GREAT 133 IDEA: Think BIG—Why Not?

All the entrepreneurs I've profiled for my columns and books have taught me one thing: it doesn't cost any more to think big than it does to think small.

Long ago, when I was working in the remodeled garage behind my Sun Valley, California, home, I bought some big vinyl letters at the hardware store. Then, I spelled out: “THINK BIG” on the battered file cabinet beside my desk.

That message inspired me to work seven days a week to create a successful multimedia and consulting company. Some years have been bigger than others, but I've never given up.

No matter what kind of business you have, strive to land the biggest accounts and make the biggest deals. Thinking big motivates you to operate at the highest professional level. There isn't much science to prove it, but I know success depends on your attitude, and a positive attitude leads to action. If you feel and act confident, you will be more successful in life and in business.

Looking back, it was pretty audacious to think I could provide custom small business–oriented content and event production services to the biggest companies in the world. But my entertainment attorney, the late Jerry Gottlieb, treated me and my projects the same way he treated his celebrity clients, which included Jane Fonda and Quincy Jones. Gottlieb said he kept the first commission check I sent him because it was in the “four figures”—probably $43.44.

He believed in me. After he negotiated a lucrative contract with American Express to produce and syndicate my own small business radio report, I was asked to join the American Express Small Business advisory board. I've been working with Amex ever since, most recently writing a bimonthly column for the company's Open Forum site.

Thinking big after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, prompted me to create Back on Track America™, a national coalition designed to revive the small business economy. This huge idea hit me a few weeks after 9/11.

On that horrible day, my friend Vanessa Freytag was visiting me in my office before she was scheduled to fly home to Cincinnati.

We were watching CNN when the second plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember thinking, “Why are they showing a disaster movie in the morning on CNN?”

Once we realized what had happened, Vanessa became hysterical. She was insisting that she had to leave right away. Of course, the airports were closed and, within an hour, there were no more rental cars anywhere near Manhattan. A long-time fan of Amtrak, I called the 800 number, believing the trains would probably start running before the airports would reopen.

I stayed on hold for almost an hour and finally booked her a ticket on a train heading from New York to Boston two days later. She slowly made her way west, eventually returning home to Cincinnati.

A few nights later, I woke up with a brainstorm. I had spent the day speaking with clients who were canceling all upcoming meetings and conferences. Not good for us, since we were planning events and I was booked to speak at several.

My crazy idea was this: if Amtrak would give me a train (or at least free tickets), I could take a faculty of small business experts around the country to boost the morale of small business owners already suffering from a recession before the terrorist attacks.

The “back on track” phrase came to me that night, but it was our CPA, John D'Aquila, who suggested adding “America.” With the perfect name and a simple premise, I went into a manic phase that lasted three weeks. I called every person I knew and asked them to join what soon became a coalition of big and small companies, business associations, and business experts willing to volunteer their time and brainpower to get the nation's business owners back on track.

A dozen speakers signed on to speak and waived their fees. Event and video producers cut their day rates. My dearest friend and colleague, Linda Denny, started calling her contacts. She was working for ING and contributed some cash. Then, she got on the phone to round up complimentary hotel rooms at Wyndham Hotels and signed up Club Corp. to host VIP receptions at their clubs across the country.

Our biggest client at the time, America Online, provided online marketing and public relations support for six stops on the tour. They also paid for a lively kickoff and press party in Union Station in Washington, DC.

The “Back on Track America” tour opened on Broadway. Fleet Bank rented the Hudson Theatre in Times Square. The next day, we produced an event at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

The Small Business Administration endorsed the effort. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) counselors set up shop at every event. Every Back on Track event included free workshops, a networking reception, and a community Town Hall–style meeting, with me as the moderator.

Everyone I knew got on board. Singer-songwriter Carmin Turco wrote a theme song. My friend Ian Jack, a gifted singer-songwriter, produced “Back on Track.” He and Carmin recorded the song in Hollywood and distributed it to radio stations.

My wonderful friend Yves Kamioner, a talented custom jewelry designer, designed a precious lapel pin in the shape of a tiny railroad track. We presented gold and silver pins to sponsors.

I'm still paying off some expenses from that tour, but I don't regret it. I know Back on Track America helped thousands of business owners across the country get back to running their business.

Everyone loved our message: “Bringing Spirit, Strength, and Prosperity Back to America's Entrepreneurs.”