything else. Safeguard distributors who sold the notebook system were independent contractors, and by offering them all the repeat business on any sales as long as they remained distributors, Musser’s company was able to build a substantial sales force. Once a critical mass of customers was using the check-writing system, it became well known to accountants and banks, who presold many customers. Musser’s slow, mundane business was much like the fabled tortoise who plodded along slowly but surely until he had defeated the hare.

Consider This: Is it glamour you are looking for, or a business that can bring in a good, steady profit?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 21
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Chrysler’s Decision
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“Be true to your highest conviction.”
—William Ellery Channing
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Walter Percy Chrysler was born in 1875 in Wamego, Kansas. His father was an engineer with the Union Pacific Railroad, and young Walter took an interest in the big machines. He became an apprentice machinist and traveled the railroads, building a reputation as an extraordinary mechanic. An auto enthusiast as well, Walter bought a 1908 Locomobile for $5,000, even though he was only making $4,200 as a machinist with the Chicago and Great Western Railroad. He fell in love with the automobile and was soon offered the opportunity to become works manager for Buick. The railroad offered him $12,000 a year to stay with them, but Chrysler took a $6,000 salary with the automaker.

At Buick, Chrysler introduced a series of innovations and within a few years was made president of the division. Soon, however, his ideas clashed with those of GM President W. C. Durant, and Chrysler resigned. In 1921, he was offered the position of president at the ailing Willys Overland Company and the Maxwell Motor Company. While Chrysler got those companies on their feet, he was designing a new automobile with innovations the industry had never seen. In 1924 he introduced the Chrysler, and it wasn’t long before even the company bore the name of Walter Chrysler. Chrysler soon acquired Dodge Brothers and began the Plymouth and DeSoto lines. By the time he retired in 1935, Walter Chrysler’s company was the second-largest producer of automobiles in America.

Consider This: Salary should not be the only factor to consider when looking for a job. Choose work that provides the best long-term advantage for your desired career.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 22
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Walter Wheeler at Pitney-Bowes
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“Six essential qualities that are the key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.”
—Dr. William Menninger
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Many historians find Walter Wheeler to be a study in contrasts. He admittedly was a hard-nosed executive who was determined to promote his company, yet he instituted some of the most farsighted programs to benefit employees and the public of any company during his era. Wheeler was educated at Harvard and came to work at Pitney-Bowes when that company made a stamp-canceling machine. By age twenty-seven, he was taking a leadership role in the company and in 1920 spearheaded the project to convince the government that a postage meter was a good idea. When the machine was approved, seven other manufacturers were also given the right to produce a machine. However, because of the efficiency of its workforce, Pitney-Bowes became the low-cost producer and claimed the majority of the market.

One of the reasons the company’s workforce was so productive were annual jobholder meetings that brought some 250 workers face to face with the president and top executives to discuss labor and management issues. This strong emphasis on worker-management communication provided Pitney-Bowes’s employees with some of the best working conditions and benefits packages in the nation and provided company management with a highly motivated workforce. Walter Wheeler devoted fifty-five years of his life to Pitney-Bowes, and it was his strong belief that making the company responsive to human needs made it one of the most profitable businesses in its industry.

Consider This: Human needs count. In the long run, a company can’t generate exceptional profits without the enthusiastic support of its workers.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 23
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Fritos Corn Chips
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“The only way to get anywhere is to start from where you are.”
—William Lee
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Charles Doolin owned an ice cream business in San Antonio, Texas, but during the depression, a price war erupted and he was unable to make a profit. Doolin looked around for other products to make and discarded countless ideas as unfeasible. One idea he discarded was the possibility of making some new product out of the Mexican tortilla, because they went stale too quickly. Doolin also took notice of the popular potato chip snack, but dismissed that idea since he wanted something unique. Then, one day while buying lunch, he saw and purchased a bag of a new corn chips snack called Fritos.

Doolin liked the new snack and tracked down the manufacturer—a native Mexican who offered to sell his entire operation for $100 so he could move back to Mexico. Doolin couldn’t afford the price and had to borrow part of the money from his mother. She helped him set up the production machinery in her own kitchen and, using a crude converted potato ricer, they were soon turning out ten pounds of Fritos an hour. As word of the product spread, sales rose to as much as $10 per day. To meet the demand, Doolin developed a new, more efficient method of production. Eager to expand his successful operation, Doolin went on numerous sales trips. On some of those trips, he took a temporary job as a cook in the cities he was visiting, since he couldn’t afford to pay himself a salary. The company grew slowly at first and then faster after the end of World War II. By the 1950s, Fritos was a household name and one of the nation’s most popular snack foods.

