The Secret to Professional Success

Over three hundred people made reservations to attend the Chamber of Commerce annual awards meeting. Many brought friends and family members because the keynote speaker scheduled for this event was a wealthy executive who promised to share “The Secret to Professional Success”.   

Even though the luncheon started at noon, by 11:45 a.m. all the chairs and tables in the large banquet room at the Hyatt Hotel were full. As it neared 12:00 p.m., the attendees noticed the featured speaker had not entered the room and was not yet seated at the head table. 

Lunch was promptly served at noon and still there was no speaker at the head table. As the dessert was served many wondered where the speaker could be? Conversations soon began to take place at the various tables. All of a sudden a voice from somewhere in the back of the room yelled out, "Shut up!"

The crowd immediately drew quiet.  Everyone looked around but saw no one so they went back to their desserts and their table conversations.  Soon the same voice shouted,  “SHUT UP!”

Stunned, the entire room became dead silent and everyone sat quietly and sipped on their coffee.  However after a few minutes, again the din of their conversations filled the room.  "SHUT UP," the voice barked again; however this time a diminutive well-dressed man entered the room from a back door and walked slowly to the front of the room and stood behind the podium.

Once behind the podium, he leaned into the microphone and said, “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  I am your speaker.  I understand many of you are here this afternoon to learn the most 'powerful' secret to professional success.

I assure you the secret I will share with you this afternoon will help you tremendously in becoming a great success in your profession whether it be in business or government. 

The secret is simple and every great person understands; however most people find it difficult to employ. For the record, I have already shared this secret with you and I have shared it with you three times.  The secret I am referring to is to Shut Up.

When you Shut Up and let other people talk, you learn.  You hear their problems, you learn their dreams and you understand their concerns. When you Shut Up, you discover ways you can be of value to others and when you Shut Up you can learn ways to help others.  When you Shut Up, you begin to have professional success no matter what endeavor you pursue or what role you play in your organization.

So my advice to all of you if you want to be a success - Shut Up and Listen."

A Flight To Remember

The picture of the C-130A Hercules below was the 126th C-130 aircraft built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation of Marietta, Georgia. It was accepted into the Air Force inventory on August 23, 1957. 

On November 2, 1972, this aircraft was given to the South Vietnamese Government (Air Force) as part of the US Military Assistance Program.

On April 29, 1975, this C-130 was the last aircraft to fly out of South Vietnam before Saigon fell. As over 100 aircraft laid destroyed on the flight line at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, some of them still burning, this was the last flyable C-130 remaining on the Air Base. In a very panicked state, hundreds of people rushed to get aboard it, as this aircraft represented their only option to freedom.

People hurriedly crowded into this aircraft, packing in it tighter and tighter. Eventually, the load master informed the pilot, Major Phuong, a South Vietnamese instructor pilot, that he could not get the rear ramp doors closed due to the number of people who were standing on it. In a moment of inspiration, Major Phuong began to taxi the aircraft forward, slow at first - then faster.  All of a suddenly he slammed on the brakes. The load master immediately called forward stating he had just successfully closed the rear ramp doors.

In all, 452 people were able to get on board this aircraft, 32 of them had to crowd in the cockpit. US Air Force officials, using a conservative estimate of 100 pounds per person, believe this aircraft was overloaded by at least 10,000 pounds. Consequently, this C-130 had to use every bit of the runway and even the entire overrun before it was able to get lift and go airborne.

It's destination was Bangkok, Thailand, which should have been an easy 1 hour and 20 minute flight, but after an hour and a half, the aircraft was still lumbering over the Gulf of Slam and running low on fuel. A map on the aircraft was located and the crew was able to identify some terrain features and were thus able to navigate by sight and land the plane at Utapao, Air Base, Thailand, after a three and a half hour flight.

Ground personnel on Utapao Air Base were shocked at what "fell out" when they opened the aircraft doors. It was clear to everyone observing that a longer flight would have resulted in significant loss of life for many of the passengers. In the end, however, all 452 evacuees on this plane made it to freedom aboard this historic C-130.

The aircraft was reclaimed by the United States Air Force over the next 14 years and assigned to two different Air National Guard units. 

On June 28, 1989, this aircraft made its final flight. It flew to Arkansas where it sits today placed on permanent display for all to see. 

