For those of you who were following on Twitter (thank you!) and for those of you who were not -this is my story of the world's most incredible car.
GM has always been a part of my life. From my dad's two toned Oldsmobile, fresh off the line after WWII...to the 52 fin tailed Chevy - yellow - that everyone coveted...to endless station wagons et al...but the one that will always stay in my mind...that I would give the world to have today...was the '63/64? Pontiac Grand Prix. What a car that was. It defined moments of my life forever.
I can still see her sitting in the used car lot shining brightly under the warm California sun. I was drawn to her immediately. Under instructions from my husband to find a car to replace his ailing Volvo...and knowing ahead that he would most likely balk at the sales price...I quickly headed toward the sales door. Pointing to the midnight blue beauty, the salesman threw me the keys and I was off on my own special journey of GM magic at its finest. VROOOOM!
The magic of a V-8 engine...4 on the floor gearshift...leather bucket seats....teak interior...were more than the beating of my fragile heart could stand as I tooled over the California hills and up and down El Camino Real. I was lady of the land. No one could touch me. I was a part of that gorgeous machine...and all that magnificent power. VROOOOM!
It was with a trembling hand that I returned the keys and begged the salesman not to sell until my husband could see and buy. I offered a ten dollar bribe and a show of the leg (a bit). Then I went home and called my husband. "I found the car!" When he heard the pricetag of $3,000 he hit the roof. "NO WAY! Ridiculous price for an automobile. I won't pay it."
"But," I pleaded, "I have looked everywhere and this car is YOU!" (So I lied.) That seemed to somewhat mollify. Every day I stopped to make sure the car was still there. It was. I saw that as a sign...and the following Saturday I proudly showed off that gorgeous beauty to my husband. "$3,000! 8 thousand miles? NO WAY!"
No dummy the salesman, he handed the key to my husband who, grumbling about not buying anything so ridiculously expensive, stepped on the throttle. VROOOOM! A quick glance I noted my husband's face had changed ever so slightly. Was that a small grin I spied?
Driving away twenty minutes later, ownership papers in hand, my husband turned to me and said..."This is a manly man's car. We will get you something a little less ostentatious." And true to his word he did. I got 'the bug' and he kept the passion of my life. VROOOOM!
Shortly thereafter, my husband was reassigned to the East Coast and we drove across country. That's when that car came alive. Crusing at 110 mph over the desert...flying down Route 66...
WHOOSH!...we sailed into Ohio in two days time. Hitting Ohio we had to begin obeying the speed law and it took us another day to hit our destination...Massachusetts. VROOOM!
Over the years, that midnight blue beauty got waxed by me. Lovingly dusted inside and out. I did not have my own set of keys but I would sit in the seat...close my eyes...and VROOOM! I was off on my own special journey.
My husband was generous. I got to drive her four times a year. VROOOOM!
The years sped by and the odometer sped by with it. 50,000...80,000...100,000...120,000...140,000, 160,000....and finally...
Cruising down the highway from Lake Placid...on the way home to Massachusetts...that midnight blue beauty gave out one long last sigh...vrooom...and coasted with no power into a small service station at the bottom of the mountain. Where my husband left her. I never knew who took her after that. My heart was broken forever.
Other GM cars have since come and gone. But none will ever take the place of that incredible Pontiac Grand Prix. It was the pride and glory of the company that year - and in my heart and mind always will be - for in those days when GM made a car - they made it right. The bucket seats were wide and deep...one could sit in them forever the comfort was incredible. Ones knees did not hang over the edge as they do now. And yes there are other modifications in today's vehicles...but when one comes across perfection - it is always perfection - and no other description qualifies. And that midnight blue, bucket seat, 4 on the floor, teak interior, V8 engine Pontiac Grand Prix was perfection at its finest. VROOOOM!
We all send our good wishes to GM for the future. Their executives did their best over the years we do believe. No one sets out to deliberately fail. Besides folks...we need them. Someday they just might return to building a car like my special beauty. VROOOOM!
And wouldn't that be a wonderful day for all of us!
God speed, GM!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Millionaire Manager Journey
It's been quite a year. Several years really. Trying to get a publishing business started. It all started with a book, ended up with five books plus an e training course. Hard to keep up these days with demands from this new shrinking world that we live in.
Hi, my name is Joan Symonds. I am hoping that this blog will help many people. First, I would like to share with you the turmoil of being a publisher, what it takes, the people involved. Then I would like to share stories and articles with those of you who are currently division managers or small business owners struggling with financial statements. So let's begin.
I could not have come this far in our publishing today without the help of a whole lot of people. Printers, editors, indexers, e training experts, animators, web designers, sound studios...the list goes on and on.
It all seemed so simple when we first began to talk about publishing the work of my late husband, Curtis W. Symonds. Curt published four or five books with the American Management Association on the subject of finance, and was a featured speaker not only at AMA but around the world at universities and organizations during the l970's and early '80's.
