My birthday calls are starting to come in – or at least one. My good friend Julie got an early start with yesterday’s phone call, reminding me that another year was only 10 days away. I’ll celebrate in Steamboat this year among friends from Illinois that I made in the years of running a local television station. One of them was head of the Central Illinois Easter Seals program, one of six boards that I was associated with in the area. Of these, Junior Achievement was my most passionate volunteer cause.

I still have one of the products that my high school J.A. company manufactured and sold – the “Handy Organizer.” It was cork-board covered in Contact Paper with hooks to hold keys and brackets to organize mail. The next year we made candles using brandy snifters and marbles. I was the top salesman of both of these products. After college, I became an adviser that eventually led to running a student-run radio program. Just as I did for a living at the time, these young entrepreneurs sold advertising on their half-hour show to generate revenue and pay expenses. The J.A. program evolved through the years to primarily teaching grade school children about finance. There was also the Titan series for high school kids that encouraged involvement in business and stock market decisions. I credit what I learned in J.A. for my success in the business world.

As I think back to that time, I started my career in newspaper but quickly got involved in broadcasting. I mostly remember how women influenced my career at a time when they were a rarity in the industry. They have come to dominate what was once a man’s world of sales. At my very first radio station, I was the in the minority, with two women co-workers, controlling the largest clients. Oddly, they were delegated to small offices away from bullpen of men. I was eventually promoted to be part of the all-male staff of the more dominant station in their group, but  their next hire, a woman named Jacque, soon put us all to shame. She, too remains a good friend who will call me on my big day. I then went to work for an advertising agency where my boss was a woman. I quickly found that aspiring women were easier for me to work under.

When I moved to a larger radio station in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, the woman office manager, Julie, became a lifelong friend, as evidenced by her birthday call. She was a very powerful department head at the station, involved in hiring, human relations, marketing, promotion, and finance. My male bosses were very intimidating, so she smoothed out the rough edges. Her current best friend, Kim, joined our sales staff shortly after I did, and became one of the top sales people. She was only the second woman on a sales staff of over 10, but found success despite the initial alienation of us men. Today, I’m guessing there are more woman than men on that staff, as a tribute to these early female pioneers. 

When I go to Florida in October to see my son’s family, I’m hoping to reunite with both Kim and Julie. Julie is retired but also served as a radio station General Manager at one point in her career. Kim is still a top salesperson for a print company. They will always be part of my family, despite a divorce that ended our annual vacation gatherings together. It would be great to get back together again on the beach. I just want them to know how much I respect their success and accomplishments at a time when women had little respect. As my career came to a close, I had woman publishers and female sales managers that were easier to respect than most men because of the influence of these ladies in my life.

My wife continues to struggle with male chauvinism, despite the success of her broadcasting career. Unfortunately, too many men are feeling threatened by the changing percentages in today’s workforce. Her corporate “Superhero” statue on my desk bobs its head in agreement. They should instead embrace it as I’ve done. I’ve watched the women in my life battle to gain respect by working harder and smarter. They’ve earned their place in the business world and have paved the way for other women to make their mark in the future. Bubba Beware!