THE NEXT TIME YOU DRIVE THROUGH ARKANSAS, YOU MAY WANT TO DRIVE PAST THE FRONT GATE OF LITTLE ROCK AFB, (ARKANSAS) AND STOP FOR A MOMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HISTORIC AIRCRAFT.

What’s the Difference between Rich and Poor?

One day, the father of a very wealthy family decided to teach his son a valuable lesson about life. His plan was to take his son on a weekend trip to visit an old friend who lived with his family out in the country. The father wanted his son to see firsthand how poor people actually live in America. 

 

On their ride home on Sunday evening the father looked over at his son and asked, “Well son, how was the trip? Did you learn anything this weekend?” 

“The trip was great Dad.  I loved it and all the people we met were so nice,” replied the son. 

“Well did you see how those people in the country live?” asked the father?

“Oh yes,” said the son.


“So tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” the father asked. 

The son replied, “I saw that we have one dog and they have four. I saw that we have a swimming pool that reaches to the middle of our backyard and they have a creek that has no end. When we sit on our patio at night we look at the light flickering from those imported brass lanterns Mom bought, but when they sit on their porch at night they look up at the stars and study them.

We live on a small lot of land, but they have fields that go beyond sight. When we look out across our lawn we see green grass and other houses; when they look out their windows they can see the whole horizon. We have servants who serve us, but they enjoy serving each other. We buy our food at the grocery store, but they grow their own.  You built a large metal fence around out property to protect us, but they have all kind of friends who protect them.” 

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then adding insult to his father’s injury the son added, “Thanks Dad so much for showing me how poor we really are.  I really learned a lot today."  

Why Johnny Can't Read - You Won't Believe Why

In the early 1950's an Austrian educational specialist published a study in America called "Why Johnny Can't Read."  His study argued that the Dick and Jane primers used at that time throughout American schools to teach children to read weren't working.

He believed they were horrible educational tools; according to him they were stupid, pointless, tasteless little readers.  He doubted whether any middle-class, middle-income, middle-IQ student could learn anything by reading  "Look, look" or "Yes, yes" or "Come see Spot" or "See the funny, funny animal."

He believed the stories in these primers were boring and the books ineffective at best in helping American children learn how to read. 

William Spaulding, a publisher from Houghton Mifflin's Publishing Company who worked in the educational division and read this Austrian study, thought it might be right. He met a man a few years earlier who he'd published a few not-very-well-known but very imaginative children's books that his children really loved to read over and over.

Mr. Spaulding thought this unknown writer of children's books might be able to write a book that would really be good for teaching American children how to read, want to read, and read over and over again. So he invited the author over for dinner one night and explained the dilemma to him.  Then Mr. Spaulding asked, "Can you write a book with a simple story that first-graders won't be able to put down and will just want to read over and over again?"

Stunned by the question and not sure how to respond, the writer asked if he could have some time to think about it and work on it.  He left that dinner and spent the next nine months composing a book he thought would meet the goals of Mr. Spaulding. 

 A meticulous editor and reviser, he believed that a children's book must be kept simple.  Every chapter had to be boiled down to just one simple paragraph so a child would be able to understand it.  He worked especially hard on the word count as he wanted to use as few words as possible.

The small children's reader this writer finally produced at Mr. Spaulding's request is now considered to be the most popular children's book ever written in American history. Within less then a year of its initial publication, it was selling 12,000 copies a month and within five years from its release it had sold over a million copies.  This was an incredible feat for a children's book.  

His book contained a grand total of 1,702 words but the kick is he only used 220 different words in the entire book. His simple yet effective book revolutionized the way children in America learn to read.  The book he wrote and presented to Mr. Spaulding nine months later was The Cat in the Hat.

Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel) is without a doubt the best-selling children's book author of all time.  He has since written 63 other children's books in all, including Horton Hears a Who! (1954), One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), Hop on Pop (1963), Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (1975), The Butter Battle Book (1984), and of course, The Cat in the Hat (1957).

The Large Wooden Bowl - If you have children please don't read



After Grandmother passed away it was obvious Grandfather  was not able to live on his own. His eyesight was failing and he often faltered when he walked. His memory was fading and worst of all he had developed a noticeable and  uncontrollable trembling in his hands. 

Rather then have him placed in a nursing home, his only son and daughter-in-law invited Dad to move in with them and their seven-year-old son. Grandfather was grateful and gladly accepted their generous offer.

