I am always fascinated by reinvention -- whether it's leftovers made into a great new dish for dinner, or an old piece of clothing that's repurposed into an entirely new design, or even a business that turned inside out and sent a totally new direction.
Americans are a forgiving lot. I read today that Eliot Spitzer's has his big debut tonight on CNN with Kathleen Parker in which they discuss current political events. He would be running for re-election right now had he not had that little scandal in which he was Customer Number 9. Martha Stewart's board of directors expressed great concern when she decided to spend five months in prison, but now her corporate enterprise makes more money than ever.
Martha shrewdly figured out that her magazine and other publishing ventures needed other support measures to survive the hit her reputation would take. The publishing business relies on advertising but Martha's other businesses had built on Martha's own persona, her expertise and endorsement. Thus, it only made sense that she should turn to marketing -- a much more profitable business venture -- to expand her empire. Now Martha is simply everywhere. Not only does she have dishes and paint and embroidery designs. She has a contract with Costco to offer fresh and frozen foods for them under their Kirkland label, and she is even going to produce a game for Nintendo! That's a pretty big comeback.
It's yet to be seen how welcome former-Gov. Spitzer will be with Ms. Parker. I like her newpaper columns, and the New Yorker - South Carolinian angle could be interesting. I just have a hard time getting over the image of Silda Spitzer standing there at the press conference in her navy blue suit with the beautiful silk scarf draped so carefully, and I can't stop thinking about their three teenage daughters. I know everybody deserves forgiveness, and I know everybody needs to make a living. But it's not up to me to forgive him. I'm not his wife, and I'm not a voter in the State of New York. And it's not like he really needs the money from CNN -- his family is worth millions and millions. No, this is part of the rehabilitation of his image in order to run for office again someday. Well, good luck with that.
In the meanwhile, I think I'll watch "The Good Wife" on TV. I think I will also be very thankful that I don't live in the public spotlight.
But for the whole idea of Game Changers, Raina Kelly has a regular column in Newsweek Magazine. It was her story on Martha Stewart that caught my attention and got me thinking about this whole idea in the first place.
How many of us need a game changer in our own lives? We've already seen game changers in our communication. When was the last time anyone used a pay phone? Even little old ladies are on facebook now! And no one would think about leaving home without their cell phone! The mode of delivery has spilled over into movies and TV. When I was growing up there were three TV channels, and maybe two movies playing. Musicians don't even make music the same way anymore. It may be on a traditional instrument such as a piano or violin, or it may be on a computer -- or both!
What's wrong with one of us having the idea that becomes another Game Changer? I've got my thinking cap on. That may not be the secret though. It may be one of those happy accidents that happens when we least expect it and just let it be. But then we're just stubborn enough to believe in it and keep pressing forward when everyone else tells us we're crazy.
After all, Fred Smith's economics professor at Yale gave him a C on his paper in the early 1960's when he proposed an overnight delivery service with one central clearing house located in the middle of other locations, an integrated air-ground system. Today we know this business as FedEx.
So, for all the Game Changers out there -- and all the Game Changers that are yet to be -- thank you!
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