Here is the link to the interview on Ricochet: Byron York interviews John Dowd
https://ricochet.com/podcast/byron-york-show/the-man-who-defended-trump/
The interview is over an hour long, thus most people will not listen to the full length of the conversation. I went ahead and listened to the whole thing, twice, and tried to type up “Crib Notes”, getting the quotations as accurate as possible. The information revealed is important for us all. In normal times, this would have been a 60 Minutes level interview, not hidden on a podcast. Here we go….
Notes:
Dowd speaks well of Barr. Believes the summary is accurate as he is familiar. “You’re going to see more of Attorney General Barr.” Of course, everyone wants to see the whole thing (Mueller report) but it is complicated. “Difficult job to thread the needle.”
York and Dowd go through no collusion part of the summary and Dems objections, denial. From Dowd: “I know all the evidence, no collusion, conspiracy, with the Russians…” From Dowd: “Apparently, they tried like blazes to penetrate the organization but were never able to do so.” (the Russians tried). No one in the campaign, “took any bait”. Just “watch how the President conducted the campaign”, inferring he deserved to win. “The FBI had nothing when they started the investigation….. and it did interfere with his ability to do his job”.
From Dowd: “Probably the greatest fraud ever committed against the people of the United States.”
York talks about the news cycle, example of the Trump Tower meeting or Roger Stone and Wikileaks, York asked Dowd if he KNEW of all these accusations or if he was surprised as the investigation went on —- did his client (the President) try to hide anything? – is what York is really asking. Dowd says no, the Trump Organization was beautifully organized to provide documents, etc. No surprises. As to the media, Dowd says, “I’ve never seen anything like the hysteria.” and “Sometimes you would tell them something wasn’t true, but it didn’t matter, they printed it anyway.”
From Dowd: “One of the sorriest chapters I’ve witnessed in this country.”
Dowd explains the Mueller team was finished with all witnesses and expected conclusion by end of November or early December. Dowd and York can’t understand why it took Mueller until the end of March.
This part is important. Dowd explains the President’s legal team turned over notes between the President and his legal team which were typed up at the conclusion of every meeting. Normally, notes like these would be considered Exec Privilege. Yet, the Special Counsel was under the Exec Branch, so Dowd and the team shared these documents to be transparent.
From Dowd: Paraphrasing but as close as possible. “The overwhelming amount of personal notes, turned over to the SC, of conversations between the President and his personal attorneys, may provide a precedent for future Presidents. Because it was Exec privilege, the Atty Gen has to come back to the President before releasing anything. And Don McGahn talked to Mueller for a long time, many times. Trump was very consciously to respect the historical aspect for future Presidents.”
Dowd only had 3-4 meetings with Mueller. From Dowd, “first and second were animated, because Dowd was trying to get the SC team to wind it up and stop it…. “no crime”.” and as Dowd told Mueller, “Can’t get to first base, can’t go any further.” Dowd then discusses the SC repeated, “16 areas and 49 questions, but repetitive.” Dowd finishes with Mueller, “What is the question that you need answered?”, which has not already been answered somewhere else?
From MUELLER to DOWD: Dowd relates that MUELLER admitted, “Every witness was full, complete, and truthful….,” From Dowd, “has to be a first for any administration.”
Mueller was pushing for an interview with the President, hard. Many discussions about Espy and Nixon, “Can’t hamstring a future President in 20 yrs from now.” Mueller pushed, Sekelow and Dowd, said. “Go ahead.” and subpoena the President. Dowd and legal team were confident, “There was no way they (Mueller team) would win it in court.” “They had nothing”. From Byron York, “….Media promoted it.” Dowd completely agreed but countered, “Gotta follow the law.”, and “…..Don’t know why so many people want to break the law to hurt this President but they do.” “There was no law broken.” “Had to establish the law broken.” and as to why he needed the President specifically, “Had to establish the President was the only one who could answer a question….not answered previously.” Dowd admits the Mueller team gave up on the idea of the subpoena to the President.
