Page 159 - My Marketing Sucks Book

field of insurance brokerage and health care network development. This was back
in 2003 before Obama was even a Senator in Illinois and healthcare reform wasn’t

even on the radar screen. I was responsible for working with the largest health
systems in the US and spent 2 weeks a month flying in and out of Chicago,

Cleveland, Dallas, Atlanta and other cities where the action was going on.

I was part of a team of 6 men and women who shared a vision. We were funded
by one of the leading insurance executives in the country and a wealthy venture
capitalist. We were off to a very successful start.

I and 3 of the other junior partners were waiting on the final draft of our
partnership agreements, providing each of us with 15% ownership of the firm. We
had all spent the prior 9 months busting our asses getting new clients and driving

new business into the firm.

Then, I found myself wedged under the back of an eighteen wheeler heading west
on Interstate 78 a few miles outside of Newark Airport.

One minute, I was in heavy traffic around 6:30pm with other commuters heading

home to the suburbs and country fighting the sun glare. The next moment, I
blinked and my BMW 740i was wedged under the T bar that drops from the back
of all trailer units (This was mandated back in the 1980’s after singer Harry Chapin
was killed on the Long Island Expressway in a similar accident). Thank God for air

bags, as it likely saved my life that day.

For the next 10 minutes I just sat there in shock as people came to the car and
tried to help me out and to the side of the road. All I remember thinking about

were those things that were most important to me - my faith, my kids, my family
and my health. I was able to walk away from that accident without even going to

the hospital. German engineering reigned supreme in my mind!

Looking back, I should have remembered the old saying that “Bad things come in
threes”. This was just the first in a string of eye-openers I would deal with in the

next few months.
In December, my mother passed away unexpectedly at a young age. It took our

entire family totally by surprise. My folks were divorced and, being the oldest
child and executor of her will, it was my responsibility to handle all her affairs. I

flew down to Florida where she lived and orchestrated her service, financial