Since the son's wife insisted on always having the evening meal at the big table in the dining room, Grandfather was assigned his place at the table.  Unfortunately Grandfather's failing vision and trembling hands made eating his meals difficult.  Every night peas, corn, carrots, soup and small pieces meat would often roll off his fork or spoon and land on the floor and the elegant carpet. In addition, his uncontrollable shaking hands would often loose their grip which resulted with him dropping his glass which would always make a mess on the fine linen tablecloth.

Both the son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the nightly mess and realized something had to be done.  They did not want to subject their son to Grandpa's behavior. They eventually decided the only thing to do was to have Grandfather eat alone in the kitchen where it would be easier to clean up his mess from the linoleum floor.

As soon as Grandfather was moved into the kitchen, a new problem developed.  Every time Grandfather accidentally dropped a glass or dish on the kitchen floor it broke. Luckily while visiting a local garage sale the son and his wife found a simple, large wooden bowl which they thought would be perfect for Grandfather.

Now each night the daughter-in-law would fill Grandfather's wooden bowl with the evening meal then set it on the kitchen table. Every one now seemed happy; the family ate a nice meal in the dining room while Grandfather ate his meal in the kitchen.  No one had to worrying about cleaning up any mess and the little son was not subjected to watching Grandpa's antics.
 
A few days later Dad arrived home early from work and greeted his wife in the kitchen.  "Where's Dad?" he asked.

"He's taking a nap," the wife replied. Since it was such a gorgeous day, the husband suggested the two of them share a cocktail on the deck. While standing on their deck, they noticed their son feverishly working on something over by the corner of the garage. Curious as to what he was doing, they walked over to their son.

"What are you working on, Son?" the father asked. 

The son looked up and innocently and replied, "Oh, I am making you and Mom a special present". 

"A special present?" they asked.

"Yes Sir," replied the boy. 

"Well what is it?" Mom asked. 

"It's a set of large wooden bowls just for you and Dad so, when you grow old, you will be able to eat your food in the kitchen and not make a mess in the dining room for my wife and I to clean up every night after dinner," the son replied. He then went back to his woodworking project.

Their son's words cut through them like a knife; neither the husband or his wife knew what to say. They turned and slowly walked back to the deck.  When they arrived back at the deck, they set their drinks down and just sat quietly.

That evening Mom, after spreading out her fine linen tablecloth, laid down two large pieces of plastic - one she placed on the table by Grandfather's place and the other on the floor under Grandfather's chair.  When dinner was ready, Dad walked to his father's room and took his father by the hand and led him into the dining room.  He pulled out a chair and said, "Father, please sit here." 

From that night forward, Grandfather never again had to sit alone in the kitchen eating from a large wooden bowl. For the remainder of his days he ate with his family in the formal dining room. Neither his son or his daughter-in-law ever seemed to mind cleaning up the mess Grandpa made each night while eating his supper.  

Betty Crocker - Interesting Facts - Great Fiction

 

 

 

Betty Crocker is a household name known around the world today. For almost a century, Betty has created delicious recipes and proven baking methods that even most novice cooks and young newlyweds can follow to bake scrumptious desserts and a variety of baked goods. Betty’s advice in the kitchen is trusted by all and followed by many. However here are a few things you may not be aware of regarding Ms. Crocker.

In 1880, the forerunner of the General Mills Company entered its newly milled flour in the International Miller’s Competition and surprisingly it won a ‘Gold Medal’. So proud to have won this gold medal, the company changed the name of its flagship flour to “Gold Medal Flour.” Even though the original company changed hands several times, the name Gold Medal Flour has always remained; it’s the largest selling flour in the U.S. 

Back in 1921, one of the predecessors to today’s General Mills decided to run a special promotion regarding its Gold Medal Flour. The company invited housewives to submit questions they had about Gold Medal Flour and assured everyone who did that they would receive a handwritten response from the company. The company was soon overwhelmed with letters coming in from across America. To ensure continuity in responding to all the people sending in questions, the company invented the name Betty Crocker – it just sounded like a good name. All the responses to questions the company received regarding Gold Medal Flour were sent out signed Betty Crocker. 

Betty Crocker, a fictional character, became so popular with housewives and bakers around the world and they demanded to know what she looked like. So back in 1936, General Mills commissioned an artist to create a likeness of what he thought Betty Crocker would look like - thus the Betty Crocker image we know today was born.