From Dowd relating his conversations with Mueller and Quarles (? spelling): I was …”not going to put him (Trump) in a position where he could get in a trap.”, “….without an extraordinary amount of preparation and time.”, “….It would have taken weeks of the Presidents time.” and they don’t have a right to the President’s time, “and Andrew McCarthy has written extensively on this.”….
Dowd continuing: “It hurt this president . An enormous amount of damage, ….maybe not the right word….. Making his life difficult. He was worried about the area of foreign affairs.”
From Dowd, relaying the personal conversations with President Trump, as to what the President would say to Dowd: Tell them I respect what they are doing but I need them to get it done. And he would share an anecdote from a foreign leader, Abe of Japan, G7, Egypt, Russia, about times he was working on trade or trying to get a hostage released, and the foreign leader would say, well yeah, Donald, but are you going to be around….. because of this investigation.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My emphasis added!!!!
From Dowd, in summary about the DOJ and FBI, “Barr has to rescue the criminal justice system”, “…… (the justice system is) “crumpled”. Dowd continuing, “The President is worried about it.”
Dowd didn’t deal with Weissman but he “…watched Weissman deal with Manafort.”, “One of the great injustices.”, “…Weissman was the author of it (the Manafort personal destruction).”, “….Cases that he got were already declined.”, mocking laughter between Dowd and York about the DC judge, “….favorable judge in DC.”, “put him in solitary to get him to cooperate.” One can almost see Dowd shaking his head in disgust at the treatment of Manafort.
Dowd continues about Flynn – “I don’t understand the Flynn case.”, “… didn’t lie”, “no one thought he lied”, “I don’t know what happened when it got to Mueller shop, very troubling.” Quarles was pleasant, completely open. (Jim), saw him once a week. very cooperative. Dowd continues, “…..which circles back to “How can you possibly think he (Trump)obstructed, …..He (Trump) totally cooperated?”
Page three, Dowd refers to Barr and Rosenstein, no crime, didn’t obstruct. It was an easy call. “Trump had a right to scold him (Mueller), (Mueller) “Wasn’t doing his job.”, “Get it done.”, “Getting in the way for his (Trump) ability to do his job (as President).”, “Shame on him (Mueller) for not deciding on obstruction.” Barr and Rosenstein, very easily decided on no obstruction. “Nothing here.”
No actions, many of which took place in public, constitute obstruction. Was it Trump’s public comments, tweets, public scolding? All Dowd can do is speculate as to why Mueller didn’t decide on obstruction. Dowd also guesses there may have been an internal split on the Mueller team.
Dowd: Under the rules of the department, they’re (Dems) are not entitled to know (everything because the Pres gave him so much exec privilege info)
Dowd raised the question about such a partisan team in a conversation with Bob Mueller. Mueller said the rules of the department say I cannot question their political leanings. From Dowd, “That’s bullshit, Bob”. Dowd continues, “They wanted the President so badly….”. Because Bob assembled that team left a scar on the results. Dowd further intimates Rosenstein also had a problem with it (the partisanship).
York brings up the Lester Holt interview and asks Dowd about it, “Dems say the President admitted he fired Comey to stop the Russia investigation.” From Dowd, “Well, the President could fire him if he didn’t like his eyebrows.” “Have to read the whole Holtz interview, carefully, in context, and it is clear.”, “The media was parsing (the interview).” It was clear the President was not firing Comey to stop the investigation and not a big problem with the Mueller team. York interrupts and asks about the media reaction to the Lester Holt interview. Dowd responds, the media was breathless about it but it was not a big deal with Mueller.
President was never going to fire Mueller, at any time, Dowd was there. President was ambushed by Rosenstein when the investigation started. NO ONE had a heads up that Rosenstein was going to appoint a Special Counsel. Sessions immediately offered his resignation. Rosey was hunkered down behind his desk, “Are they going to fire me?” Trump did not hire Mueller as FBI director because Trump had a conflict with him – prior case. Trump, “How could Sessions not know?” No one could ever understand why Rosey started the Special Counsel. No motive. Only one talking about a Special Counsel was Comey. Trump confused as to why the heck it started in the first place.
Dowd: Trump’s (public) frustration was justified. Why is it taking so long? Nonsensical investigations. Not the way you treat the President. All Clintonites, they don’t care. Eat up his time (Trump’s time). Trump’s time, every day, making sure people cooperated. Making sure they had good counsel. MOVE IT ALONG. No hold up getting the information from Trump Admin.
From Dowd: On obstruction, “There was never a “NO” to Mueller, for any information.”,  “True from the White House, Trump’s family, or Trump Organization” – (previously) who did a LOT of preliminary homework to provide info to Mueller. Must have been super expensive for Trump Org.
President Trump and his legal team wanted Comey investigated, for lying to Congress and as to his motivation. Dowd agreed and admitted Comey showed, “strange conduct”, “Never seen anything like conduct between Comey and Yates.” “Didn’t look like the Dept of Justice to me.” Dowd continues, “Not getting anything from Dept of Justice which looks like they are investigating Comey.” Mueller not investigating Comey. Dowd complained about Comey, and Rosey blew him off. Dowd was surprised. Dowd doesn’t understand Rosey at all. Dowd reiterates, it would be part of a normal course of any investigation to take a look at the accuser and see what their motives are – at the beginning of any investigation.
York asked Dowd about Cohen and if he presented a problem for the President, and/or if Cohen questions were part of the investigation. Dowd knew about Cohen but unaware of Cohen for his part of dealing with SC team. Dowd refers to Cohen as, “strange duck”, but overall not something that Dowd got involved in.
York moves the conversation along to talk about Manafort, which, clearly upsets Dowd. Manfort, State of NY jumped to file charges against Manafort. Pardons have not been discussed at any time to Dowd’s knowledge. Dowd says it was, “Not appropriate” to discuss any potential pardons with the President. From Dowd – The NY (state) thing against Manafort “one of the grossest abuses of prosecution”…. I’ve ever seen, they (the acting lawyers in NY are “Outlaws”, (it’s a problem with our) “polarization of justice system”, “They want to do it to hurt Paul Manafort and his family”,  “No one would trust the system in NY after this” (speaking about the bias), “Not sure the indictment will stand up there” (because the NY State Atty is so off track, mention of “double jeopardy” because the State of NY is basically filing the same charges as the Feds, so Manafort will remain in jail, even if the President pardons Manafort. Dowd, very serious and with sadness in his voice, “They just want to hurt him when he’s down and not sure how much more you can”. To break the tension, York makes a joke about the NY State Attorney wanting to change the LAW of double jeopardy to go after Manafort and Dowd laughs…, the implication is they (NY) are SO lawless, they would or they would try.
York asks about Roger Stone, which Dowd effectively dismisses as nonconsequential in the investigation. According to Dowd, Roger Stone never popped up in the work on the investigation, “Never a factor”.
From Byron York to Dowd, paraphrasing, ‘Did you ever get the idea that Mueller had something, a crime, on the President, or was he always just looking for something?” Dowd, “Witness” “he had no exposure” “I knew they had nothing” from March 5th. (2018)
End

GA/FL helped us wit some links this morning (Thank you!): President Donald Trump is in Michigan today. – What to know: http://s.mlive.com/I8mYpla  – How to go: https://bit.ly/2W1fjtD  – How to park: http://s.mlive.com/W3IImrO 

 
Our President is up early this morning, 5:05am, tweeting, and looking forward to addressing supporters in the great state of Michigan. Here is his morning greeting! The President has jobs, jobs, jobs, on his mind.

Doors open in Grand Rapids at 4:00pm, and the rally is scheduled to start at 7:00pm. If you need a ticket, you can still sign up Get your ticket to MAGA in Michigan!
According to the Detroit News this is President Trump’s SIXTH trip to Grand Rapids since announcing his bid for the Presidency in June of 2015, and his 18th trip to Michigan as candidate or President. From the article: “Like the president, Trump’s supporters “feel vindicated” by U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s summary of the Mueller report, said GOP strategist John Sellek. ‘It’s given them a huge boost of energy moving forward. So certainly, you’d expect the president to celebrate while he’s here in a state he needs to win again in 2020.”
The Detroit News article, above, is long and detailed in analysis of various counties – even though the bias is evident.
Who among us could ever forget the election eve campaign rally in Grand Rapids, MI? He was there at midnight, hours late, but NO ONE left. Parents brought their kids, on a school night, to witness the historic event…. and then, President Trump left and flew to Virginia for the final rally of the campaign. It was stirring, patriots, waiting until 2:00am to see the man they wanted to lead our country. And we won!! Remember that night? Remember how nervous we were? Here is a link for the 4 hours of RSBN coverage from Grand Rapids, MI, on November 7th, 2016. Relive the win = here Look towards the end of the link, where there is a time in the chirron at the bottom. At 12:53am, he was still speaking in Michigan!
In this link: Labor stats we see the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for the state of Michigan. For the last 6 months, unemployment has hovered between 3.9-4%, and in just the last 6 months, another 31K Michiganders have found a job. Michigan now employs 4,926,200 people, on the books.
But let’s talk about the auto industry in Michigan.
A few days ago, March 20, 2019, Ford Motor Company announced a new plant in Michigan for autonomous vehicles, and a plan to go to a 2nd shift at their Ash Flat factory. It’s part of a 900 MILLION dollar expansion by Ford, as they “reposition their assets to Michigan”, a reported by CNBC See link here
Fiat Chrysler, January 2018, announced they were moving a plant from Saltillo, Mexico, back to Warren, Michigan, where they will make the RAM Heavy Duty Truck. Also, because of Trump Tax Cuts, Fiat Chrysler gave $2,000 bonuses to 60K employees.  From the article in the NYPost    “FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says the company should adjust its manufacturing footprint to reflect “improvement in the US business environment.” He says employees should also share in the tax savings.”
General Motors, and Obama era CEO, Mary Barra is still a problem, however, which persists. At Thanksgiving of 2018, Barra announced the slash of 15% of salaried employees, and our President didn’t like it. The Lordstown, Ohio plant closure hurt. Another plant in Michigan will be closed, as GM moves away from passenger cars. I did notice, strangely, GM LOVES to purchase ‘wind energy” for their plants, 300K megawatt hours……… they’re so special at GM, 8000 less executives but they are feeling green Link here
In Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit, and other cities throughout Michigan, leaders and investors are embracing the Trump Economic Opportunity Zones. I’ve personally noticed activity in our state based on the new law. According to the article, The opportunity funds are available to developers interested in working in the opportunity zones. “It’s a win-win,” Santer said. “The community needs the investment, and the investor needs a way to extinguish their tax liability.” Ann Arbor SPARK is planning to work with economic groups in Detroit to compile a list of available opportunity funds and development opportunities across southeast Michigan, Santer said.
If you just can’t get enough, check out the RSBN coverage from Grand Rapids, on “Rally Eve”. We love the students from Auburn and their persistence. Link here 

This is our filler story to peruse while we are waiting on President Trump’s MAGA Rally in Michigan. We’ll put up another thread, just for the rally, at about noon. We’ll include links and maybe some Michigan info, and we can drop comments there. Marica had  good idea to live blog the rally, but we know, she has a grandbaby she is taking care of tomorrow night. Great idea, Marica. I will live feed it, and HOPEFULLY have a whole lot of help from other treepers. Are we set for the party? I made 12lbs of BBQ and scratch sweet coleslaw today. I’m betting I have enough rolls for everyone here. MAGA in Michigan! OR —- should we say KAG in Michigan, cuz we might get a glimpse for 2020 and the campaign for our POTUS tomorrow night!

A friend of mine showed up today to borrow a few item for her daughter who is entering a beauty pageant. I started thinking about pageants…….

Let me start this story by making a broad and definitive claim: There is no woman in the state of Mississippi who would EVER want to be a man. While we worship, adore, and fuss over our men, our kings, we know, the power of being a southern woman is far too great, to ever willingly give it up. Oh no, no southern woman would ever give up her crown. And I dare say, not one woman on this forum, from north/west/ Germany/ Aussie/NZ/UK or our new girlfriend KSwiss in Switzerland would ever give up their crowns……..either. Special attribution to our ladies in Nebraska and Iowa, suffering through floodwaters and decimated communities.

My family was from the midwest. I didn’t understand beauty queens at all. My mother had been a model for local department stores and in Chicago, but I only knew her as a “mom”. Sure, she pulled my long hair, and Grandma made beautiful clothes for me, but fussing over appearance was seen as vainglorious. Knowledge of makeup and eyelash curlers escaped me. In my “land”, women chased the virtues of intelligence, pragmatism, and learned to be thrifty with money. When we moved to the south, my learning curve for “beauty queen” was steep. But when in Rome……

The first summer, going into 6th grade, my parents sent me to a camp at a local private school. My counselor was a former Miss Louisiana. She was nice, okay fine, but I was surprised at how other people reacted to her, especially the young boys in our group, AND the adults. They hung on her every word. True, her voice was like velvet and as comfortable as a grandma’s chicken casserole. Yes, she was a natural on a tennis court. It was my first glimpse at anything like “womanhood” other than family members. I thought, gee whiz, there might be something to the idea of a “pretty and genteel woman”. I was curious, but miles away from being a beauty queen. I was a tomboy, thus handicapped, an un-blond, and known as “the smart and quirky redhead”.

Throughout middle and high school, my parents focused on my education, which was most important. No beauty pageants for me. It wasn’t even on my radar and thought of as somewhat demeaning for a woman. Dad raised me to “think like a man” with “logic and rationale” and “numbers not emotion”. Still, highly polished southern women had a strange power which eluded me. Part of me desperately wanted to be a cheerleader, but I was definitely more of a Student Council President. Besides, my mirror was more than kind, and I never lacked for a boyfriend. I just took my pick from those who showed interest. Easy-peasy, right?

For the second half of college, I transferred to my grandparent’s home and the “land of Mississippi”, and Ole Miss, which is known for “red-shirting Miss Americas”. It’s true, the women at Ole Miss are spectacularly beautiful and their reputation is alive and well today. Yet, I was commuting and working full time, so the overwhelming quest for beauty, as an ultimate goal, didn’t really hit me. I was 19 and working at the biggest employer in our region. Grandpa was a VP of Operations, and I worked as a credit analyst, handling customers east of the Mississippi river. I liked my job, and I thrived. Money and negotiation came easily to me. Everything was fine, when beauty pageant season began…… and I was reluctantly….. drafted as a walk-on.

Beauty pageants have a season, I learned, and the competition is fierce. Little girls and their mothers plan for that one magical year, full of hope, to wear the sash of Miss Mississippi. The competitions start at the local level and then progress through state to nationals. At the last minute, the company/factory wanted “one of their own” to represent them, a directive issued from a new CEO. My grandmother, for decades, was on the sponsoring committee for our region, and she was in charge of counselling the chosen regional rep, on matters of grace, and how to walk, talk, and eat properly. It was a big deal in town. I had noooooooo clue. Yet, everyone around me agreed, I was supposed to be “the one”. I was cast into a pit of snakes and expected to return to work, the following Monday, with a crown. The office cheered; I was forlorn.

Other girls in the competition had moms who were well prepared. A few of them even had teams, for hair and makeup. Not me. Girls planned their wardrobes for years, some even made their costumes. I wore a couple of old prom dresses, a business suit, and last year’s bikini. I wasn’t going to spend additional funds on a lark. Other girls had cue cards, and they were practicing their answers, I had no answer planned nor anything rehearsed. Other girls traveled to Florida the week prior – to work on their tans – while I was dunning clients and pale as a ghost. And yes, the other girls were spectacularly beautiful. Yep, they were the cheerleaders. I didn’t stand a chance and was feeling rather dejected….. until the interviews started.

