Issue #40

In this issue:

• Wednesdays with Rory
• Whys Cracks
• The Buzz
• WhysNews Archive

Word to the Whys

"Tell me what are the prevailing sentiments that occupy the minds of your young men, and I will tell you what is to be the character of the next generation."
Edmund Burke, Scottish lawyer, writer and politician (1729-1797)

"Fresh Ideas come from our youngest and newest people. They bring in stuff untainted from the company culture."
Steven Sturm, VP Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, USA

"The way you see people is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is what they become."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don`t have the first, the other two will kill you."
Warren Buffet

"The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves."
Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonalds Restaurants

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."
Helen Keller

"I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality."
Jack Handey – Author of Deep Thoughts

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Wednesdays with Rory

In the national bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie, a sportswriter from Detroit learns invaluable lessons about life from his former college professor who is on his deathbed. Recently, I've been learning a great deal from a man on the opposite end of the chronological spectrum.

As a former teacher and coach turned youth motivational speaker, I have been working with young people all of my adult life. Kids are my business and always have been. I've met tens of thousands of teens and early twenty-somethings in my travels to high school and college campuses since 1986. And as you might imagine, some kids have left quite an impression on me; but none more so than Rory Vaden. Rory is, quite frankly, the most outstanding young man I have ever encountered. Allow me to gush...

Rory Vaden will graduate with honors from the University of Denver with both a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Accounting, and an MBA before his 23rd birthday. He's an outstanding student to be sure, but he's also a former student body president and class Valedictorian, a former all-state selection in both basketball and baseball, and a third-degree black belt in Kung Fu. Moreover, Rory's truly one of the nicest, most polite, and most humble young people you'd ever want to meet.

My 20-year-old son worked for the Southwestern Company this past summer, and Rory was his student manager. Rory has sold books door-to-door for four years and has become a legend with this 136-year-old direct sales company. Rory has recruited 50-plus college kids to work for Southwestern and has managed his own team to achieve sales exceeding one half million dollars in three months time. His personal sales during this past summer approached six figures and his take-home pay exceeded $50K. Not bad, even for an 80-hour-per-week summer job.

As you might well imagine, Rory has many career options open to him and corporate recruiters are already salivating at the chance to reel him in. But through his experiences, Rory has discovered some insightful and profound principles of success. He wants to share what he has learned as a professional speaker and he has asked me to mentor him on that journey. We have been meeting for breakfast on Wednesdays, and although I am playing the role of teacher, I have learned a great deal from Rory.

Whenever you and I hear of an outstanding young person, we naturally assume that he/she comes from a great home. Rory's father walked out on him when he was five years old, leaving him to be raised by a single mother in a very modest trailer park 20 miles north of Denver. Although his mom has been a great influence in his life, she could not afford to send Rory to the best schools and give him the best of everything. Instead, she raised him with unconditional love, tons of encouragement, and a healthy dose of discipline.

So what is it that caused Rory to distinguish himself from millions of other Gen Whys that lack his tenacity, passion and singularity of purpose? Is it genetics? Is it his desire to push past the socio-economic deprivation of his childhood? Could this young man be so intensely driven by the promise of unparalleled success—or perhaps a fear of failure, or worse—ending up in a state of terminal mediocrity? While all play a part, there is simply no denying that some people are just born for greatness.

And what can you glean from this story?

First of all, take comfort in the fact that there are Rory's out there destined to lead the next generation. They are not necessarily the ones from the best neighborhoods, the best schools, or even the best homes, but they are born out of the desire to be the best and to create the best. This is indeed good news for you and me, as they are the ones who will care for us in our golden years, teach our kids and our grand kids, serve as our elected officials, and make the critical decisions that will impact the future of our species. We are in good hands.

Secondly, realize that this story transcends that of a guy bragging about an outstanding kid he met. Although he's only one year younger than Rory, my son—who is, himself, doing quite well—considers Rory his ultimate role model and aspires to be like him. Considering the example set by today's professional athletes and rock stars, some of our kids are thankfully finding their heroes in the everyday places you and I never thought to look.

Lastly, be aware that dogged determination in the pursuit of the extraordinary is not extinct. Rory has literally had thousands of doors slammed in his face, and yet he still believes that "the answers lie behind the next door." His confidence is unshakeable and his work ethic is astounding. We've heard many a tale about the relentless determination of early explorers and revolutionary industrialists like Howard Hughes and Thomas Watson. It catches us by surprise to know that that spirit is still alive within the emerging leaders of Generation Why.

"Where are the heroes?" many ask. While they may no longer populate the traditional bastions of iconic worship, they do live and breathe in the face of the next generation of leaders. The heroes of tomorrow are the dynamic young men and women who have escaped the ravages of growing up in the new millennium seemingly unscathed. Rory will thrive in this brave new world that he is helping to create. He serves as a source of inspiration for young and old alike. One day in the not-too-distant-future, Rory will empower and enlighten audiences around the world with his story and his message. I, for one, will be in the front row.

A Chester Christmas Tradition

I have an eleven year tradition of writing a holiday poem and sending it out with a current photo of my family as my Christmas greeting to friends and family. Allow me to share it with you by visiting here.

Whys Cracks

You're Fired: An unnamed employee at a furniture manufacturing plant in Grass Valley, Calif., noticed his pants had become saturated with flammable liquid. He then "put a lighter to his pants to see if they would ignite," the company's business manager said. They did -- and so did the building. Thanks to a sprinkler system and firefighters from four local departments, the building was saved. The employee, described as a college student in his 20s, received minor burns. (Grass Valley Union)
...Majoring in chemistry, perhaps?

Window Dressing: Iona Dudley-Ward, 20, spent an hour and a half trying on clothes in a store in Brighton, England. "I was trying to ignore people passing by, so a lot of them thought I didn't realize I was in the window," she said later. "I had people banging on the window, saying, 'Dear, we can see you.' I just carried on." Police, called by people on the street, discovered Dudley-Ward was a performance artist competing in the Brighton Arts Festival. She won first prize. (London Telegraph)
...The 'wardrobe malfunction' at last year's Super Bowl seems to be an epidemic.

The Buzz
What are THEY Saying?
What do your colleagues have to say about LIVE Generation Why Presentations?

"Your keynote address at our annual convention of 30,000 attendees has received tremendous positive feedback!"
~ Eamon Conner, Education Manager, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions