Rocco and Angelina lived in Queens, New York where they raised their three sons, Nick, Jim and Bob. They were a loving Italian family, never hesitant to hug and kiss each other – the words “I love you” flowing freely.…
Rocco and Angelina lived in Queens, New York where they raised their three sons, Nick, Jim and Bob. They were a loving Italian family, never hesitant to hug and kiss each other – the words “I love you” flowing freely.…
Known as the Garden of England, Kent is a county known for its gentle hills and sea lined borders. It touches Greater London to the North as it is located in the South East of England. It is famous for…
It was 1871 when 14 year old Milton accidentally dropped his hat into a machine at the print shop where he apprenticed. He was fired. With his mother’s guidance, he was hired as an apprentice for a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania confectioner…
Her parents immigrated to the United States from Punjab, India – settling in North Carolina. Vani was born in Charlotte on March 22, 1979. Her childhood was as normal as every other kid growing up in America in the 1980’s. That…
Tom was born in Concord, California on July 9, 1956. His parents were Amos and Janet – he a cook and restaurant manager, she a hospital worker. They divorced when Tom was five, one of those experiences that can affect…
Diane Smith was born into a Wisconsin dairy farming family in 1947. She was one of nine children – all girls. When she was nine the family moved to a several hundred acre farm in Osseo, Wisconsin. Mary wanted to spend…
Melvin and Janice welcomed their son into the world on November 4, 1969. Living in Harlem, Janice was a model and a teacher’s assistant. Melvin worked the streets, reputedly an associate of a known drug dealer, Frank Lucas. What isn’t…
John was born in Hall, Indiana on October 14, 1910 – the second son of Joshua and Roxie Wooden. When he was 8, the family moved to a small farm near Centerton, Ind., a town which boasted a population of…
In 1893, the innaugural Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup was awarded to Montreal HC (Hockey Club) as Canada’s top ranking amateur ice hockey team. The award was concepted, created and awarded by the Governor General of Canada. He first encountered the…
Imagine starting a successful business only to be fired by your board of directors when they become disenchanted with the company performance. Now think of the irony of being brought back by the same board of directors, fifteen years later, when…
From the beginning of time there have been animals and creatures that have caused mankind to take pause. This isn’t so much a phenomenon as it is survival at its most basic level. Mastodons, tyrannosaurus rex, pterodactyl were just a…
You’re familiar with the game of PLINKO – perhaps the most iconic game on the most iconic television game show – The Price is Right? The concept is simple. Contestants play pricing games to win up to five discs. They then climb…
The actual day he was born is unknown – much like Jack Daniel before him. They were both born into farming families – but that is where the similarities stop, at least in their early lives. For one thing, Daniel was born in…
I attended a small private high school in Metairie, Louisiana. Our assistant principal and Spanish teacher was Elliot Ross Buckley. He was a terrific teacher and a man that I admired greatly. He went on to be General Counsel for…
Little girls love to fantasize about becoming a princess, living a special life filled with attention and riches. In reality, very few actually have their dream become a reality. The fact is that most princesses are born into royalty. Such…
The most important reason to focus on your brand is to reap the results that an effective brand delivers. Your brand will generate an emotional connection with each person who encounters it – the key is to make that a…
Jasper was born on a farm in Moore County, Tennessee – one of Calaway and Lucinda Daniel’s 12 children. Exactly when that birth occurred is not known for certain – but the consensus is September, 1850. The hard times his family endured were made…
The decade of the 1960’s was a dynamic time in the U.S. The decade began with President Kennedy announcing his “New Frontier” domestic policy. Kennedy was assassinated and followed by Lyndon Johnson whose vision was to create “The Great Society”.…
When a Miami real estate speculator bought the land just outside of Augusta, Georgia from Fruitland Nurseries, his vision was to build a resort which would cater to the wealthy. However, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 destroyed much of…
Twins have a special bond – one that most people cannot understand. Such was the case with fraternal twins Christopher and Michael, born five minutes apart in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on February 7, 1978. Michael, the younger of the two,…
Blake Mycoskie had earned a partial scholarship to play tennis for Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. There, he double majored in Philosophy and Business. After leaving school, he started his first business – EZ Laundry – providing the first on-campus dry cleaning…
Lori was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1982 – one of five children of an inter-racial couple. Her family was poor, in large measure because her father spent a good deal of time in and out of prison. For all…
Stanley Bert Eisen was born in upper Manhattan in 1952. Chaim Witz was born in Haiti, Israel in 1949, moved to Queens, New York at age 8. Each had challenges to face as youngsters. Stanley was born with a birth…
Max and Mollie had two sons – Michael and Arthur. They lived as a typical family in Queens, New York where Max owned a small pharmaceutical company. The youngest boy, Arthur, attended Stuyvesant High School, which offered accelerated academics to qualifying…
