Don't Be Afraid To Be Dumb Enough To Succeed

I had a very interesting conversation with a
friend of mine over the weekend. I was in
Beverly Hills, staying for the week at the
Beverly Hills Hotel, which is a pretty swank
joint for a cowboy like me. I was out in La La
Land for the L.A Film Festival, or whatever
they call it, and I was working on fnding some
new clients.

I like film industry clients because...they have
money, and they like to spend it. The first film
industry client I landed years ago put my business
on the viability track. What I mean by that is they
were the first elephant account I landed, and they
paid all my bills and then some. They are still a
valued client today, and in my Top Ten.

So, heeding some advice I heard years back,
I like to go fishing where the fish are. And this
year some of them were biting. I landed a
couple of very nice new accounts, so that at
least paid for all the caviar I was having sent
to my room.

(I ate caviar once, and it made me violently ill.)

When I called my friend to tell him of my success,
I had to ask him who some people were. He laughed
because I didn't recognise, or even know who they
were.

But then he said, "It's probably better that you
don't know. That way everybody you see is no
different than anybody else."

And that is very true.

If I knew for instance, that Dustin Hoffman was
Hollywood royalty, I probably wouldn't approach
him. But since I don't, he is just as approachable
as the bellboy.

There is no shock and awe involved. I just treat
everyone exactly the same, and believe it or not,
the Hollywood crowd is much more interested in
who I am.

They want to know all about the guy who wears
a tuxedo to work every day. And I oblige them.
Then I reel some of them in, and we do some
business.

And I'm convinced that if a guy like me can
do business in Hollywood, then anybody can
do business anywhere.

I think it's what I want chiseled on my grave
marker, hopefully a long time from now.

HE WAS JUST DUMB ENOUGH TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. That would make a good book title too.

thejamesrwhelanagency.com
206 407 3124