Curt was one of those teachers who realized that the failure of our businesses today spoke directly to the fact that the financial reporting that was being done was outdated and had not been changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution. As one man, crying in the wilderness, Curt sought to change that thinking. His work was revolutionary, and through it he helped many businesses not only stay in business during sliding economic times, his simple techniques assisted many businesses in growing their profits up to 45% a year.
In discussing how we would approach the launch of these materials, my daughter, Carole Symonds, partner in one of the global financial consulting firms, picked up her pen and began a journey of her own, partnering a book with her late father.
When we saw what was happening in the economy, how corporations and small business owners were losing ground, it was a no-brainer that we needed to bring attention to Curt's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) training begging to be published in a newer form. ROIC teachings are so needed today that I grabbed the reins and with the help of my family, I began with one book title, the Millionaire Manager. I could not, in my wildest imagination, envisioned what this business is becoming for us today.
Hard work? You bet.
We actually launched our first effort two years ago by way of an ad in a webzine. We were hoping to sell books to corporations to give to their managers to read. Immediately, with just a galley in our hands, we sold 200 copies to a Fortune 500 company for training their six sigma teams. They were excited about the book and so were we. We thought - well, this is easy. Managers love the book. We will sell these to companies to give to their managers to read on the plane, on the weekend, whatever.
Well, that was a big mistake. Quickly,we realized that HR trainers did not have time to read the book and corporations relied on e training to get the message through to their managers. So we brought everything to a screeching halt with the book(s) and turned our attention to e training.
We were very fortunate to elicit the assistance of two major Fortune 500 companies in test driving the training for us before we launched. We learned a lot. We are most grateful to the managers, both here stateside and overseas, who took the time to go through the course for us.
And now, we are ready to launch. Well, almost. We are working on a project that we will unveil to the world October lst. We hope you enjoy it. It was done just for all of you.
You should know that the profits earned from this venture are earmarked for a fund to feed hungry children around the world. We could think of no better way for children to be educated than to feed their bodies so their minds could follow.
More to come later on that. My phone is ringing. Time to go to work.
Hi, my name is Joan Symonds. I am hoping that this blog will help many people. First, I would like to share with you the turmoil of being a publisher, what it takes, the people involved. Then I would like to share stories and articles with those of you who are currently division managers or small business owners struggling with financial statements. So let's begin.
I could not have come this far in our publishing today without the help of a whole lot of people. Printers, editors, indexers, e training experts, animators, web designers, sound studios...the list goes on and on.
It all seemed so simple when we first began to talk about publishing the work of my late husband, Curtis W. Symonds. Curt published four or five books with the American Management Association on the subject of finance, and was a featured speaker not only at AMA but around the world at universities and organizations during the l970's and early '80's.
Curt was one of those teachers who realized that the failure of our businesses today spoke directly to the fact that the financial reporting that was being done was outdated and had not been changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution. As one man, crying in the wilderness, Curt sought to change that thinking. His work was revolutionary, and through it he helped many businesses not only stay in business during sliding economic times, his simple techniques assisted many businesses in growing their profits up to 45% a year.
In discussing how we would approach the launch of these materials, my daughter, Carole Symonds, partner in one of the global financial consulting firms, picked up her pen and began a journey of her own, partnering a book with her late father.
When we saw what was happening in the economy, how corporations and small business owners were losing ground, it was a no-brainer that we needed to bring attention to Curt's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) training begging to be published in a newer form. ROIC teachings are so needed today that I grabbed the reins and with the help of my family, I began with one book title, the Millionaire Manager. I could not, in my wildest imagination, envisioned what this business is becoming for us today.
Hard work? You bet.
We actually launched our first effort two years ago by way of an ad in a webzine. We were hoping to sell books to corporations to give to their managers to read. Immediately, with just a galley in our hands, we sold 200 copies to a Fortune 500 company for training their six sigma teams. They were excited about the book and so were we. We thought - well, this is easy. Managers love the book. We will sell these to companies to give to their managers to read on the plane, on the weekend, whatever.
Well, that was a big mistake. Quickly,we realized that HR trainers did not have time to read the book and corporations relied on e training to get the message through to their managers. So we brought everything to a screeching halt with the book(s) and turned our attention to e training.
We were very fortunate to elicit the assistance of two major Fortune 500 companies in test driving the training for us before we launched. We learned a lot. We are most grateful to the managers, both here stateside and overseas, who took the time to go through the course for us.
And now, we are ready to launch. Well, almost. We are working on a project that we will unveil to the world October lst. We hope you enjoy it. It was done just for all of you.
You should know that the profits earned from this venture are earmarked for a fund to feed hungry children around the world. We could think of no better way for children to be educated than to feed their bodies so their minds could follow.
More to come later on that. My phone is ringing. Time to go to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
