Image via WikipediaJust wanted to bring this up as a lesson to business owners. I worked at the Mpls. Star Tribune for 20 years. The thing that always impressed me the most about that company was that if anyone had an idea on how to bring in more revenue, they always gave you the green light to run with it. From day one, when I was a nobody there, they allowed me to do an advertising banner section called "Bike Time". It was a modest success. But once I found out that I could unleash my creativity, I started a ton of programs and pushed them through to success most every time. That is what made that job so fun and so special. Yes, I tried a few crazy things that didn't work out, but mostly everything did work out for me. Heck I even proposed a program where I would fly out to Phoenix for a week to sell ads. To my surprise, my boss gave me the green light on it and I took in $50,000 in advertising. I also pushed to make sales trips to Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin, again, no problem as long as I was able to produce. That's what always kept me going year after year, the ability to bring in new revenue. I did make quota 16 of the 20 years I was there. But things change. Towards the end of my career, when advertising dollars were starting to get tight, the company became more concerned with pinching pennies, financial reporting and cutting staff. That was the beginning of the end of the glory days for the Star Tribune. The Internet, Google, Ebay, and Craig's List pretty much single-hand idly destroyed all the classified revenue and the rest is history. It was fun while it lasted and just like Kirby Puckett they went from on top of the world to being dead as a doornail. So what's the bottom line business owners? Keep moving forward at all times and don't ever stand in the way of creative ideas no matter whom they may come from.
Image via WikipediaJust wanted to bring this up as a lesson to business owners. I worked at the Mpls. Star Tribune for 20 years. The thing that always impressed me the most about that company was that if anyone had an idea on how to bring in more revenue, they always gave you the green light to run with it. From day one, when I was a nobody there, they allowed me to do an advertising banner section called "Bike Time". It was a modest success. But once I found out that I could unleash my creativity, I started a ton of programs and pushed them through to success most every time. That is what made that job so fun and so special. Yes, I tried a few crazy things that didn't work out, but mostly everything did work out for me. Heck I even proposed a program where I would fly out to Phoenix for a week to sell ads. To my surprise, my boss gave me the green light on it and I took in $50,000 in advertising. I also pushed to make sales trips to Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin, again, no problem as long as I was able to produce. That's what always kept me going year after year, the ability to bring in new revenue. I did make quota 16 of the 20 years I was there. But things change. Towards the end of my career, when advertising dollars were starting to get tight, the company became more concerned with pinching pennies, financial reporting and cutting staff. That was the beginning of the end of the glory days for the Star Tribune. The Internet, Google, Ebay, and Craig's List pretty much single-hand idly destroyed all the classified revenue and the rest is history. It was fun while it lasted and just like Kirby Puckett they went from on top of the world to being dead as a doornail. So what's the bottom line business owners? Keep moving forward at all times and don't ever stand in the way of creative ideas no matter whom they may come from. 
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