The Ethical Optimist

It’s been a busy week for us at Utopia, but despite the ringing phones, etc., I always try to make time for friends. This week, my friend John Softness surprised me with a visit to NYC and dinner at the Four Season.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the name, John ran a very successful independent consumer practice agency called the Softness Group. He closed his doors in 2000 after 35 years and headed off to Miami to “retire.” I use the term loosely because John is now one of the most popular speech writers in the area and continues to stay busy.

I met John through a wonderful (now defunct) networking group called Pride & Alarm. Pride & Alarm was comprised of leading NYC agency owners who met once a month for lunch to discuss the state of the industry. I was the youngest member of the group at the time, and one of just a few women, and counted myself fortunate to be among such industry luminaries (many of them now PRSA Fellows) like John, Steve Cody, Walter Barlow, Mitch Koslikowski, Art Stevens, David Grant and Gerry Schwartz just to name a few.

What always struck me is the fact that they allowed me to be a member of their group and ultimately became lifelong friends and mentors. As John jokingly told me last night, “Ah, heck, we only let you join cause we thought you were cute!”

All kidding aside (then again, maybe he wasn’t kidding), each of these people took me under their wing and taught me how to run an agency, secure clients, and deal with HR issues. They also gave me hope and encouragement when I faltered and cheered me on when I succeeded.

I find the young people I work with now do less networking and it’s a shame. This is still a business where people and relationships matter.

John was still handing out great advice last night…and I continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience.