I used to mop floors at K-Mart in 1983 in New Jersey, Easton Ave. Fast forward 14 years at St. Regis Hotel at a corporate event in 1997, I met the Chairman of K-Mart Joe Antonini.

I walked up to him and said. I own an investment back on Wall Street now but my confidence came

From washing and mopping floors at your K-Mart. Bill Gates and Governor Pattaki were standing there. I use that confidence till today that if I can mop floors I can do anything. Joe smiled and asked, why are you telling me this ? I said. I want you to be on my Board of Directors

He replied. I get paid $500k for a meeting. 4 meetings a year and that would be $2 million plus a charter plane for each meeting.

I smiled and replied. You have your own plane. And I don’t have $500k to pay you for every meeting. You are getting old and taking every bit of

Knowledge with you. Up until now you are an immense success. Chairman of K-Mary. Borders Book Stores. Homedepot and whatnot. All $40 billion a year companies. But when you die you will be a failure because you would be taking all your knowledge to your grave. And that is

The biggest travesty of justice. You are an ocean. I am a desert. Teach me. Join my board. I will give you only $100 per board meeting. And I will give you a chance spread your knowledge and teach me. Leave if I turn out to be a bad student.

He joined. Our revenues

Went from $900k in the first year to $34.5 million in the next and $54 the following. And we took over The Sports Authority, a $1 billion deal through taking a NYSE LISTED public company private.

That one second confidence that I can go and talk to the chairman of

A company where I used to mop floors changed my life forever. Then came Steve Morbes’ President Leaonard Yablon onto the board. Them Willi Mayes. Then Deloitte, then then then- the best BoD Wall Street had seen. 12 giants.

Moral Of The Story:

No work is beneath you and

Never hesitate to grab the opportunity waiting for you to be grabbed.