THE FLIGHT OF AN EGO

I had previously written that my store was going out of business and I was in the process of being granted interviews by various prospective employers. One of these would be with a gentleman from Lincoln, Nebraska. I knew little about the retail picture in that city but an interview was not to be over looked so I presented myself at the appointed time at his hotel in New York City. He greeted me saying, "Mr. Winspear I have nothing to offer you but I agreed to this time so that possibly the interview experience might be of some future value". I smiled and said, "I am pleased to meet with you". We went into his suite and sitting on opposite couches began to talk. We spent well over an hour in which he asked questions about my retail buying philosophies, my knowledge of the present menswear market and my other thoughts of things in general. It was an easy, informal discussion with me doing a lot of the talking. As I was departing he asked me to give him some references of manufacturers with whom I was acquainted. I mentioned three or four, including Munsingwear--my major underwear supplier at the store for which I had worked prior to its demise.

I returned to my hotel and hurried through my entry hearing my phone ringing. It was the office of Munsingwear and an acquaintance of mine, again from my previous store, stated, "Jim that's a wonderful job you are being offered by ....", and he named the person with whom I had just interviewed. I replied "What job? I wasn't offered a job". My friend Curt, then went on to say, "When I took the call at the office a Bob Gold told me he was the president of a company in Lincoln and he had just finished speaking with a Mr. Winspear. How well did I know Jim"? Curt replied, I told him I had known you for several years and that you were a man of integrity and a hard, productive worker. At this point he went on to tell me Mr. Gold is planning on hiring you as his administrative assistant to assist him in running his store. Curt concluded by congratulating me on my new position. I hung up rather confused because there had not been one indication of any opportunity in his business.

While mulling this over the phone rang again and a voice said, "Jim this is Bob Gold and I would like to offer you a position in my company as my personal assistant. Please give this some priority in your other interviews as I am very serious"! I was a bit numb at this point but he further stated he was headed for the Cayman Islands but would contact me immediately on his return to conclude his offer with the minor details, such as moving my family, salary and other inconsequentials.

I was still numb and wondered how all this had come about when I finally realized that I, Jim Winspear, had taken a guy who said he had nothing to offer me to a point that he now wanted me to assist him in managing his company. And that's when my ego soared to a height never before imagined. I thought to myself, "Damn!! Jim, you are good"!! Well, after bathing myself in accolades and expressions of wonder, I came to earth and knew I would be on pins and needles waiting to hear the conclusion he would present to me the following week. To return to my normal posture of allowing me to refer to myself as "Mr. Wonderful", the following week I did receive a phone call from him and I became rather deflated when he told me he had to take back his offer. It appeared he was the president, but his father was the chairman and had sold the store while he was on vacation. Weird? Outlandish? Unreal? Yes, all of the above. And so I never went to Lincoln and I never was to be an assistant to the president. But they can't take away the time I always remembered as my flight to that incredible high I never before thought to be attainable. I had talked him into it!!!

SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS

After leaving the military, I became a menswear Maven. That's a Jewish expression for "expert". Oh, it didn't happen all at once, but as some time passed it became apparent I was destined to be in Men's clothing in one form or another. But that is not the story I want to talk about at this time. My story is my relationship with the Jewish people. As I became a buyer of Menswear, I quickly was closely tied to various Jews. That was the business they were in and I soon got to know Sid, Manny, Charlie and Hoybie. (That's N.Y. for Herbie) That is only a few I grew to like and with whom I did business. There really isn't much difference between a New York Jew and a mid-western Jew except in a form of speech or other mannerisms that we all have. Example: I invited a young man in my Wisconsin store to come and look at a certain vendor's neck wear. He demurred, saying, "I don't like him. He's a New York Jew". Now Danny is Jewish and so this surprised me but I went on to say I needed some help in making a selection. I really didn't, but it was a means of encouraging him and to allow him to see the geographical difference is minor. To shorten the story, several weeks later, when this particular vendor was due back in my store, I mentioned to Danny that he was coming back and I now was surprised to hear him say, "Yes I know. He is staying at my home while he is here". So from --I don't like him, to having him in your home was certainly a quick transition. And that was the big difference; you had to get to know them. Isn't this true of all people?
However I want to speak mostly of Herbie. He was not only a character in many ways but he was one of the best friends I could ever hope to have. When my store was announced it was gong out of business. Herbie was on the phone to me saying, "I don't want you to worry. I will hire you right now selling ties and I will pay you what you are being paid at your present job". Did that alleviate some distress on my part? Well, yes, but only because of his generosity and his concern. I was very confident I could get another job. Over the years I have received phone calls from Herbie about every 8 or 9 weeks. In all of those he has asked me to go to work for him and I have resisted, saying, "Herbie you are a friend of mine. If I go to work for you, we can't be friends". His attitude and the questions of all those and others as mentioned above, was typical. Were they concerned, they would no longer be able to do business with me. In part, yes but basically I was their friend and they were mine. After being terminated from my position at a major menswear business, Herbie was on the phone saying, "Come work for me". While I again resisted, in a year, without having been interviewed, I finally broke down when he said, "Jim, I need you. My CEO just left me and I need someone with your experience and stature". And so I went to work for Herbie but that's a story for another day. To summarize this tale , I still get a call from Herbie asking how I feel ? Do I need anything? While it is now more like every three months he calls, yet the bond of friendship was not lessened when I worked for him and it has continued through these many years. I pick up the phone and say hello and hear "Hi, its Hoybie"

A MATTER OF INTEGRITY

A number of years ago, the department store for which I had worked for thirteen years had announced it was going out of business and it was a blow to all the employees as well as a large number of our customers. We had been in the city of Buffalo, N.Y. for over 100 years. As a buyer of the largest menswear department in the city, I had many offers for positions elsewhere. Among the jobs I considered was in a Baltimore store called Stewarts. I had gone down there to be interviewed by a Mr. Davidoff. I entered his office at the appointed time and we exchanged handshakes. He explained he had to go to a meeting and asked me to look over other men's departments in the downtown area and come back with my opinion. I did so and returning, boldly stated "You don't have any strong menswear here in the city" He was surprised but I told him the reason for my bluntness. "There are three very strong pieces of apparel in the men's market at this time and they are etc" The result of me voicing this opinion impressed him and he offered me a job. I was to be hired to buy only the sportswear half of their present department and the current buyer, a man I knew from market conventions, would continue to buy only the furnishings. That, in part, consisted of the underwear, pajamas, hosiery and such. I explained I was very impressed with the opportunity but would like to first see other offers that had been made but I would give him my answer by December 5. We were in the heart of our Christmas business and I also felt an obligation to still do the best possible for my present employer. That may sound too charitable considering we were to be out of a job in the near future. However, the store had been good to me and that was my attitude in spite of what the future had to offer. About three weeks passed and on the 5th of December, I received a call from Mr Davidoff asking if I was ready to join the Stewart Company. I hesitated for a few moments and then said,"Mr Davidoff, I have been thinking about your offer and am sorry, but, I don't think this job is for me." He was surprised, as my former reaction had been quite positive. I went on to say, "I know your present buyer and he is a nice man. I can't see myself working along side of him, going to market, going to lunch with him, possibly being in his home and knowing that if I prove to be as competent as you think I will be, you will dismiss him and give me the entire department". There was few seconds of silence and he agreed that is what would take place. He then went on to say "So what. If its not you it will be someone else". I then said,"I guess I'm an altruist. Let it be someone else. That's not my style. I can't work like that knowing I will be putting a knife in a friend of mine"!! As it turned out, I took a position with a company in Wisconsin and the three years that followed were the best years my family ever enjoyed. Was I blessed in some way for what I considered the honorable thing to do? I don't know. But it sure had a happy ending!