Consider This: Consider carefully what you might add as a new product. Discard those that aren’t sufficiently promising, and dedicate yourself fully when you find a potential star.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 24
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Hugh Downs
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“When you’re afraid, keep your mind on what you have to do. And if you have been thoroughly prepared, you will not be afraid.”
—Dale Carnegie
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Watching Hugh Downs on television, one would figure that the longtime host of the Today Show, Concentration, and 20/20 has it all together. Not necessarily so. Hugh’s climb to stardom was part courage, part luck, and (surely) part talent. As a youngster, he was not naturally outgoing and shunned social activities and sports. He decided to become an artist, but at age thirteen Hugh discovered that other people saw colors and he was 90 percent color blind. He would have to find another interest. Hugh was intrigued by the family radio and listened for hours while other children were outside playing. After high school, he won a speaking contest and a scholarship to college. But after one year, the Great Depression forced him to return home.

Jobs were scarce, but Downs wanted to help his family. One day as he was walking home, carrying a gallon of milk, he stopped by the offices of WLOK radio and asked for a job as an announcer. The station manager liked his voice and offered him the job! That break soon led the young Downs to Chicago as an announcer for NBC, and then to national fame. Downs remembers being quite scared of the microphone and the camera in his early days. His solution to the problem: “Go out and scare yourself.” Downs forced himself to face his fear of speaking and, as a result, became one of the most polished and relaxed television personalities on the air.

Consider This: Fear can prevent us from making the best use of our talents. We must face fear head-on and put ourselves into situations in which we can overcome it.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 26
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Being a Millionaire
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“It is no use to wait for your ship to come in unless you have sent one out.”
—Belgian proverb
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Amazing as it may seem, there are over a million millionaires in the United States today. The wide-eyed dream of children, and the more serious dream of college graduates, is to be a member of that elite club—even if a million dollars isn’t what it used to be. Surveys and opinion polls of young Americans today show that becoming well off is often a major life goal. Even with its high-sounding mystique, millionaire status no longer requires that a person be a corporate magnate or a Hollywood idol. Today’s millionaires own the local dry-cleaning establishment or make automobile antennas in a small factory. According to studies, most millionaires made their money “the old-fashioned way”—they lived below their income and saved the rest of their money.

According to professor Thomas Stanley of Georgia State University, 80 percent of all millionaires today are self-made. The average millionaire works about twelve hours a day and runs an ordinary business but usually gives it a new twist. Dave Drum took advantage of the camping craze and began Kampgrounds of America. Valerie Freeman, a former teacher of business administration, founded the Wordtemps temporary personnel service. Jimmy Verttos, the son of a Greek immigrant, rented a fruit stand that he eventually parlayed into a large food store. These people took ordinary ideas, worked hard at making them successful, and turned their hard work into hard-earned dollars.

Consider This: Prosperity is still usually based on how hard and how long you are willing to work.

Submitted by Richard

 

[pro_odeh]

How many posts have you posted, story teller? close to 1000 now...

 

[Palatka44]

I thin you'll enjoy them all. Sit back, read and enjoy...

I am, this is great stuf.

 

[The Story Teller]

March 27
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Rita Moreno
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“A smooth sea never made a good sailor.”
—Oren Arnold
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Rita Moreno was born Rosa Alverio in a small town in Puerto Rico. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to New York, where they lived in a tenement in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Rosa took dancing lessons and was soon able to supplement the family’s income by performing. She often imitated popular entertainer Carmen Miranda at parties, bar mitzvahs, and weddings. Rosa seemed to be a natural at performing and landed parts in various children’s plays and then in the Broadway production of Skydrift, which lasted only seven performances. By the mid-1940s, Rosa had changed her name to Rita Moreno, taking the last name of her stepfather, and was dubbing the voices of Elizabeth Taylor and other stars for films being prepared for distribution in Spanish-speaking countries.

