Service in America

Recently I went to purchase a new audio receiver. My old unit had quit working after 15 years. Having the need for good music in my house I set off on a quest to find the perfect audio receiver which would accommodate my needs. My first stop was a national chain. There was the brand I wanted. There were several models to choose from. I wanted one that would hook up to all my components including a turntable. Yes, a turntable. I have the MP3 player, but my records still sound warmer to me. I read the information on the signs posted on the shelf, yet nothing stated that a turntable could be hooked up. I looked around for a sales person and they were all busy with other customers. I waited and waited. After about 30 minutes I was at my threshold and I left. I never was approached by any salesperson at all. In fact no employee ever acknowledged my presence.

I went next door to a regional chain that I had purchased from before. I found the audio area yet not the brand I was looking for. A young man came up and asked if he could be of any assistance. I told him what I was looking for. He did something not too many salespeople know to do. He asked me questions. What a breath of fresh air. How will you use your system? Will you need to hook it up as a home theater unit? What components do you have? All probing questions that allowed me to tell the salesperson what I wanted to buy, not what he might have wanted to sell.

The salesman then suggested a receiver based on my needs and price range. After about 20 minutes of discussion I was ready to buy. He convinced me that this was the one receiver that would fit my needs. It would fit in the furniture I have. It would fit in my budget. It would accommodate my turntable. The salesman had me wanting the receiver so bad I could taste it. Give it to me now, so I can go and listen to it, I thought. The salesman checked… and checked and told me, “I sorry sir we are out of stock on that Model. I can have it for you in a day or two from one of our other stores.” I was deflated like the kid who just received an ice cream cone and licked off the scoop. “No, I want it now. Why should I wait”?, I thought. "There are other stores. I can’t wait I’m an American consumer." So I took the poor salesman’s business card and said I would be back if I could not find the model he had convinced me I needed to have. I felt bad for the poor fellow, yet I thought, why didn’t he check his stock before we had the discussion and I was so fully engaged?

Finally, I went to the specialist in the area. Usually the specialist is perceived as the most expensive. The guy you go to if you have more money than time and the guy who knows it all. I walked in expecting to pay more and get less because of the high end repetition of this specialist. I knew I would get quality but at a price. I was promptly greeted by a salesperson who again asked questions. Before we got too involved I asked, “Do you have in stock everything you may show me?” Curious he said, “Why yes we do, why else would I sell you something I don’t have”. Right answer, at least for me this time. I said to proceed and he sold me the same model the previous fellow sold me. Five minutes later I was out the door and shortly after that I was enjoying clear, crisp sound from my new receiver.

Moral of the story:
Not even acknowledging me in your store, I am not coming back.
Selling me something you don’t have in stock is wasting both of our time.
Asking questions and being able to back them up, will make the prospect a happy camper and a customer for life. The American consumer, of which I am one is inpatient, demanding and has little time to waste. Those that can play the instant gratification game will come out the winner.

"That's not bad"

On a recent visit to Kentucky my three and a half year old granddaughter Maggie came up to up to me and said, “That’s not bad”. I said, “What’s not bad honey.” She brought over a page from one of her Mother’s catalogs with Halloween costumes on it. Maggie showed me the page and said it again, “That’s not bad”, shaking her head. I said to my wife Kathy what is she talking about. My wife figured out that Maggie was “parroting” her Mother who must have looked at the catalog when Maggie was around, read the price of the costumes and said, “That’s not a bad price.” Maggie heard, “That’s not bad”.

Maggie’s phrase got me thinking. What we hear and how we perceive it is often our belief. When I view the news of the day and see and hear only it’s troubles then that’s how I may “parrot” back these events to others. If I seek the good and actively listen for it, that’s what I will hear and “parrot” back. I realize all is not rosy in the world and bad things do occur. I am however suggesting if we hear or see that something is negative, we examine it with, how can we make it better. Or, can I help turn the situation around?

