In this chapter, two friends who had not seen each other in years joined a wildlife rescue team to determine security of bald eagle fledglings in a vast natural recreation area. After the work was complete they went camping as a reward. What happened that evening in the rugged wilderness taught as much about nature, as it did about strength, precision and determination, in a man named Peter Churchfield. Who made a fortune while all those around him were losing theirs. Continuing the conversation from last time…
“First one’s on me, Bernie, since you supplied the trout tonight,” Peter said.
“Great. Let’s do it,” Bernie said. “How do I find you?”
“Let him find you,” I interrupted. “Just because he’s retired doesn’t mean he doesn’t still scout for leads!”
This wasn’t just the alcohol talking. Although he was retired, Peter maintained his strong sales acumen as he volunteered to mentor some of the trainees in the by-now large pool of sales people at his old company. Peter was still admired for his rise in the company from the training program to one of the most accomplished printer and copier salesmen the company had ever hired. At the beginning, he quickly had huge commission checks rolling in, and within three years of his first big deal, Wendy and Peter closed on a million-dollar home close to the office after only six years with the company. They customized a medical-care room for Kimberly and hired a full-time nurse. He was able to pay cash for a new car for Kristopher on his sixteenth birthday.
As Bernie and Peter talked about us all getting together again, I thought it was fair for Bernie to hear more about his new friend. “Peter is loyal but has a passion for justice. He was a great leader at work but was intense and given to heightened emotions, both good and bad. That led to an impulsivity that at times was destructive. When Kristopher left, he had good reason—the girl and the independence he had inherited from his dad. But Peter got so angry that he didn’t speak to Kristopher until Wendy intervened and asked her son to forgive his father for his years of anger.”
“That brandy is having its way with you, buddy,” Peter said. “That’s a little too much information for our new friend.”
“But it’s a good story,” I said. “Peter and Kristopher deserve credit on this one. Anyway, Bernie, Kristopher’s new girlfriend in California was trying to get into movies. She was a method actor and told Kristopher to trust the universe and that it would all work out. Wendy also pleaded with him to listen to the universe but to take action on getting to a solution. Kristopher said to Wendy, ‘The universe will not fix this. I need to fix it,’ and he called Peter to start the healing process.”
“I’m not proud of my stubbornness, buddy, but I am proud of my son!”
“Aw, come on, Peter. That same stubbornness is what got you here tonight, and you know it. What mattered is that your son reached out to you, and you answered. You bought what your son was selling, and I’ll bet that is one of the biggest sales pitches you ever bought!”
“Do you smoke Cubans, Bernie?” Peter said. “I was saving these for later, but why the hell not now?”
“It’s been years, but bring ’em on!”
And with that, Peter walked over and popped open the tailgate on the Cadillac SUV to retrieve the cigars.
“I struggled often, competed hard, and failed regularly,” Peter said. He lit his cigar with a burning stick from the campfire. “But there was one trait of mine that stood out and made people take notice. It confounded even my colleagues who’d attended the best Ivy League schools. It was one powerful weapon that kept bringing customers to me.”
Bernie sat up straight. “I think you’re finally going to give me the answer I’ve been waiting for all night. I wish I had a pen to write down the formula of your success!”
Peter exhaled a line of gray smoke that dissipated into the dark sky. “The one thing I learned that will stay with me forever,” he said, flicking away the long ash at the end of his cigar, “is that you are only as good as your word. Never break it, because your word is forever written in ink. In business, if you go back on your word, you are through.”
Continued here next time.
Read the complete story in the book, The Quiet Rich: Ordinary People Reawakening an American Dream.
Kevin J. Palmer, Author