Rita broke into the movies at MGM with So Young, So Bad. Other films followed, but she was stereotyped as the sultry Latin temptress. Seeing her career going nowhere drove Rita into depression. Finally, a story in Life magazine brought her back into the public spotlight, and she was finally given some fresh roles. Rita was able to fight off the bad times, and with her career revitalized, captured the four most important entertainment awards in America—an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy, and two Emmys—a feat that landed her in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Consider This: Sometimes the awards go to those who can stick it out through the bad times and who can do their best when the good times come along.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 28
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Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
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“I attribute my success to always requiring myself to do my level best, if only driving a tack straight.”
—Russell Conwell
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In 1860 Thomas Armstrong worked for a Pittsburgh glass company, but he ran a small business on the side that made cork stoppers for bottles. Armstrong’s slogan for that company was a twist on the motto “Let the buyer beware.” His more positive slogan was “Let the buyer have faith.” He expanded his business by using the cork remnants as an ingredient for linoleum, which at the time was a commodity with virtually no known brand names. Armstrong felt he could produce a superior product and introduced a brand of linoleum under the Armstrong name.

In 1917 Armstrong began a campaign of informative ads in the Saturday Evening Post that offered the reader helpful ideas as well as information about his product. Although some of his associates thought the ads were too non-commercial, they proved to be effective and were popular with readers. The ads developed for the Armstrong name a strong sense of quality and also helped build strong product loyalty. The Armstrong name became so associated with floor coverings that in 1960, when a survey about carpeting was conducted, Armstrong ranked fourth in consumer preference, even though the company had never, up to that point, produced carpets. Today, Armstrong offers a wide variety of floor coverings, building products, furniture, and specialty products.

Consider This: The company name and its association with quality are an important part of developing sales and product loyalty.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 29
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Kellogg’s Cereals
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“Advertising is to business what steam is to machinery, the great propelling power.”
—Thomas Macaulay
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Will Kellogg never finished high school, but he went to Dallas in 1879 and worked as a broom salesman, helping to turn an ailing business around. He later returned to Battle Creek, Michigan, and worked with his brother John at the family-owned health sanitarium. There, he and John developed a wheat flakes breakfast cereal. The idea was sound, and the Battle Creek entrepreneurs produced forty-two brands of the flakes. John refused to allow Will to spend much money on the project, and the market became dominated by producers such as Charles Post. Will saw the marketing possibilities of several products developed at the sanitarium. In 1905 Charles Balin, a patient, offered Will the financing to begin his own company to produce a new idea, corn flakes.

Production began modestly at about thirty-three cases of cereal a day. Then Will began to advertise. He placed an ad that encouraged people to convince their grocer to buy a case of the corn flakes, offering boxes of the cereal to the person who secured such a sale. The plan worked, and by 1909, the company was selling over a million cases of corn flakes a year. Kellogg sensed the value of advertising and spent over $2 million in 1911 to promote his products. During the depression, Kellogg doubled his advertising budget, and sales continued to grow. Today, Kellogg’s is one of leading breakfast-cereal brands in the world.

Consider This: When others are afraid to advertise, that is a prime time for you to gain market share through new advertising.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 30
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Marshall Field
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“Follow the river and you will get to the sea.”
—Unknown
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Marshall Field was born in 1834 in Conway, Massachusetts. As a teenager, Marshall became a clerk in a dry goods store in Pittsfield but left at the age of twenty-two to go west. Landing in Chicago in 1856, Marshall found a job as a clerk and saved his money by sleeping in the store. His first year’s salary amounted to $400, of which he saved $200. Within five years, he was general manager of Cooley, Farwell and Company, and later became a partner. By 1867, Marshall was the major partner and head of the business. In 1881, with the other partners in retirement, the company became Marshall Field and Company. The firm sustained severe losses in the Chicago fire of 1871, the Panic of 1873, and another fire in 1877, but it continued making a profit.

Field adopted the successful merchandising methods of Stewart in New York and Wanamaker in Philadelphia. Prices were clearly marked for each item. Field sold quality goods and built a reputation on honesty and “the golden rule.” He was also adept at finding and hiring managers with excellent capabilities. Field bought goods around the world and often paid cash in order to underbid other stores. Until his death in 1907, Marshall Field used considerable sums of his money to fund buildings for schools, the Columbian Museum at the Chicago World’s Fair (now the Field Museum), and a library in his hometown.

