Working With Bo

Working With Bo

“We want you to jump on board with us. C-mon!”

This was the voice mail my future boss left me after I interviewed for a territory manager position with the Bo Brown Company. I have to admit, I wasn’t real sure if “C’mon” meant, “Give me a call me back” or “Hurry up man! Let’s go!” After a few years working for Bo, I think I am getting it figured out.

Working for Bo is a pleasure and a challenge. He is by far, the best “people” person I have ever worked with, and going away, the best salesperson. I learn something new every time I am around him. When I say challenge, I mean he has his own language, so to speak, and you literally need a reference guide to understand him.

The first instance of this came with a phone call to Bo about a month after I started working for The Bo Brown Company. I called his cell and he answered, “Brown here!” I think I hung up because I wasn’t sure who it was. Another time Bo answered his phone “Bo Bo here!” I didn’t say anything for a few seconds and he finally said, “Tim-o, is that you?”

 Mealtime is when the best of Bo seems to come out. When he makes dinner reservations the hostess asks whose name the reservation is under. He never misses and answers, “Brown. Like the color.” Of course then he has to use his second most famous line with the waiter. He always grabs the waiter or hostess and says, ”Hey man. You got any coupons?” I suppose he must have asked for coupons before and they had some. Might as well ask. When asked what he wants to drink, Bo usually replies “Red wine, but not that expensive shit.” I about choked on a piece of ice.

One time while eating dinner with a group, we were discussing the best ways to get out of a speeding ticket. Some of the better responses were asking the policeman if he was selling tickets to the Policeman’s Ball, in which the cop usually says, “I’m sorry, Policemen don’t have balls.” Bo piped in and told us he always told his kids that if they got between a rock and hard place, they should just tell the cop, “I got the diarrhea.” I want to try it out, but I don’t know if I could pull it off.

I asked Bo how his dinner was and without a hitch, he responds, “It’ll bubble up a turd.” Not the newest response I have heard; Kelly Wilkie usually says the same. After eating dinner it never fails that the staff will try to get us to order desert. I asked Bo if he was going to have any and he said, “Can’t. I got the sugar diabetes.” Chocolate and him don’t get along real well, so he passes and reminds us, “That’ll pop up a zit if you’re not careful.’

Bo and I had a lunch meeting with some customers one day. They had us meet them at the restaurant and we arrived about the same time as them. We all sat down at the table and our customer starts ordering food for all of us, even drinks. Bo leaned over to me and whispered, “Ain’t this some shit!” I almost spit out my eggroll.

Bo Brown Company meetings are an opportune time to learn when Bo is around. He has been in this industry forever and he helps us learn about mistakes. He always cautions us to be careful about what you say and whom you say it to because, “You might get into a jackpot.” Truer words have not been spoken.

One time Gina Hawley (my business partner) placed a big order with one of our customers. Bo was pretty jazzed with this and responded as only Bo can. I don’t know how he does it, but Bo tilts his head to the right, clasps his hands together next to his mouth and makes of big popping sound like a cork being pulled out of a wine bottle. I have been watching him do this for 5 years from all angles, but I can’t figure out to save my life how he does this.

 Bo gives excellent advice and we all take what Bo says as the gospel. Gina was telling me that she asked Bo for some advice and Bo told her “You’re a grown-ass woman; you can make up your mind.” Being the always cool and calculating person I am, I decided to use that line.  Later that day Gina and I were driving to an account talking about a completely different subject. She asked “What do you think I should do?” Trying to be funny, I mused, “Well you’re a big-ass woman, you decide.” I noticed she didn’t say much for a few seconds and I looked over at her. The daggers from her eyes were heading straight at the carotid artery in my neck and she glared at me and said, ”What in the hell did you just say?” Of course we laugh about this exchange now, but for a few seconds that afternoon, I didn’t think I was going to live to see the sunset that evening. I am still careful when I eat at a restaurant with her and I watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn’t spike my food. One can’t be too careful….

Bo has always been very complimentary to people he likes and people he likes to work with. The other day he was complementing one of the buyers he works with.

“She’s amazing to work with. She’s bionic.” I think you need to be born before 1968 to understand what in the world he was talking about.

 Bo’s wife Ruth tells a good story also. She told us that Bo gets up earlier than her and is wide awake when she gets up. Bo’s been up for a while and wants to talk. Ruthie just looks at Bo, puts her finger to her lips in a shushing manner and slowly turns her head left to right in a very convincing negative way. We only thought Bo was the boss….

Working for this man has been a tremendous blessing and I am super fortunate to be on his team. To be able to watch Bo work a tradeshow, detail customers on product or make the rounds at the dinner table while we are eating is magical. The man knows people and how to treat people. I’m a lucky guy.

Bo, Gina and Me