You and Your Business: An Ongoing Romance

 

“The day I don’t find romance in a loaf of bread, I’m going to quit.”

–          John Uhler Lemmon, Jr.

 

In one of his last interviews, Jack Lemmon told the story of how he arrived in New York, determined to become a working actor. Lemmon was born and raised in a well-to-do Boston suburb. From the time he was a child, he set his sights on the stage. He attended prestigious prep schools as well as Harvard, where he majored in business at the urging of his father; but  nonetheless became involved with the ‘Hasty Pudding Club,’ (Harvard’s pre-eminent theatre club), and was totally smitten by the acting bug. After a stint in the Navy in WWII, he returned home, and resolved to make his theatrical dreams a reality.

 

He had only one problem:  money.  So he asked his father if he could borrow enough to get to New York to try his wings.  His father, who made his mark as the general sales manager and vice president of the Doughnut Corporation of America asked him, “You really want to give this a shot, huh? Jack said, “Yeah, I’ve got to find out. Otherwise, I’ll never really know whether I could have done it or not.” His father replied, “You’ve done similar stuff, and you’ve done enough to know that you love it?” Jack repeated, “I love it” and his father responded, “Great. Because the day I don’t find romance in a loaf of bread, I’m going to quit.”

 

That story belongs to Jack Lemmon, who became one of our most prolific and versatile actors; but it speaks to all of us. It talks about how passion for what we do, influences who we become.  It doesn’t matter what we do, it’s what we put into it.  Whether we collect garbage or create the greatest company on the planet, if we have a passion for our business, we bring that passion – that enthusiasm, motivation and dedication – into everything we touch.  When we do, we find that our success doesn’t equate to dollars, but rather to how it makes us feel and how it makes other feel when they do business with us.  It’s a romance whose glow permeates not only our lives, but also into the lives of all those whose lives we touch.  That’s success. The dollars come afterwards.

 

Here’s what some other success stories have to say about living their dreams.  Besides making perfect sense, I think you’ll find it’s good for business!

 

1.      “The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” —Neil Gaiman

2.     “What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” —Bob Dylan

3.      “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” —Farrah Gray

4.      “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”  – Howard Thurman

5.      “Above all, you want to create something you are proud of…. That has always been my philosophy of business. I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive, then I believe you are better off doing nothing.” – Richard Branson

6.     “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me. ” – Steve Jobs

7.      “There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a business person.” – Anthony Robbins

8.     ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

9.      “Believe in your dream. People may tell you that you won’t make it, that you’re wasting your time. If you keep your dream in mind, have done your research and are willing to work hard, you can make it come true.” –Dave Thomas

10.  “You do not have to be superhuman to do what you believe in. ‘” – Debbi Fields

11.  “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos

12.  “The key is to listen to your heart and let it carry you in the direction of your dreams. I’ve learned that it’s possible to set your sights high and achieve your dreams and do it with integrity, character, and love. And each day that you’re moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are, you’re winning.” – Michael Dell

13.  “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.” – Ray Kroc