The judges were locals, Pres of a small college, Pres of Rotary, an older woman who was head of a local garden club and a fine southern woman who sounded like “Glenda the Good Witch”, plus the new CEO of our big company. He had just moved to town, still living in a hotel, and no one had seen him. He was from “land” of upstate New York. The girls were terrified of the interview process and unduly nervous. One girl threw up and no one moved to help her. She never came back – Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection? Normally, I wasn’t scared to talk to anyone, but admittedly their nervousness was rubbing off on me.

The interviews were conducted off-site, in a private home, posh formal living room, at the Country Club. I remember it being warm and happy my old prom dress was off one shoulder. I was the last girl to be interviewed. Girls came out of that room, visibly shaking and wide-eyed. Under my breath, I cursed my office mates for getting me into such a predicament.

When I walked into the room, it looked like an inquisition. Four people sitting opposite and one chair in the middle of the room, for me. I took my seat, after shaking hands with the judges. I knew all of them, they had all been in our home before – except the new CEO, who was obviously in charge of the room.

Beginning questions were primarily background. “Are you a student in college, what are you studying and why? or “Are you working and why did you chose such a field?”, was fairly normal stuff. Then, I got the stupid questions, like, “What’s your favorite color and how does that color reflect your personality?” Huh? What the heck does that mean? I got another question about sports, where I did well – after all, I was raised by men who loved sports. Each judge asked a series of questions and we were obviously working our way up to the CEO’s questions. Finally, it was the CEO’s turn, and you could feel the room pivot towards him. His questions were very different from the other judges.

He asked me why I chose to live in this state, why my state was better than others, what my state offered that others did not. He asked me about agriculture, business, education, weather, and flowers. It was an onslaught of questions in rapid fire. He reminded me of my Dad and the way Dad would cross examine me at a dinner table when debating a hotly contested issue. I responded back, firing to match his tempo. He had my full attention. We were dancing, almost, back and forth, like a tango, and I was following along with no problems. I was enjoying our conversation. I liked him.

Finally, the new CEO dropped a bomb, “How would you recruit new business to the state of Mississippi?” My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. My wheelhouse. Grandpa was one of the original three who moved the factory to this state. Economic development ran through my blood and was the subject of many dinner table conversations. I started a long-winded diatribe of how to recruit companies. The CEO challenged me, and interrupted me MANY times, on how I would handle particular objections. I seem to recall, at one point I stood up, for emphasis, making my pitch. And yes, when stumped, I said, “Well, if the statute does not work, then you have to lobby the legislature, in person, at the Capitol, to get it changed!” I thought I was convincing and made my case. I gave a couple of examples of how to push legislation. I had seen Grandpa do it, so it was not foreign to me… just part of doing business…..

I came in second place and lost to the well-tanned daughter of a prominent judge. I never expected to win, anything, and was glad it was over. Yes, I returned to work on Monday, with a miniature version of a crown, as “Runner up”. One woman in the office commented, “Well, maybe ‘she’ will break her leg…. and then you could go to state competition…..”, which was astonishing…. but they were serious! I survived throughout the morning with my pic in the local paper. People dropped by my office for congratulations and/or condolences. Was I dead? Should I have taken the week off to go to Florida for a perfect tan? Really? I went to lunch, annoyed. That afternoon everything changed……..

It was the CEO’s first day at work and we heard the gossip/rumble in our office, but he had not addressed the ‘troops’ as yet. Understand, the company was so big, employing thousands, and the new CEO would affect not only the workplace of many people in the town but also the social and cultural hierarchy of the town…. who was “in” and who was “out”. We were all a little apprehensive, including my own grandfather.

Out of the blue, mid-afternoon, the phone rang in my boss’ office. A phone call was unusual for him, he was the pent-up-in-an-office-guy-who-reads-charts-all-day kind of a boss. He nodded, got up, came to my desk, and told me, LOUDLY, the CEO requested to see me about a possible promotion. Could have heard a pin drop…. 14 women in my office section went silent.

