The gentle touch.
Understate & laugh at yourself.
Another in our ongoing exploration of humility and authenticity, here's something from Newman's Own. [The 'everyday luxury' dressings & sauces etcetera operation started by Paul Newman and AE Hotchner in 1980 and which donates all profit (more than $200 million thus far) to charity.]
This clip is from their 'story':
Sometimes you get what you want but it ain't what you expected.
Newman's Own was supposed to be a tiny boutique operation—parchment labels on elegant wine bottles of antique glass.
We expected train wrecks along the way and got, instead, one astonishment followed by another astonishment followed by another. We flourished like weeds in the garden of Wishbone, like silver in the vaults of finance.
A lot of the time we thought we were in first gear we were really in reverse, but it didn't seem to make any difference. We anticipated sales of $1,200 a year and a loss, despite our gambling winnings, of $6,000.
But in these twenty years we have earned over $175 million, which we've given to countless charities.
How to account for this massive success? Pure luck? Transcendental meditation? Machiavellian manipulation? Aerodynamics? High colonics? We haven't the slightest idea.
As an exercise in self-deprecating, authentic humility and humor it's masterful. And their their 'fine foods since February' strap-line? Well, just compare it with stuff like: 'Share the Excitement… give the gift of hope, health and opportunity… share the vision, passion and sense of purpose found in providing better solutions for global wellness and help others reach their dreams of good health.'
The specific Network Marketing company from whom that originates isn't the issue here. They're simply indicative of the general malaise of pomposity & pretentiousness which afflicts this business.
Filed by g on August 29 2007
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