Publisher’s Toast: Credentials in the Credenza: 32 Years of 5X8s

I’d been procrastinating for far too long: it was time to clean up the old credenza. Knowing it would be a quiet day, I went in to do it on MLK Jr. day. But like many a credenza-cleaning publisher, the enterprise took me elsewhere. No, not Narnia (although I’d love to know what’s really in Turkish Delight) but down memory lane.

Early in my career in beverage publishing, a mentor showed me a system to keep track of my accounts. Remember, I’m 76, and I started working on this stuff way before anyone would deploy computers. I know: as with credenza ownership, that’s just something most of you cannot relate to. It was a simple system: a 5”x8” card for every company I would work with. I would have the vitals – name, address, phone number, assistant’s name, birthdays, suit size, really anything. I would write notes of our interaction, pricing, which issues vexed the client, and other important stats. I still use the system today. People have ridiculed me for years, but I stand by my cards.

I kept every one of the accounts, and now have a record of 32 years of work (give or take some long lunches). At this stage it’s a pretty formidable stack of cards, well over 1500. I separate them into companies that have advertised with me, and those that have not: The stack of advertisers was greater than the non-advertisers, which was surprising to me. Over the years I’ve had about 950 companies that have run with me. Going through the piles brought back incredible memories. Once I saw the name, I actually remembered the person, the brand and the circumstances of our working together. Yes, I’ve been blessed with a terrific memory.

As we’re all well aware, the failure rate in beverages is 80-85%, so most of them are no longer in existence, but they were still vivid. This trip down Memory Lane was becoming exhilarating!

Each card brought back a time and place in the industry’s time line. Categories were exploding, with new brands at every turn. The growing stack chronicled the evolution of beverages. There were so many cycles of products. Early on, I dealt with the presidents and CEOs of the companies, the legends of the beverage universe. The personalities were larger than life. Today’s climate isn’t the same. One of my pet peeves is that most people don’t even put their phone numbers on their cards or in their email signatures. That’s sad. How can I call them to discuss selling my old credenza? It’s nice and clean.

The industry has evolved so much over the years. Through my cards I was a witness to a special kind of history: beverage history. The 32 years have flown by. I can recount them, card by card.