Consider This: Find out what works for others and use the same idea, perhaps improving on it with your own touch and hard work.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

March 31
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Knox Gelatin
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“Let us endeavor to live, so that when we die, even the undertaker will be sorry.”
—Mark Twain
​

Rose Markward married Charles Knox in 1893. The couple bought a small gelatin business in Johnstown, New York, and Rose tested gelatin recipes in her kitchen at home. The ambitious couple also acquired several other businesses, including a newspaper, a hardware store, and even a power company. However, when Charles died, Rose sold all of the companies except the gelatin business. She was very interested in finding new ways of using gelatin, and she set up an experimental kitchen in which to conduct research. Rose’s enthusiasm to make something from gelatin showed as the company’s profit line tripled from 1908 to 1925, with sales topping the $1 million mark.

Besides being involved in the business operation, Rose became active in the Johnstown community. She founded the Federation of Women’s Clubs for Civic Improvement and in 1949 was named America’s Foremost Woman Industrialist by Collier’s magazine. Rose continued as president of the company until she was ninety years old. She died in 1950 at age ninety-three. Rose Knox was a determined soul who took the business she loved and devoted all her energy to making it a success. In a 1937 interview in Time, she stated, “I just used common sense—a man would call it horse sense—in running my business. But from the first, I determined to run it in what I called a woman’s way.”

Consider This: Your business, career, or job is an extension of your personality. In order to achieve success, your personality and occupation must meld together like a team.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

May 1
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Longtime Rock and Roll
​

“Ambition’s a good thing if you’ve got it headed in the right direction.”
—Josh White
​

Many people think the Rock-ola jukebox name is a combination of “rock and roll.” In fact, the name comes from David C. Rockola, who began building jukeboxes in 1930. He had been in the business of making mechanical scales when he decided to move into a larger growth industry. With the record industry booming, and jukeboxes appearing in every cafe across America, Rockola believed the coin-operated music business was here to stay. Although the business has had its ups and downs, recent years have seen an upsurge in interest in jukeboxes. By adapting his machines to keep pace with changing consumer tastes and advances in electronic wizardry, Rockola kept his business viable while others failed. David’s oldest son, Donald, was elected president of the company in 1975, and David’s wife has been an officer and corporate secretary for over fifty years. David continued to take an active role in daily operations even after his ninetieth birthday.

While other major music companies have merged or moved their manufacturing operations offshore, Rockola maintains its longtime reputation of giving its customers what they want—from futuristic machines with bubble tops and light shows to a nostalgic 1950s model that allows customers to select records using a telephone dial. Throughout the years, Rockola has concentrated on reliability. David was tenacious and strict, and understood that when rapid growth levels off, only those companies that give customers the best value will continue to survive. This has been Rockola’s secret to success: to maintain quality and adapt to changing market tastes.

Consider This: Keep your focus. Once you find something you do very well, stick with it.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

May 2
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Stephen Cannell Overcomes Dyslexia
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“Everyone has handicaps. Don’t give in to your handicaps.”
—A. P. Gouthey
​

We often see the final product of someone’s work and immediately come to the conclusion, “The person who created this has it all together.” We may never think that a particular work of art was a labor of love, that it was conceived and created by someone we would call too handicapped to do such a thing. Stephen J. Cannell was convinced that he was a loser by the time he was eleven. Raised in an upper-middle-class family, he attended private schools but flunked classes almost every year and had to repeat three grades. Stephen had a condition known as dyslexia, and often saw words and numbers transposed. He had trouble reading, writing, and doing math. Many thought it impossible that Stephen would ever be able to perform anything but the most elementary jobs.

But Stephen somehow found the gumption and fortitude to make it through college. He then went to work for his father’s design company in California. Even though he had trouble putting things on paper, he had a dream of writing for a living. Encouraged by his wife to pursue his dream, Stephen began to write for television. Although he admits that he was “scared to death,” Stephen persevered and finally penned his first successful series, The Rockford Files. Following that were Baretta, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and others. Now an internationally known producer/writer, Stephen J. Cannell has shown that he is also an overcomer. He stands as an example to those who would not let handicaps stand in their way of success.

