Paying it Forward

A young man started his first job today. Remarkable? Probably not. But because I got to play a role in his future I am reminded over and over again how sometimes the smallest gestures have the biggest reward.

I was never a mother. I was never a teacher. I was never a drill Sargent. Yet every Summer I get to be all three as I host my company's new class of college interns that invade my office. As I tell them on that first day, "this is the hardest job you'll ever love". And love it they do.

Over the years I have had probably 60 young people pass through my "boot camp". I laugh and tell my friends that "they come in boys and leave men". But all kidding aside, the change in these young people who take the job to heart is remarkable.

This Summer, I had a special intern, a son of a friend of mine who had somehow gotten through 4 years of college without any practical experience. And as I walked into the conference room on that first day for the interview, my assistant walked by and said, "Be gentle. I think he's going to throw up".

As I closed the door behind me, I turned and saw a young man, the spitting image of his dad but without any of the confidence that his dad possessed. His suit was new, his shirt and tie were scratching his neck and his eyes were searching the room like a wild animal looking for a way out.

But yet there was something there, deep inside, that led me to hire him for the Summer. And it turns out that within this kid was a kind soul, a smart mind and the willingness to do whatever it was going to take to be successful. He not only did the work that was assigned to him, but he also sat through grueling "practice interview" sessions with me critiquing him at every step of the way . . ."Eye contact, stop wiggling, give me your elevator speech" I said, in my best drill Sargent voice.

And all of his practice paid off, for at the end of the Summer, through some networking, he was able to secure employement at one of the top advertising agencies in Chicago, in one of the worst economies.

In the advertising business, we all pay our dues, starting at the bottom rung of the ladder and doing whatever it takes to move up. But every once in awhile, we get a chance to "pay it forward" and give someone a "leg up". Someone took a chance on me over 30 years ago and put me in a job that I was not qualified for, but saw my future potential. Today I get to sit in that chair and help the next generation of marketers get into this business that I love.

Remember that kid of my friend? I think he said it best in his thank you letter to me. He wrote,"I don't know how I can ever repay you for what you have done, but I will start by making the absolute most of my future that you helped to craft". And helping to craft a young person's future is a legacy I am proud to leave behind.

Imagine the world we would live in if everyone "paid it forward". It would be a better place.