My uncle, Freeman Mast, was the most successful business person in my family – outside of my entrepreneur grandma who raised chickens and dogs along with the kids, a grandpa running Rudy’s Refrigeration , and a host of farmers. Uncle Freeman grew up in a town of 1000, got a business degree after serving in Vietnam, and landed a job with Marathon Oil. Before his career was done, he was in the top handful of executives for Marathon, creating a distribution system that earned him accolades and recognition beyond his industry.
When I was young, my mom proudly showed me a magazine clipping that had made it into the family circle letter. “Look at this article about your Uncle Freeman!” Fame was impressive to me at any level, and I read the article and still remember the single sentence that described his success: “Getting the right product to the right place at the right time.”
Simple, right? If so, then, why all the attention and promotions for him when he got it right?