Consider This: When we overcome a personal weakness (or challenge or handicap), we often end up with greater skills in that area than those who never had to struggle.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

May 3
​

Truett Cathy Is Closed on Sunday
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“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day.”
—Genesis 1:31
​

When Truett Cathy left military service, he started the Dwarf House restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. Since he lived next door to his restaurant, Truett worked virtually all day, every day—but he did not open on Sunday. Having become a Christian at the age of twelve, Truett felt that he could not be robbed of his day of rest. “If it takes seven days to make a living,” he often said, “I ought to be doing something else.”

The Dwarf House was successful, and Truett enjoyed experimenting with new dishes to serve his patrons. Some were well received, and some were not; however, there was one new idea that stood out above all the rest. It was called the Chick-fil-A, a specially prepared breast of chicken sandwich. Since it was so popular, Truett decided to try his sandwich in a fast-food location at a local mall. He opened his first Chick-fil-A store in Atlanta, and it was every bit as successful as he had hoped it would be. By the 1990s there were over 750 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the U.S., all still observing Truett’s original “closed on Sunday” rule and many making better profits than seven-day restaurants next door. The Chick-Fil-A business is based on two principles: Glorify God in financial soundness, and have a positive influence on employees and customers. Teenage employees of Chick-fil-A stores are given college scholarships, and many have been given the opportunity to own their own business.

Consider This: Stick to your principles, even if they go counter to popular wisdom.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

May 4
​

Carol Channing’s Big Break
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“Opportunities should never be lost, because they can hardly be regained.”
—William Penn
​

Young people hear it all the time: “Without experience, I can’t hire you.” But how does one acquire the needed experience? To many people, getting that first real job means camping on the employer’s doorstep until they are given a chance. It means thinking up ways to get attention or doing anything that will make you appear to be a good risk. Carol Channing was a drama major at Bennington College, and her ambition was to be onstage. During a winter break, each student was encouraged to go out into the “real” world to seek a job in his or her major. Carol hoofed it to New York and went straight to the William Morris Agency, one of the most prestigious talent agencies in the world. With a client list that boasted such renowned stars as Katharine Hepburn, the company had no use for a college student, especially one with no real experience. The agency would not even give Carol a chance.

But Carol refused to give up and camped out in the waiting room, just like an act waiting to jump at any possible booking. She was sitting between two actors when the secretary came in and said, “You!” and motioned with her finger. Who did the secretary want? Carol knew it had to be one of the others in the room, but she jumped up first, and marched into the president’s office like she knew what she was doing. She sang one tune but drew no response. She tried another, and the agent got up to escort her out. Gamely, Carol launched into yet another song. “Wait, my grandmother used to sing me that song,” the agent said, and with that, Carol was hired.

Consider This: Be in the right place at the right time, and forge right in when opportunity knocks.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

May 5
​

Facing a Crisis
​

“When you face death, it puts everything into a totally different light.”
—Paula Hill
​

Everyone who knew Paula Hill looked to her as an example of success. She was a vibrant trainer, director of the Business Leadership Center at Southern Methodist University, and a successful wife and mother. But at the peak of her success, Paula’s world came crashing down. First, her ideal marriage was shaken and dissolved. Then, as she began to recover from the painful divorce, Paula discovered a suspicious lump in her breast. Doctors assured her that the cyst was probably benign but said further tests needed to be performed. When she received the call at her office telling her that she had cancer, Paula screamed at the top of her lungs, “There must be some mistake! This can’t be me!” Following a mastectomy, she underwent five months of unpleasant and depressing chemotherapy.

Paula had always been the one to help other people, but now that she faced the possibility of death, she needed help herself. She learned to accept the kindness, prayers, and comfort of others. Fortunately, Paula had many church friends, colleagues, and a loving Christian family who volunteered to be with her through the crisis. But in spite of the help she received from those around her, Paula at times felt alone and abandoned, and called out to God. “I thought I had faith,” she said. “But I learned that faith is when you step out and have nothing else to hold onto except the Lord.” Paula made a full recovery and continued her role in the Business Leadership Center and in corporate consulting, helping other people to succeed in business—but now with a new perspective about what it means to live a successful life.

Consider This: The strength of your character will be tested, sometimes by fire. Do you have the support of friends and family, and a faith that can carry you through the trial?

Submitted by Richard