I still remember my first job.  I was a copywriter and disc-jockey at WLDS in Jacksonville, Illinois (it's still there and going strong!).   This was in the late '60s.  In those days, the general manager was a man named Gerry Cassens.  He was an older guy and I was just a kid fresh out of college.  After working there about 90-days, I had the (fill-in your own description) to walk into his office and say, "Mr. Cassens, I've been here about three months now and I think I'm worth more than you're paying me."

He sat back behind his big desk in this big chair, puffed on his pipe, and looking at me straight in the eye, said, "You know, Jim.  We were kind of hoping you'd be worth more, too."

I received my first lesson in business.  You don't make more money just by hanging around and feeling entitled.  He taught me a lot and I've always remembered him.

Now I know what I didn't know then:  I was 'interested' in success; but I wasn't committed to it.  It's something we've all done at some point.

• How many New Year's resolutions have you kept?
• You've watched Suzi Orman for years - are you any richer because of it?
• You've heard Tony Robbins - are you more successful?

Being 'interested' in success isn't the same as being committed to it. 

Learning is active - we learn from interaction and experiences - not `spectating'.   As I learned from Gerry Cassens, being worth more to the company meant I had to actually be WORTH more!  I had to quit doing the minimum and 'buy-in' to the goals of the organization.  It was up to me to get out and learn more about what made the cash register ring; so I did. 

I spent time with the ad salespeople as well as the program director.  I soon found they were selling advertising `time' only; it was a straight 'time' rate card.   I started producing strong 'production' commercials with some pretty creative copy, much of it funny with multiplel voices.   Pretty soon, the ad reps were getting more and more client ad contracts all wanting these production spots; only problem was, they were time consuming to produce. 

When Gerry called me into his office and said, "These ads take a lot of time to produce, don't they?", I said "Sure.  You need a production rate card!"   Gerry Cassens was smart.  He knew I had done just what he wanted.  I'd become worth more to the station - because the station was now in a position to make more money existing clients and attract new advertisers, too!

Commitment has power.  And, it's a power every employee in every business has.   The key is to tap it.  Gerry Cassens knew how to do that.

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