T - 12: Fame Is the Name of the Game

Something very nice and unexpected happened last night. I attended the annual IT industry awards dinner put on by our reseller title ARN. Part of the ceremony involves inducting people into the ARN Hall of Fame. After naming three of the industry's well known and respected leaders, Susan Searle, the publisher of ARN, then added my name as a fourth inductee.

When I say it was unexpected, I should add that it wasn't just unexpected by me. At least 610 of the 620 people there would not have expected it, either, since they had no idea who I am. I could see that many were thinking that you probably should be at least a little bit famous if you're going to get into a Hall of Fame.

Nonetheless, I've got my ticket stamped, and I'm in. Let's face it, with my hand-eye coordination I was never going to find my way into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. And my musical abilities wouldn't win a Karaoke night much less pave the way for a trip to the Cleveland Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. But I am now in this Hall of Fame, and it's pretty cool.

I was very touched that the team at ARN would do this for me since ARN was the first publication I started once I became managing director. It has been hugely successful, dominating its market and at one point running more ads than any other publication in the country.

To be honest, most of the time I was little more than a cheerleader for the team at ARN. Suzey and her various colleagues throughout the years did all the hard work and made it happen. All I did was give them the keys, and they drove it to success.

In many ways my career here has been what I like to call the Amelia Bachelor Career. Amelia died in 2002 at the age of 94. This Hollywood actress, whom you probably have never heard of, set a record for having appeared in more movies than anyone in history -- a record that continues to grow.

Amelia, you see, was the actress who posed for the image of Columbia in the logo for Columbia Pictures, and every time a movie from that studio started, there was Amelia lifting that torch high.

So you don't need to be the star of the movie to be the one who sets the record. Some times all you need to do is get the whole thing started and hold up the light so they can do the rest.

That's not such a bad career. Hey, it got me into the Hall of Fame.