Her parents had immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland from Sri Lanka. Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island nation just south of India. Despite a civil war which raged for over 30 years, ending in 2009, the nation is…
Joanne was born in 1963 and grew up in a council house in Kent, England. Her father, Peter, was a painter – her mother, Elaine, was a beautician. As a child, school was difficult for her as she was severely dyslexic.…
Arthur’s story is one of maximizing great talent, succeeding in the face of obstacles, resolving to actively address unfair obstructions, extending generosity to those in need and accepting the toughest challenge life can give with quiet grace and dignity. He…
Kimberly, Clark and Company was formed in 1890 with an investment of $30,000 by four young businessmen. The company quickly became the largest paper producer in the Midwest. By 1905, John Kimberly was the sole surviving founder, a circumstance which led to reorganization. In…
Some boys who are born on St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th – are named Pat. In 1961 – in Minneapolis, Minnesota – a boy born on the ‘grand day’ was named Mark. Insignificant to some – bewildering to others,…
She was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, the fourth of five children. She grew up on the family farm with her three older brothers and younger sister. Farm life taught all of the children hard work, commitment and dedication. When their…
On March 13, 2000, sixteen Americans were taken to Tiga, a tiny Malaysian island in the South China Sea. It was a very eclectic group ranging in age from a 22 year old aspiring actress to a 72 year old…
Roy was eight years old when his brother Walt was born in Chicago – it was 1901. Four years later the family moved to Marceline, Missouri where their father had purchased a farm. It was there that Walt discovered his…
Most kids graduate from high school within four years – but not very many attend four different schools to do so. Of course, it can take that many schools when you are kicked out of the first three you attend.…
Perhaps you’ve heard the question “What percentage of people who bought a 1/4 inch drill bit last year wanted one?” The answer? Zero. Every one of those buyers wanted a 1/4″ hole. The same can be said about branding. Very…
The eldest of five children, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was born to Italian immigrants who, in 1927, had fled Italy and the rule of Mussolini. The boy’s father, Mario, was an accountant…
He was thirteen and doing all he could to keep up with his brothers and the neighborhood kids. His siblings shouted their encouragement “Keep up Bob! Come on Bob!” That sounds like a brotherly thing to do – until you…
It was November 10, 1775 when the Second Continental Congress established a military force consisting of two battalions. These troops were designated as landing forces – able to fight on land or at sea. Such a force was deemed necessary…
Marguerite Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. She was three when her parents’ marriage ended. Her father sent her and her four year old brother, Bailey Jr., to live with their paternal grandmother. Annie Henderson lived…
One can learn a great deal growing up on the family farm. Such was the case of a boy named Clay, the eldest child of Bill and Helen, owners of a forty acre farm in Portage, a small town in northwest Ohio.…
His was a turbulent childhood – born in Hayward, California, the only son of a Samoan mom and an African-American father. The family moved thirteen times during his youth. His father traveled often to find work – and that work paid…
Born in 1971, she was raised in Clearwater, Florida. Her father would ask her and her brother the same question every night at the dinner table – “What did you fail at today?” One night she answered – “I tried…
On rare occasions, it becomes apparent very early in a person’s life that they are unique, different – special. Such was the case on June 28, 1971 when a boy was born in Pretoria, South Africa to a South African-born British…
If there were one word to describe life in the United States after World War II it may be ‘boom’. There was an economic boom, a population boom and a boom in the television industry. As life returned to normal,…
C. P. Huntington was the first locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad – it featured the number 1 and was named after the company’s third president. It was also one of the engines that led Harold Chance’s passion for trains. This…
It was the second marriage for both of his parents While he was the second son born to the couple (February 7th, 1962). he was the youngest of six children. His mother had three children from her first marriage, his father had one.…
When he apprenticed at a draper’s shop, he likely had no idea how that would shape his career – and his life. Yet selling fabric to clothiers did exactly that. In 1856, he opened his own outfitting business in Basingstoke,…
It had been such an amazing week – one that was full enough to feel more like a month yet seeming to have lasted for mere moments. It was ten pm on a Saturday night as I sat through the…
He was born in Connecticut in July of 1969. His youth was spent there, in Boston, Las Vegas and ultimately Maine where, in 1987, he graduated from Herman High School. While his childhood wasn’t spent in necessarily tough areas, he grew up to…
There are many factors that give birth to new items and innovation – including technological advances, newly discovered materials, and of course, good old creative thinking. Yet it’s said that necessity is the mother of invention and there’s a great deal of…
