A couple of weeks back I received a surprise visit from Jim Wright, the President of the Kirkwood – DesPeres Area Chamber of Commerce. He poked his head into my office door and said, “Have you listened to your phone messages lately”? I laughed and told him I was a lousy businessman when it came to remembering to check for messages. He smiled and said, “I just came by to congratulate you on being named the Businessperson of the Year and you tell me you’re a lousy businessman. How is that going to look”?
I was caught totally by surprise! I was stunned, then honored and humbled, and I had a hard time believing Jim was telling me the truth. All the men and women that I have admired flashed before my eyes. I was now one of them.
I’ve been going to awards ceremonies of one kind or another, my whole life. With the Cub Scouts, Jaycees, Church, Rotary, Chamber and all the other organizations I’ve been active in; it represents at least 150 “banquets” over the last 50 years. There have been a few of these ceremonies where I have been the recipient of an award but mostly I sit and applaud as someone else steps up to be recognized by their peers. I always think to myself, “Wow, what an honor. I wish that were me going up there right now.” But I would remind myself that it takes more than a wish to be recognized; it takes a commitment to doing something to the very best of your ability. It means going “all in” with your time and effort so that you get the very best results.
I know this because of the people who have preceded me. I’ve admired them for their dedication and commitment; their desire to do the right thing. Without the examples they set, I would never have understood the importance of giving back or paying forward. These people have been my unofficial mentors and by studying and learning from them, I guess some of their qualities have rubbed off on me. I would not have known that the best way to run my life and my business is by doing the right thing, no matter what. I would not have realized that we must contribute our time and resources for the betterment of others and that the more we give, the more fulfilling our lives become.
It’s difficult for me to believe that the tide has turned and now I’m the old guy that the younger generation is saying, “Gee, I wish that were me up there”. Now that I have achieved this honor, I have the responsibility to pay it forward to those who may look to me as their mentor. I have four children; my oldest two, Amie and Bill are with me every day as co-owners of RIGGS Company & Design and there is Maddie who is a nurse and Emmy who’s a freshman at Kirkwood High School. I hope the good in me will rub off on them and the mistakes I’ve made will be forgiven. I have three grandsons and one more on the way and I want to show them by example that doing the right thing, no matter what, is what integrity is. And personal integrity is the path to true success in both their personal and business life.
