WESTERN PETROLEUM MARKETERS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW
MGM GRAND HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NV. FEB. 24, 2001

I’ve found you’ve got to mind your P’s and Q’s: passion, partnership, perseverance, perfection, and quality.

Whenever you love something, do you know you’re naturally great at it? Do you know when you love something and you’re great at it, you become obvious?

Everyone, every day deserves to feel important. The moments in life where someone has made me feel special — I remember them today. They have made me.

I believe all of us in this room want to climb to the top of the ladder. How do you get there? One rung at a time. You have to set goals but you have to set goals that you can reach. Baby steps.

Whatever you do in your life, you have to be absolutely passionate about it.

Giving up is the easiest thing any of us can do. We can do it any day. We can do it any time. I said that because giving up is the easiest thing I can do, that’s what I’m going to do last.

You’ve got to start by believing in you. Then make sure your product or service matches that level of commitment.

Failure is probably the best lesson I’ve ever learned. It hits you with a 2x4 and tells you to try something else. If you’re just standing there, do something else.

I managed my business hour by hour. If I didn’t meet my hourly goals, I went outside and took to the streets.

I’ve never been in the cookie business. I’m in the feel good business. I’m in the ’wow’ business.

If they leave with a smile, they’ll come back.

1000 stores later, I’ve learned that flexibility is very important.

If you chase money, you will never catch it. It has to start with a dream.

In any business, there is always competition. Build your product to be the very best. Build it to the extreme. Because if you don’t, someone else will.

I believe whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. The moment you say ’I can,’ you’re on your way.

I auditioned my staff. First, I had them taste the cookies. If they loved the cookies, they would sell them themselves. If you don’t love what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it.. Second, I had them take the cookies into the streets and see how they did with the customers. They needed to know this tradition and I had to make sure they would follow through. Third, I would bring them into the store and ask them, ’Would you sing ’Happy Birthday’ to me?’ Why? Because I was looking for people who wanted to have fun. I was looking for people who wanted to take a risk. It was something I know would never hurt them. Something I knew they could all do. Customer service comes from the heart. Then, once I had my team together, I taught them to make cookies.

1. Passion is true wealth found in family, friends, and what you do. 2. Everyone deserves to feel important. Touch your customer’s heart. 3. No is an unacceptable answer. 4. Good enough never is. Celebrate greatness and continually improve on average. Zero in on perfection. 5. The greatest failure is to not try.

Take your dreams, reach for those stars, dream big and let nothing stand in your way.