No big deal, I assumed. The job I was doing in the credit dept was replacing a woman who was on an extended maternity leave. We knew she was having a problem with her infant daughter, and we were all worried about her baby. I thought, probably, it might be a call to replace her permanently. Sad for her but happy for me. I was torn and did not want to be seen as the winner, or benefitting from another’s misfortune.

I stood up and straightened myself to go and see the big boss. I was wearing a navy blue skirt, crisp white shirt, and a madras printed blazer which was too expensive for my budget. Remember it like yesterday. One of the older women was already on her feet and straightened my collar. She patted me on the back. Was it an “atta girl” or a “goodbye – nice to know you”, like I was going into the lion’s den for a sacrifice?

At the CEO’s office suite, I saw Lois. She was the Secretary to the President and a well known friend of my family. Grandma made Christmas stockings for her grandchildren. She got up, hugged me hard, and said, “They’re asking for YOU! Are you ready?” Her hug was weird and her emphasis was odd. Suddenly it occurred to me, replacing a woman on maternity leave would be a simple task done by Human Resources secretary, and definitely did not rise to the level of a CEO decision. Lois knocked lightly, opened the door, and I walked in……. to my future.

There were four men in the room and my grandfather was one of them, although he NEVER spoke, the entire time I was there. The others were the VP of Sales, who always looked at me in a lecherous way, even in church, and the VP of Human Resources, whom I did NOT like but could not put my finger on a specific reason as to why. Plus, the new CEO, from the beauty contest.

Only a single step into the room and the CEO got up to greet me and shake my hand, vigorously,  like he had known me for years. He smiled and his eyes lit up when he saw me. He surprised me with his welcome and familiarity. In retrospect, I guess I was one of the first people he met in our town and he latched onto me. It was strange, he was older and savvy, and I was one so young but we got along beautifully…. for the next 35+years. I surveyed the room and it was WAY different from the last CEO, the man who was my godfather. The “new” guy had definitely moved in. In one corner was a whore-red-velvet upholstered antique barber chair. Where the couches were, a new sleek couch had been moved in, along with a custom pool table (which is in my home now, a gift when he retired). I swear, his office looked like the movie set from the series Madmen. It was swank.

There was only one seat left in the room and before I took a breath, the CEO blurted out they wanted to offer me a territory sales position…. Bombshell! Crossing the room to sit, I was running numbers in my head. I knew the position averaged about $60K a year with commission and came with a company car. Apparently, our state territory rep was retiring and the slot was open. Poe was retiring? News to me….. I looked at my grandfather, who was sitting in the corner. He nodded at me but did not speak. I grabbed the arm of the chair to take my seat. I was fumbling and almost bracing myself with the news of the job offer to replace Poe, who was a legend in the company. Our state territory was smaller than other salesmen, but I would be making, perhaps, more money than my grandfather. How would that work in our family? By the time I crossed my legs, I had a full blown hurricane whirling through my mind.

“So, what do you think?”, asked the CEO, now ensconced behind his desk, “You’re perfect for the job!” He was answering his own questions, “And from what I understand, in the past several months, you already know the customers, right?” He had decided. I was his new project.

Understand, there was never any question in my mind. Of course, I wanted the job. I was already down the road, again in my mind, of working out family ‘feelings’ and other details of training, dropping out of college, packing and traveling.

Before I could say a word, the VP of HR spoke up. He pilloried the idea, “She’s not ready. She will never be taken seriously. She can’t do it. How will she travel. She’ll get lost. She will embarrass us as a company” He went on and on, talking about me in third person like I wasn’t in the room. I glared back at my grandfather, who nodded again but never said a word. Finally, Grandpa motioned toward me and gave me permission to fight and go after the VP of HR, which I did.