Tim’s penchant for overcoming long odds and finishing strong began at the very start of his life. His mother had been treated for amoebic dysentery, which caused significant complications during her pregnancy – he wasn’t expected to survive to full term.…
Georgetown University is located in the heart of the nation’s capital – Washington D.C. It is the oldest Jesuit university in the United States and at its very core is the commitment to challenge students to engage in the world…
Life is filled with choices – some are easy to make, some are much more difficult – some have little significance, others will be life changing. Augustine faced a difficult choice – one that would definitely be life altering. He…
There are countless children who love school – who love to learn. Many are afforded that opportunity freely – with easy access to schools, highly motivated teachers and the latest text books. For others, there isn’t that same access to…
As amazing as modern medicine is – there are times when routine procedures turn out to be anything but. Appendicitis is typically treated on an emergency basis, yet the operation boasts a extraordinarily high success rate. In the rare instances…
This weekend, the United States of America celebrates its birthday – and 239 years of independence. What does that mean? According to Merriam-Webster, independence means “freedom from outside control or support : the state of being independent”. Freedom is the…
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) boasts an enrollment of well over 40,000 students. It’s not a challenge to find co-eds who are bright, energetic, attractive and talented. Kirsten easily fit that profile. She graduated in 1993 with a…
What does one do when they’ve earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University? Some continue their Harvard education and earn an MBA. A handful of those continue their education further and earn a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the same…
John Burroughs High School in St. Louis, MO., has had more than its fair share of highly successful and world famous graduates – Andy Taylor, founder and CEO of Enterprise Rent-a-Car; Grammy winning musician John Hartford; world-renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer’ Pulitzer prize…
Many would view his childhood as anything but normal. Not too many kids get expelled from school three times – before they reach age twelve – and most don’t leave home at the age of 12 1/2. For Christian, however, his youth…
The Continental Baking Company – of Indianapolis, Indiana, introduced Hostess® Cupcakes back in 1919. Wrapped for on-the-go consumption, they were a big success so Continental expanded in 1926 the line of snacks under the Hostess® brand name. An item that became incredibly popular…
The American West of the 1800’s was a land filled with promise – not just of hope and great opportunity – but also the promise of diverse dangers and hard living. For one young man in his twenties, John –…
Tuskegee is a town of about 12,000 people in the southeastern portion of Alabama. It is home to Tuskegee University – a predominately black school founded in 1881 – that developed a national reputation for academics and philanthropy under the…
Before they had even met – much less conceived him – World War II played a significant role in the lives of his parents. In July of 1941, Ed Nye, the man who would become his father, left San Francisco…
Carville, Louisiana is located in Iberville Parish just south of Baton Rouge. The town was given its name in the late 1800’s in honor of its postmaster. It is home to the National Hansen’s Disease Museum – located at the site of a former sugar plantation…
He was born in Accra, Ghana in 1965 and raised in that country’s chaos of the sixties and seventies. Ghana was under the rule of a military dictatorship whose policies made life difficult, to say the least. Finding food was a daily challenge…
His family left England in 1967, moving to Australia as part of that country’s “populate or perish” initiative which offered financial incentives to immigrants. Born the next year, he was the youngest of five children but only the second to be Australian born. The…
She was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca – the sixth of ten children. She first stood out because of her natural blonde hair – her family warmly referring to her as the ‘blonde sheep’ of the family. The…
By his own account, his childhood was average at best – but more accurately, it was mundane, if not downbeat. The oldest of three boys, he was born in Ryan, Oklahoma on March 12, 1940. His father – a truck…
About the only thing the two boys had in common was the same first name. One was born into a Catholic family in 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up with the no-nonsense, hard working, blue-collar persona the city itself…
People who have not been to Pittsburgh, PA might imagine it to be a steel town – dirty with soot-filled skies. The image might be one which includes a town past its prime, comprised of a blue-collar population with a…
Though he was born in Chicago, IL- the fifth of eight children – he was raised in the small town of Clinton, Missouri, his mother’s hometown. She had moved to Illinois in the 1940’s, however, because her family wanted her…
At first glance he was just one of countless blue collar workers living with his wife of 22 years in Queens, NY. It was the early 1970’s – a time of turmoil – anti-war protests, student unrest, civil rights activism- and a…
With over 11,000 outlets, the Rexall Drug Company was the largest U.S. drug store franchise in 1958. The company accounted for 20% of all drug stores – each one owned by a local pharmacist. That business model had been successful since the company’s…
As the forty-second largest city in the U.S. – Omaha has a lot going for it. Some consider it a small city – others think of it as a big town. Either way, the city is home to five Fortune 500…