As I reflect on my own life, my family is healthy and happy and, “That’s not bad”. My work and career are going well, and “That’s not bad”. I volunteer in many organizations and clubs and, “That’s not bad”. With all the division in the world and this country, we can stew in the negative and listen to the naysayers or we can look around for the good and for opportunities to be the best. In my mind I rather “parrot,” “That’s not bad” all day long. A positive person attracts other positive people and vise versa. It’s a choice. Maggie may have latched onto something that I hope she never loses and “That’s not bad”.

Learning - A Lifelong Passion

“Bradley, I am sending you to the WF&FSA Management Institute” were the words my father said to me, twenty four years ago. I had just started working for our family business, the Larry Beck Company, as a field rep on the west coast selling Floral Supplies. Fresh out of college and a baby on the way, I resisted having to spend another few days on the road away from my family. I made every excuse why I didn’t need to go. In the end, my father prevailed and I attended my first Management Institute at Indiana University. I am glad my father insisted that I go. The Management Institute and their sub-goup Young Executives (now Emerging Leaders) are two of the best reasons why I become involved in Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, a floral industry trade association . Management Institute is one of the best experiences I have ever had while learning and networking with my peers. Attending that first Management Institute gave me a unique perspective to better understanding my customers’ business and problems. I gained new insights, new friends and a few golden nuggets that helped me to become better at my job. A few years ago, I received the opportunity to join Design Master, an international color marketing company with a focus on aerosol sprays, as an in-house manager. I jumped at the challenge. One of the nicest advantages of being associated with Young Executives was I already knew who the customers were and the people who ran those companies. I knew the owners and the managers, as well as the fresh and supply people in the leading wholesale houses around the country. I had the honor of serving as a Young Executives Council Member, Vice President and President of the Young Executives. From this experiance I got to know who the players were and, more importantly, I became known to the customers who helped me in my new position. I recently attended my twentieth Management Institute. It is amazing to witness how this event and the Emerging Leaders have evolved into a dynamic component of the WF&FSA organization. The new name applied to the group, Emerging Leaders is a“re-branding” that adds sizzle and buzz to attract some people to join the group. Personally, the group can be called whatever the association would like. At 48 years old I still am a member of the organization and will continue as long as they will have me. Why? I like being a part of something that makes me feel and think young. I like to associate with people who have new ways of thinking and new ideas that help me see opportunities with fresh eyes. I like the friendship and camaraderie I have built with people in the fresh, supply and transportation segments of our industry. Continuing education is not just for those in college or a professional trade. Lifelong learning, networking and looking for new ways to think and act are all a part of continuing education. I hope I am fortunate enough to attend 20 more years of Management Institutes and hopefully the Emerging Leaders will let me keep my membership active until I decide to retire.

"I'm going to the World Series...almost"