“Embarrass the company?”, I was livid, “Like you do?” The man had gorilla eyebrows, and arms so long it looked like they touched the floor. He was so big, he was awkward. “You’re a horrible dancer, a bad dresser, and a sloppy eater. LOOK at you, you have crap on your tie right NOW!”, I was pointing, and, sure enough, he was wearing his lunch. The idea that I would ever embarrass the company was absurd. I would rather die. He fought back and pushed me hard. The CEO and the VP of Sales watched us trade insults like they were watching a tennis match. It was tense.

The VP of HR, unknown to me at the time, really does hate women in business. I’ve only known about 2-3 people like that in my entire life, and he was one of them, but again, I didn’t know it at the time. I was young and naive. Finally, the VP of HR was exasperated and said, “She doesn’t even know the product line!” It was the final straw, and I blew up. The company displayed at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. For years, I was there, with Grandpa, talking about “Autumn Fog” my favorite color of company upholstery, when this idiot VP was still in college! I played with company upholstery samples in my dollhouses! I remembered the process of chrome plating and how it changed the entire industry – it was my grandfather’s prize baby, he developed it. I knew our products. Oh yeah, I knew our product, stone cold. And my final salvo, “Who the HELL are YOU to tell me about our products?!?”

I had cursed at him. It was 1981, and I was about 19-20 years old and in my last year of college. I was a baby. I was in a CEO’s office, with people who ran a large regional employer, and had my grandfather in the room. I had cursed, which was way out of line and might have cost me my job. He could have fired me on the spot. It got quiet in a hurry. Of course, those guys cursed when they were among themselves, but I was a girl. Cursing was a cardinal sin for a woman – but I was rightfully insulted and pi$$$$$$ed. My red hair was on fire.

From the heretofore silent VP of Sales, “Yep, that’s our girl. She’s ready”

I got the job, the car, and was their first female territory rep, the first female executive in the company, the only girl in the big meetings, and the youngest one by far. Through my re-education as a “southern woman”, I learned how to reorient the room in my favor. Gone was Momma’s Avon and Estee Lauder became my new friend. I actually studied old movie icons and how they moved their eyes, then their heads. What incredible presence and power. What woman would ever give THAT up? So much easier to be a rose amongst the thorns.

It was a major turning point for me and for other women in the same office, all led by our new CEO. Before that day, I hoped to be one of the women in the office, working among friends, other women, raising our kids, growing old together. In a flash, I was different. Getting the job gave me a springboard to the boardrooms of Manhattan and Miami. I was comfortable in the role and frankly, ignorant of my “skirt”. It changed everything for me……, the world was new, big, and a little scary, but I liked it.

Yeah, a person, who happened to be an “older white male” (in today’s divisive identity politics jargon), gave me an enormous opportunity, and I ran with it. Yes, others in the company had doubts about me. Yet, I knew what kind of pressure I was under and quickly out-performed other salesmen. I worked my ass off – to prove them wrong.

Thinking back on those few magical moments in the CEO’s office, my entire life would have been dramatically different if he had not plucked me from obscurity in the credit department….., if he had not given me the opportunity and shown me what my life could be. He opened the doors and made me want more, or more precisely, showed me that I was capable of doing more. That’s true inspiration and real mentorship. He assumed I could do it before I ever had an inkling. Yes, he changed everything about who I became. What an enormous gift he gave me….. forever grateful.

All from what I thought was a silly beauty contest. “A lark”, I thought it was. Wow, was I ever wrong and completely misjudged that battlefield. Guess we will never know when opportunity comes knocking, will we? Maybe we should listen more carefully, look more keenly, not prejudge, to see the hidden chances which come our way…., and maybe I should follow my own advice.

Years later, someone asked me to run for Mrs. Mississippi, which is equally as complicated. I passed. My girlfriend Gail, won, which is another fabulous story.

Never did buy an eyelash curler, but I won my own crown, and I’m still exploring that big, scary world.

So, here’s my question to you all. Who inspired YOU? Who gave you your firest real break? What was YOUR major turning point? Did you take the chance or not? Any regrets? Any missed opportunity? What did you learn?

And finally, what do YOU want to do……. NEXT?