Selling encyclopedias door to door is not the same as selling running shoes. Although in the 60s and 70s of the last century it may have been easier to find a house with bound knowledge on a shelf than with a pair of sneakers in a closet. In any case, to sell one or another product a basic detail was necessary: believe in it. American Phil Knight, founder of Nike, failed selling encyclopedias. He did a little better with the shoes. He dreamed of being an athlete. In reality, he dreamed of feeling the same as athletes. One day, his mind made an analogy between sporting and business success. Deep down, he told her that reasoning, the moment in which victory or defeat is decided, the details that make the public get excited and stand up to applaud passionately, also appear in the business world. . Was there a formula to feel the same as athletes without being one of them? Could you work on something based on sports? It is important to take into account the context in which these ideas arise: in the middle of the Cold War and with local society looking towards the Vietnam conflict.
In Never stop (Conecta), Knight offers an autobiography in which he explains the foundation and the first steps of what is, today, one of the best-known brands in the world. A story of audacity, of taking a plane and landing in Japan—just after World War II—to bring sneakers to the United States. From competing in competitions, from talking to runners and coaches. To sell pair by pair. To get excited one day seeing an NBA player wearing those shoes on television. To understand the importance of that cathodic appearance when your father calls you with joy to tell you that he has seen the logo on TV. Of failures, doubts and problems. Of fears. From the priceless feeling of making sure that you are on the right path and that it is precisely the one you had chosen.
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“When you do something, when you improve it, when you offer it, when you contribute a new thing or service to the life of a stranger and you make them happier, healthier, safer or better, and if you also do it with care and intelligence, as everything should be done, even if it rarely happens, you are participating more actively in the great theater of humanity. Rather than just living, you’re helping others live more fully, and if that’s business, okay, then call me a businessman.”
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2024-01-29 04:15:00
#Encyclopedias #sports #shoes #Sports
