From Publishers Weekly
As a comic, Shaw never became a household name, having retired from the stage at age 21, newly married and ready for steadier work. Still, this mix of memoir and advice mostly succeeds thanks to his genial but focused voice. In short chapters, the current CEO of Pilot Pen leads off with a joke or anecdote from his career, then draws a lesson from it, sometimes proving that show business can indeed inform commercial business. "[E]ven if you are scared to death, you can't show weakness or vulnerability," Shaw declares, adding that "success is bred by a constant quest for improvement." He advises readers on how best to enter a room and grab a crowd (hint: keep your introduction short). Earlier in his career, Shaw helped introduce the disposable lighter at Bic thanks to his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. At Pilot, he managed to turn the use of a Pilot pen to sign a Middle East peace accord into a public relations bonanza. Still, some readers may question his nostrums e.g., marketers should abandon an idea that won't take off quickly. And he acknowledges that his success is based on what many modern couples will no longer countenance: a marriage with a supportive wife who cared for their kids on her own up to five days at a time while he was on the road.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Foreword
Given that you are reading this foreword you probably fall into one of two categories: browser or purchaser. Let me explain: The browser is a person that goes to the local bookstore, sometimes with the intention of possibly buying a book and sometimes just to look around or “browse.” I frequently fall into this category. I love to read and have been blessed with the good fortune of having a job that allows me to meet and interact with many prolific authors. In the end, many different things affect whether or not I remain a “browser” or become a “purchaser.” For instance, I may be drawn to a particular book by something on the book cover. In some cases, it is the title of the book that has garnered my attention; in yet others it is the author. When I pull the book off of the shelf I may read the inside jacket cover, the foreword of the book or the opening lines of the first chapter. Maybe you are doing exactly that right now.
You may have been drawn to this book because you recognized the author on the cover from his humorous commercials for Pilot Pen. Perhaps you heard about the book during a recent television interview or read a favorable review. Regardless of how you may have gotten here, you can now consider yourself to be very lucky. Why? Well, first I need to provide you with a bit of background information:
It’s hard to believe but earlier this year, I celebrated my 44th anniversary on the air. That means I have now broadcasted on television and radio in six different decades. I broke into the business by starting at a small radio station in Miami Beach on May 1, 1957. I was this little Jewish kid from Brooklyn who dreamed of following in the footsteps of Arthur Godfrey and Red Barber -- such giant imprints. I wound up working with both of them at the tail end of their brilliant careers. Early in my career I actually did radio broadcasts from the window of a delicatessen in Miami Beach (I would tell you more about that here, but the details are contained inside). It was in Miami Beach that I was lucky enough to meet and interview a rising stand-up comedian who happened to be a former little Jewish kid from Philadelphia. Hardly did I know that this aspiring comic would change the path of his life to become the President and CEO of a major pen company. Of course, I am speaking of my friend of over thirty years, Ron Shaw.
When I hear the name Ron Shaw, several adjectives come to mind: honest; compassionate; generous; intelligent, loyal and of course, successful. All of these attributes have contributed to Ron becoming one of America’s most successful and well-known corporate leaders. Ron is also held in very high regard for his philanthropic goodwill. Ron remains a strong supporter of numerous charitable organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the charity that I started to help underprivileged individuals pay for life-saving cardiac care: The Larry King Cardiac Foundation. It is in the context of the Board meetings of the foundation that I have had the opportunity to observe first hand and fully appreciate many of the unique and effective methods utilized by Ron in interacting with people. This book will now help you to glean and develop those very same skills.
“Pilot Your Life” is a delightful journey that offers the reader personal insight into everyday living. This is not an ordinary “how to succeed” guide. This book is what I call a “thoroughly enjoyable read.” As you traverse the pages you will empathize with the various problems and situations that Ron has encountered over the years. You will smile as you read about how he resolves various personal and business dilemmas. The lessons contained in this book are subtle and effective; incidentally, these are two other adjectives that are aptly used to describe the author.
In this day and age we frequently hear about what some people refer to as the “ruthless corporate ethic” in American business. That type of perception seems to support the old cliché that “nice guys finish last.” In this book Ron Shaw completely debunks that theory. He proves that with hard work, your own initiative and the common sense plainly laid out in the following pages that you can not only succeed in your personal and professional life, but that you can enjoy yourself, family and friends while in the process of doing so.
At this point, if you are still a “browser,” you have now come to the time to make an important decision: Do I put the book back on the shelf or do I buy it? If you make the right choice, I am confident that you will have absolutely no regrets. If you have already purchased “Pilot Your Life,” congratulations. You are about to embark upon a fun and hopefully life changing flight.
Larry King
May 2001
