Modified On August 23, 2006
An AP story tells of Ron Shaw, elevated to Pilot Pen’s president in 1986, who spent 11 years on the road as a standup comic back in the 1950’s.
To hear him tell it, his career doing standup was perfect preparation for the corporate suite. It forced him to hone his delivery, learn how to disarm tough audiences and be good at working a room.
“You kind of know what you’re doing. You kind of take charge,” he says.
He now oversees a company with nearly $200 million in sales. (Let’s hope it was the AP writer Stephanie Hoo who was able to cram “11 years” into one decade, and not Shaw. Elsewise, Pilot Pen’s finances may be in some doubt.)