TWD, Part 3: Pot Belly Deli

Everytime I screw up, I always think of one phrase, Pot Belly Deli. It's been with me since 1997, and I always rank my screw ups in four categories: small, medium, big and PBD.

I started this Thank Where Due (TWD) series couple of months back, and then somehow didn't have the time to follow through. The basic idea is to recognize people who have significantly influenced my life, and made me a better person.

So, part three involves my brief internship at Merrill Lynch, and my boss Jim Walker Jr. I accompanied our Career Development Office to Marist College for a career fair, and just randomly dropped my CVs to different bins. I remember putting my CV down on a bin for a pesticide company, and right next to it was the desk for Merrill Lynch. And by mistake I talked to the pesticide company about my summer work on environmental pollution, and left the CV at ML's desk. So after one long weekend, I got a phone message from Jim asking that if I wanted to come in for an interview.

I called him 11 times to secure an interview time, which proved them that I was interested. Sesame Lee, my friend drove me to the interview in Poughkeepsie on a tuesday, one hour away, and she had to take time off from work to do that. Allen Josey, my RA, gave me his dress socks for the interview. And I finally got the work.

I used to take the morning bus to Poughkeepsie, then took another bus from there to the ML office. It used to take one hour 15 minutes or more, but I never felt tired because Jim and his partner Rita Gaffney made me feel very welcome. He would generously buy me lunch, and he would always mentor us and teach us about how to conduct business.

I remember my first fun assignment, writing an inspiring speech for a predominantly black inner city school of Poughkeepsie, which invited Jim as a role model. I had to put myself in their shoes, and figure out what would inspire them. But my most fun assignments were meeting Jim's clients, and hearing him craft sales pitches.

We met this one client, who was opening up this deli called Pot Belly Deli, and wanted to set up a retirement plan. We met the client, convinced him, and then set an appointment for meeting him again to discuss the investment. Jim asked me to write it down in his appointment book, and was very pleased since this was a portfolio of about $100,000. I mistakenly wrote the appointment on the wrong month, and didn't check. Naturally, Jim missed the appointment.

The client called the next day, and he was visibly upset, and in turn Jim was upset at me.

I swore to myself that from now on, I would pay attention to the details, and wouldn't delegate others to make my appointments. Till now, I obsessively double check appointments, keep hard and soft copy backups, and reminders so that I don't screw up again.

Jim, wherever you are, hope that you know how much I still admire you. And thanks!