Over the years General Mills has updated Betty’s look seven times. Each update provided her with a contemporary hair style and a modern, fashionable wardrobe. The last makeover Betty received was in 1996. While Betty initially was portrayed as a matronly mother, today she looks younger, resourceful and confident. In addition, she is committed to her family, her community and she loves to bake.

What’s interesting is that most people do not realize that there is always a "Betty Crocker" on duty 24/7 at the General Mills Company headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota, to answer any questions that arise regarding Gold Medal Flour.

What’s even more amazing is that according to AdWeek, Betty Crocker reigned as the “Most Famous Fictional Female in the U.S." for almost a century until she was recently bumped to second place by a young upstart. According to AdWeek, the four most famous fictional females in America today are: 
1) Flo – The insurance spokeswoman from Progressive Insurance

2) Betty Crocker – The wise baker and kitchen consultant from General Mills

3) Mrs. (Joy) Butterworth – The syrup icon from Pinnacle Foods, and 

4) Catalina – The beautiful, fun-loving mermaid from Chicken of the Sea

Not a fascinating story - but a fascinating thought.

History of the Car Radio

For most people today it seems like cars have always had a radios, but let’s face it, they didn't. Here is a short history of the car radio along with a few other tidbits you might enjoy.










Back in 1929, two young men named William Lear and Elmer Wavering drove their girlfriends to a lookout point near the  Mississippi River in the town of Quincy, Illinois, to watch the sunset. It was a romantic night; however, one of the girls commented that it sure would be nicer if they could listen to music in the car. 

Lear and his buddy, Wavering, thought about that idea. Both men had tinkered with radios (Lear served as a radio operator in the U.S. Navy during World War I). That week the two buddies took apart a home radio and tried to get it to work in a car.

It wasn't easy; automobiles have ignition switches, generators, spark plugs, and other electrical equipment that generate static interference, making it nearly impossible to listen to a radio while the engine is running. One by one, Lear and Wavering were able to identify and eliminate each source of the electrical interference they encountered. When they finally got their radio to work, they took it to a radio convention in Chicago.

There they met Paul Galvin, owner of Galvin Manufacturing Corporation. Galvin made a product called a "battery eliminator", a device that allowed battery-powered radios to
run on household AC current. But as more homes were being wired for electricity, more radio manufacturers were making AC-powered radios so Galvin needed to find a new product to manufacture. 

When Galvin met Lear and Wavering at the radio convention, he found his new product. He believed that "mass-produced" affordable car radios had the potential to become a huge business. He convinced Lear and Wavering to set up shop in his factory, and that is where they perfected their first fully functioning car radio which they installed in Galvin’s personal Studebaker.

A few months later, Galvin drove his Studebaker 800 miles to Atlantic City to the 1930 Radio Manufacturers Association Convention. He wanted to show off his new radio that was installed in his car. Upon arriving at the convention, Galvin didn't have enough money to rent a booth at the convention so he parked his Studebaker outside the convention hall and cranked up the radio real loud so every passing conventioneer could hear it playing. That idea worked and Galvin got enough orders to go ahead and put the radio into full production.

His first production model was officially called the 5T71; however, he needed to come up with a name that was a little catchier. Back in those days, companies in the phonograph and radio businesses like to use the suffix "ola" in their names – Radiola, Columbiola, and Victrola – those were the big three. Galvin decided to do the same thing with his product.  Since his radio was intended for only use in a motor vehicle, he decided to call it the Motorola.

When the Motorola went on sale in 1930, it cost about $110 uninstalled. A brand-new car back then cost around $650 and the country was sliding into the Great Depression. (By that measure, a radio for a new car today would cost about $3,000.)

The kicker was it took two men working several days to install the car radio. The dashboard had to be taken apart so that the receiver and speaker could be installed, and the roof had to be cut open to install the antenna. Since those early Motorola's ran on their own batteries, not the car’s battery,  holes had to be cut into the floorboard to accommodate the new batteries.

Galvin lost money in 1930 and then struggled for a couple of years. But things picked up dramatically in 1933 when Henry Ford was so impressed with the car radio he became the first auto manufacturer to begin offering the Motorola pre-installed at the factory. In 1934 Galvin got another major boost when he struck a deal with the B.F. Goodrich Tire Company to sell and install his radios in its national wide chain of tire stores across the country. 