I logged on to the Colorado Rockies web site on Tuesday, October 23, hoping I would get another chance at vying for tickets online. Yesterday’s attack of major league baseball’s web site provider gave me hope, along with 8.5 million other Rocky fans that I might have a second chance to purchase World Series tickets.
This time I logged on early, 11:45am. Nothing there yet. I check back at 12:00pm on the nose. The web site clicks over and wa’ la…movement. A screen opens up with the following; “Please wait for the server to become available. The site is experiencing heavy loads at this time.” I’m thinking the only load, is the one I’m being handed. The countdown proceeds starting at 120 seconds, 119, 118. I wait. My heart racing with excitement. 3, 2, 1…reset. 120, 119, 118.
This goes on for twenty minutes. Finally, at 12:20pm the countdown gets to the number one and... it sticks. Oh my gosh, I’m in. I receive one bar, then two, then three, then four, then five and then…nothing…The screen is in a holding pattern for five minutes. The Microsoft circle spins, so I know the machine is working. The suspense is like the song, “bases are loaded and Casey’s at-bat.” …and then the site kicks me out and restarts. 12:25pm. 3,2,1 I’m in again. One bar, two bars, three bars, four bars, five bars… nothing. 12:29. I strike out of the site again and the process starts anew. I know the first page states, "Do not refresh this page or you will be dropped to the end of the line. Thank you for your patience." Patience!!! I have been waiting for twelve years to attend a local World Series game and you want me to have patience.!!!
120, 119, 118…3,2,1 at 12:41, I’m in again for the third time. Please, baseball gods, let me get a World Series ticket. A minute goes by. The Microsoft circle spins. My heart still races. I have now invested more than forty-five minutes of my time trying to get a World Series ticket. I don’t care. I want to get a ticket to see my Rockies play in the World Series. Now, I am sounding a little weird even to myself. Please, oh please let me connect. Let me at least hit a bunt. I rub my computer screen for good luck. Hey, my Mom used to rub the slot machines in Las Vegas and she used to win so why not try. Anything for a chance at good luck. I have a friend who believes that if you say it, it will happen. I even try this. Think good thoughts. Still nothing.
Dam, the site kicks me off. 120, 119, 118…
Now it’s starting to feel like a first date, all you want is to go to first base and you can’t even hit the ball. Oh my, I’m even writing this in purple ink. It’s a sign. Rocky’s purple. It’s meant to be. 3, 2, 1…on hold… nothing. The site kicks me out once again. 120, 119, 118 the countdown proceeds. I’m no quitter. I keep going. Maybe I shouldn’t have shaved today. You know ballplayers are so superstitious. Darn, I shouldn’t have shaved. Where is that rabbit’s foot I used to have in my desk? 3,2,1…one bar, two bars, three bars, four bars, five bars…hold again. Now I feel like the Phillies and D-Backs. So close and yet so far away. 12:59pm. I’ll give it one minute more and then forget it. 3,2,1…nothing. I log off. Dejected, I feel lousy. Oh well. Like thousands of loyal fans, I guess I can pay a scalper an unreasonable amount of money for a ticket. No, I think not. I’ll just go to the Chophouse right next to Coors Field to feel some of the excitement, order a steak and a beer and watch the game on TV. So close and yet so far away. GO ROCKIES!!!

The Optimist Way - Part 6

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

Having a smile on your face says volumes about yourself. A Chinese saying, states, “A man that does not smile should not open a shop”. When I wake up in the morning I open my eyes and smile. One, I am thankful for being alive and second, what a way to start my day. A smile reflects back the world. It affirms my place in it. When I see someone and smile they are likely to smile back. What a gift.


To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

I am constantly trying to improve my education and understanding of the world. I listen to books on tape when I drive. I download pod cast to listen to when I workout. I attend business seminars and management institutes. I read constantly. I love reading books, and sharing ideas and concepts. This takes a great amount of time and leaves little room for negative sparring. I also volunteer in many worthwhile causes. The Optimist Club, The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program (HOBY), C.A.P.P.-Community and Police Partnership, Neighborhood Watch,and my Home Owners Association. I try to be so busy with positive events that I stay away from the trap of pointing my finger. I like the saying, “When you point your finger you have three coming back”.


To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

This is perhaps the hardest challenge of all. These emotions are all part of the human psyche. I fight these emotions all the time. Yet, by reciting this phase and for that matter the Optimist Creed daily I remind myself that life is not about what happens to us, rather how we react to what happens. Worry, Anger, Fear and Trouble can not control you if you do not allow them to inch their way into your mind. The process for me is top seek the positive on a daily basis. I look at the glass “half full.” I see the clouds as making the sky “partly sunny”. You have to put you mind and your efforts in accord to the positive then words and emotions above have less of a chance of gaining ground.

The Optimist Club has been a passion of mine since 2000. I hope you find your
passion by either joining this wonderful organization or one that “Brings Out The Best In You” www.optimistinternational.org

The Optimist Way - Part 5

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

I worked for my Father as a manufacture’s representative for fifteen years in the floral and craft business. My father was always looking to position ourselves differently from the competition. One day he saw an ad in a magazine which he cut out and shared with me. For many years that ad hung over my Father’s desk. It was a picture of the then GM Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca. The ad was simple, yet brilliant. It stated, “We have only one desire, to be the best. What else is there?” It say's it all.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

I have many successful friends and relatives. Weather they have successful businesses or are successful in life. I like being around successful people. It inspires me to work harder and smarter. I like to celebrate successes when I get the opportunity. When I hear of a friend getting a promotion I’ll send them a note of congratulations. When a friend has a baby or gets married, I’ll send flowers. Being enthusiastic when other’s have success says to the world that you are a cheerleader for them and you want to be a part of the success. There is a saying that goes, "A high tide raises all ships” .

