What happens after you say, “HELLO” to James D. Feldman?
For years I have respected and admired the contributions and creativity of Jim Feldman as a leader in the Incentive Industry. His quick mind, take action ways have helped people and businesses achieve remarkable success over the years.
After almost 3 years of experiencing a painful, debilitating illness that left me unable to even wiggle my toes, stand or walk on my own, I was determined to get back “Up There” as one of the messengers who helps people see what’s possible in life and at work. With determination, prayers, loving support from family and friends, a great neurologist who figured out my problem and a phenomenal physical therapist, I can now wiggle my toes, bend my feet, stand and walk on my own again!
To help me in my comeback, I started going through my huge files about Success, Great Companies, Recognition, Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and the details I had collected over the years about people who make a difference. I came across a small binder and opened it. IT WAS ABOUT JIM FELDMAN!!! The title of the first page caught my attention.
Turning Lemonade into Cash
When I was seven years old, I had no job and no money, so I went to my parents and asked for an allowance.
“Go earn it yourself,” my father told me. “Walk the dog, mow the yard, wash cars . . .”
I went to my mother and asked for an allowance, and she sug-gested I set up a lemonade stand.
Upon looking at the local competition—a lemonade stand on almost every corner—I went back to my air-conditioned bedroom to think about how to make money without going out in the heat and facing the inevitable price war.
I asked my mother to take me to Shoppers World, a warehouse store where I priced out bulk lemonade, sugar, and paper cups. I bounced from my Mother to my Father when I asked for an allow-ance. Once I got ALL the decision makers in the same room I made progress.
I figured out that I could wholesale this “lemonade kit” to the mothers of my competitors during the cool evenings, thus avoid-ing the heat and tiresome work operating the lemonade stand. It worked. I purchased the bulk supplies in the cool evening when my mother could take me shopping, took orders, repackaged the items for each “lemonade stand,” delivered them, and collected the cash. Guess what? At the end of the summer I had a savings account with over $350.
I learned what I needed to know to be successful . . . there is no shortcut to hard work and a new idea can be worth a lot of money.
When the Shift hits the fan, what do you know? It’s time to learn.
I learned, at seven, when I met with an immoveable object, you can create a win-win. I owe it all to my parents who made me real-ize that there are no white knights, no Robin Hood and no tooth fairies who leave gifts under your pillow. I don’t believe in random events or chance because there is something you can do about it. It’s time to Shift your thinking.
I CONTINUED READING THE REST of the article. After the last sentence, I knew I had to call Jim Feldman and thank him for the boost and let him know what I was up to at this remarkable time in my life (a 77-year-old making a comeback).
Here’s what happened after “Hello Jim”.
Speaking with Jim was like receiving the surprise gift you are left speechless by. I told him that being with him “this day” was like the gun going off at the starting line and my push to keep going until the race is won. His words of encouragement and advice were just what I needed.
He mentioned he had just published his new book, SHIFT HAPPENS. I read it that day and asked if I could write about our time together and tell people about his newest contribution.
Short and sweet – READ SHIFT HAPPENS by James D. Feldman
The Foreward, written by Joseph Sugarman, Chairman and Founder of BluBlocker Sunglas Corporation and one of America’s top marketing professionals is a powerful testimonial to James.
“Jim Feldman provides the answers in this excellent book on what you need to do to achieve the American dream or to dramatically build your career. So much is attitude; much of it is shifting your belief system.
You can learn your best lessons from somebody who has fought the good fight, succeeded and failed and ended up on top. Believe me, there are many self-proclaimed gurus who never ran a business or had to meet a payroll. Jim is not in that category. He’s done it all. From being an accomplished speaker, to running and building businesses. And he uses examples from his personal experience to teach you the truth about handling the challenges that face us all.
Jim’s recipe for success is not the typical formula you’ll find in many books on success. In Shift Happens: No Job, No Money, Now What?, he points out how to take the worst situations and turn them into positive events in your life. It’s not just a business book, but also a book on life. Chances are you’ll walk away with more than one good idea from each chapter – with each idea shifting your perception and motivating you to take action and make the changes you need in both attitude and technique.
Take charge of your life. Realize that Shift Happens and the way you respond to it can make all the difference between success and failure. I have known Jim for over 40 years. I’ve seen his approach to difficult situations and watched him conquer even the toughest challenges.”