Soon the price of the Motorola, installed, dropped to $55. The Motorola car radio was now off and running. Galvin decided to officially change the name of his company from the Galvin Manufacturing Company to "Motorola" in 1947.

In the meantime, Galvin continued to develop new uses for car radios. In 1936, he introduced push-button tuning so a driver could preset channels. Then he introduced the Motorola "Police Cruiser’, a standard car radio that was factory preset to a single frequency to only pick up police broadcasts. In 1940, he developed the first handheld two-way radio -- The Handy-Talkie -- for the U.S. Army. 

Consequently a lot of the communication technologies we take for granted today were created by Galvin's Motorola labs in the years following World War II.  For example, in 1947, Motorola came out with the first television set for under $200. In 1956, the company introduced the world's first telephone pager; in 1969, Motorola designed the radio and television equipment that was used to televise Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. In 1973, Motorola invented the world's first handheld cellular phone. 

Today Motorola is one of the largest cell phone manufacturers in the world. And it all started with the idea of a car radio.

So here is the $64,000 question: whatever happened to the two men who built and installed the first radio in Paul Galvin’s Studebaker - Elmer Wavering and William Lear? Well, sad to say they ended up going their separate ways and taking very different paths in life. Wavering decided to stay with Motorola and during the 1950's, he helped change the automobile again when he developed the first automotive alternator, replacing the inefficient and unreliable generator. His invention of the alternator lead to such automobile luxuries as power windows, power seats and eventually air-conditioning.

Lear left Motorola but continued inventing as well. He received more than 150 patents. Remember eight-track tape players? Yep, Lear invented that. But what Lear is really famous for are his contributions to the field of aviation. He invented the first radio direction finder for aircraft and aided in the invention of the autopilot.  He then designed the first fully automatic aircraft landing system. In 1963 Lear introduced his most famous invention of all, the Lear Jet, the world's first mass-produced, affordable business jet. Now this is what blew my mind – Lear did it all with an eighth grade education.

Gabe's Fascinating Stories are Back

 As many long-time readers of this blog know, I generally post two fascinating stories per month. With the move to Green Bay, Wisconsin, last fall, somehow I got out of the habit of posting my fascinating stories. Well that ends now! Beginning this week with the delightful story of "The History of Car Radio", I will be posting two stories each month.

Remember the purpose of these stories is to give local government officials, business owners and career professionals a competitive advantage. I sincerely believe that knowledge is power.  The more facts and trivia you know, the more successful you can be.

Every story I post on this blog is a story I heard, read or observed. Some of the stories I share are fact; some are legend, while still others ... well I am just not sure. Many will warm your hearts, but all are designed to stimulate your mind.

Sign up to personally to receive an email for each story I post.

Stay knowledgeable my friends,

Gabe Gabrielsen

Daddy How Much Do You Make an Hour At Work???

SON:  "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD:  "Sure Son, what is it?"
SON:  "How much do you make an hour?"

DAD:  "Why are you asking such a question, Son?"
SON:  "I just want to know. Please tell me Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD:  "Well if you must know, I make $34 an hour."
SON:  "Oh!" (The boy put his head down).

DAD:  "Is there something wrong?"
SON:  "No Daddy, I was just wondering, may I borrow $7?"
 
The father was furious.
DAD:  "If the only reason you asked me how much money I made is so you could borrow $7.00 to buy some silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.  I work very hard everyday for the money I earn and I don't appreciate your being so selfish."

The little boy quietly went to his room and the father sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's behavior. How dare he ask such a question only to get some money?

After several minutes passed, the father calmed down and started to think:  Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that money as he really didn't ask for money very often. The father then went to his son's room and opened the door.

DAD:  "Are you asleep, Son?"
SON:  "No Daddy, I'm awake".
DAD:  "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you for asking your question.  It was a long day and I took my frustrations out on you. Here's the $7 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiled wide and hugged his father.
SON:  "Oh, thank you Daddy!"  Then he reached under his pillow and pulled out some crumpled up bills he had saved up. The father, upon seeing how much money the boy already had, started to get angry all over again.

 

After the little boy slowly counted out his money to get the exact total, he looked up at his father and handed him the money.  "Daddy, I have $37 now, can I please buy an hour of your time?  I would love you to come home early tomorrow and have dinner with us for once."

Stunned, the father said nothing.  He just put his arms around his son and asked for forgiveness.  He said, "Keep your money, Son.  I promise I will be home for dinner tomorrow."