CEO Blog - Time Leadership

Nostalgia

I had an occasion to go to Woodstock the other day. This is where I grew up so it was somewhat nostalgic and I took the time to visit one of my first employers. When I was 14 years old I got a job dispatching taxis and selling Greyhound Bus tickets for Al Pozin at City Cab. I worked there throughout high school and even into university for a little while on weekends when I would come home.

The taxi stand was also the bus station so I also sold bus tickets and handled bus freight. (I wonder if that is why I grew to love distribution by handling those boxes?)

Al Pozin is now 87 years old.

When he hired me he was an ex-boxer and amateur opera singer so he had a booming loud voice and compared to a scrawny 14 year old, he probably weighed twice as much as I did. I was afraid of him; however, he had a great laugh and great sense of humor.

I appreciate him hiring me when I did not have any experience because he took a big chance on me and I learned a great deal from him. Sense of humour. How to deal with a wide variety of people. How to juggle many things at the same time. Even frugality (although I no doubt got a lot of that at home too) and getting value for money spent.

He was a classic entrepreneur. A taxi stand and a bus station. And winning all sorts of repeat pick ups and deliveries.

posted by Jim Estill @ 10:42 PM