It is said that there is strength in numbers – in 1924, four Chicago businessmen put their faith and efforts into proving that adage. Four men – each of whom had established retail hardware stores – believed their business would…
There are people who seem to be destined for one particular position in life – to fulfill a particular role or profession. Such was the case with a boy born in Henderson, North Carolina in May of 1983. Located near the…
Until the age of thirteen she had lived a quiet life with her parents and older brother in Metairie, La. – just outside of New Orleans. The family – Christian Scientists – attended weekly services together. There, the signs on the wall…
On the surface, it may have appeared to be an unusual collaboration – a stationery shop manager, a banker and an engineer. Seemingly the only common bond was that they were all German – however, they shared a vision for…
Jack Dorsey is without a doubt the most acclaimed alumnus of Archbishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis – though he didn’t distinguish himself there. The fact that it took some time to achieve a bit of renown wasn’t due…
Kevin was one of five brothers living in Kensington, Maryland where his mother was mayor and his father a successful land developer. One of his loves was football, playing for the Maplewood Maple Leafs youth team, Fork Union Military Academy and St.…
Essentially homeless for three years at the end of the 1980’s, he lived in his 1976 Ford Tempo. He was divorced, sending three quarters of his limited income to his ex-wife to support their two children. With an Igloo cooler for…
Countless factors combine to make us who we are as humans – too many for most of us to fathom. For Hans Hess, born and raised in Carmel, California, two of those things have had quite an impact. First, his…
What are the chances that someone’s vision comes to life and changes the world? What are the chances that two people with a similar vision each succeed in their pursuit of making it a reality? What are the chances that…
In October of 1955, a banker and his wife welcomed their baby girl into the world in Madras (now Chennai) southern India. At that time it was generally accepted that a girl would follow a certain path to marriage and motherhood. This…
At the age of 24, Karl Elsener opened a cutlery store in the small town of Ibach, Switzerland with the help of his mother – it was 1884. He made and sold quality knives and surgical tools. Competing with other…
Let me share some recent interactions I’ve had with various service providers… “Thanks for taking care of this issue.” – “No problem.” “Would you please bring us a child’s menu?” – “No problem.” “Will you see if you have this…
The entire U.S. oil industry was changed in 1908 when his father patented the two-cone roller bit. Wells could be drilled faster and in more diverse locations. That drill bit also had a significant impact on the family and the…
Born in Stanford, California, he was raised in Berkeley. High school took him to Vermont where he attended The Putney School which combines the New England work ethic with a strong academic program with focus on coeducation and community service. From…
He was the middle child – number five out of nine. As a youth, he enjoyed reading books about heroic figures in American history. Being born and raised in Chicago, there was an endless list of local heroes in the four major professional…
The three had plenty in common beginning with their friendship. Each graduated from the University of San Francisco – one a history teacher, one a writer and one an English teacher. The three – Zev Siegel, Gordon Bowker and Jerry…
The concept that ‘more is better’ seems to have permeated our culture. This is especially true in food service and restaurants as evidenced by larger servings, ‘all-you-can-eat’ specials and unlimited drink refills. The belief is that quantity is the secret…
There were some very noteworthy events in 1966 – the U.S. began an aggressive escalation of military in Vietnam while anti-war protests grew exponentially, Indira Ghandi visited the U.S., the Miranda warning became law, Surveyor 1 landed on the moon…
Lives are filled with changes and twists – his was no exception. Early in his life those changes were driven by his father. whose various occupations included welder, shopkeeper and swimming pool manager to name but a few. His various jobs…
Born in Rockville Centre, NY in 1952 she was the only daughter in a family with four sons. That could have been daunting for her had it not been for her parents. They encouraged her to compete equally with her…
It was January of 1848. America had just gained ownership of California with the end of the Mexican-American war. While building a water-powered sawmill, James Marshall found gold flakes at Sutter’s Mill on the American River. The news attracted thousands from…
His career in sales began quite early – selling matches to neighbors when he was five years old. Later, he used his bicycle to expand his geography and diversified his line of products by becoming aware of his customer’s needs and…
No other state may be more football crazy than Texas – high school football dominates Friday nights and the college teams own Saturdays. However, there was a big void in the Texas sports scene heading into the 1960’s – there was no professional football…
She attended grade school at the Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills where she aspired to be a writer. With that in mind, she wrote the eighth grade graduation play and ended up starring in the lead role. It was…
He was a student at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in his hometown of St. Louis when it happened. Pearl Harbor. America was drawn into World War II. He enlisted in the Navy where he became a…
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