There always can be a first time

I had my own pioneer story of sorts when I joined the Peace Corps in 1965. My assignment was to teach at a government trade school for girls.

So I taught them screenprinting. I didn’t know about screenprinting either, so I was actually teaching myself. Little did I know that when I joined Herman Miller in 1970 and they asked me if I would design a [picnic] poster and I said I would. I would do 19 more and they’ve gotten a fair amount of recognition. That was my own personal pioneer story.

Herman Miller is a pioneer. Ask them about the next frontier.

Now, Brody died in 1944 of a heart attack eating French pastry at a bistro in NYC. Not a bad way to go.

DJ [De Pree] said, “George, nobody in the furniture industry sells their catalogs. And I said yes, I do know that. There can always be a first time.

If you take nothing away from this morning except this statement, "think about it—there always can be a first time."

Because you'll have an opportunity and the odds are in your favor. You'll either hear no, maybe, or yes. 2 out of 3 .... the odds are in your favor.

If you have what you believe is an original, creative, terrific idea but you get timid and wonder what your client might think ... present it anyway.