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

I have always had a bit of a challenge with this wording, “To forget the mistakes of the past”. I believe if we fully forget we are doomed to repeat. However, I believe what this sentence really means is not to dwell on the past and get stuck by its weight. One has to know about the past in order to “press on to the greater achievements of the future.” I look towards the future as an opportunity to make right, the wrongs of the past. The future is where we all will live so we have to make it the best we can by doing now, the things that will make it a place we wish to live. I have made many mistakes in my life, however I have looked upon them as lessons on what not to do or how to do things a better way, the next time. I can not get mired by my miss steps, rather I have to figure how to go beyond them and make them work for me.

The Optimist Way - Part 4

Talk health, happiness and prosperity to everyone you meet. “Hey Brad how are you doing?” A friend says. My new answer is; "Unbelievable." I say this all the time now. I was given this nugget after listening to sales guru, Tom Hopkins at a speaker’s forum called, “Get Motivated.” Mr. Hopkins said whenever someone asks you how your doing make it sound as if it’s either Unbelievable, meaning great or Unbelievable, meaning terrible. Let them decide. When someone asks, how was your stay with your in-laws, you can do the same thing, “Unbelievable”. It’s a great word to use and it gets a conversation going. When I board a plane and a stewardess asks, “How are you today?", I say, “Unbelievable” and watch their reaction. In a world of “Fine” , you guessed it…"I'm Unbelievable". I also work my body as well as my mind. I work out almost daily at a local gym. Even when I am on the road I do cardio and weight training to keep the mind fresh and focused. This helps keep my body free of stress and I beleive helps keep disease at bay. I try to eat good, nourishing foods. When one talks about good health, happiness and prosperity they can feel their luck and their mind change. Dwelling on the positive, enables one to be more positive. I believe there are two types of people in the world optimistic or pessimistic. Pessimist can’t stand to be around me. One of my co-workers worked for a pay check. She could not wait for Friday and the coming weekend. One Friday morning I said to her, “I can’t wait.” She said, “I know its Friday.” I replied, “You misunderstand, yes it’s Friday, but there are only two more days until Monday.” She quit shortly after that. Being positive attracts other positive people. Negative folks don’t hang around me much. Make your friends feel that there is something inside them. Fun, helpful, supportive, a cheerleader, a challenger, a buddy, are words that describe what a friend is to me. The right friends are agents of my success. I surround myself with positive, like minded people. John Wooden the great former UCLA Basketball Coach said, “…effort to do the best of which you are capable. The quality of your effort to realize your potential counts first and foremost.” For John Wooden that is success. I want all my friends to be successful. I strive for this type of success as well, each and every day. When I was young my Father would say to me, “Bradley, I don’t care what profession you choose, I just want you to be the best at it that you can be.” This stuck with me ever since my Father said it. Positive reinforcement by a friend can have a similar impact on one's success. Friend’s help realize their friends potential and support them in ways that they can. Encourage your friends to be the best, and work off each others energy. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

Life is about choices and I choose to be positive as much and as often as I can. Sometimes it’s work, other times it’s second nature. How you react to events that happen to you is often telling on how you view the world. Recently I visited my wonderful granddaughters in Kentucky and Tennessee. They are so amazing to be with. My little Maggie is a toddler. We were jumping on the trampoline and she bounced up and came down hard. She looked at me to see my reaction to her fall. With her lips trembling, I smiled and then laughed at her. Although shaken she laughed back and went on playing. I am sure if I rushed over to her and picked her up and held her, the tears would have flowed and it would be some time before we could make it all O.K. From my perspective the glass is half full, so drink up life. Make every minute count. I get frustrated when kids tell me they are bored. The only thing we all have in common is that we have time. Make the most of it. Look around at the beauty and grandeur of the world. Think positive, act positive be optimistic.