And Now, a few Words from a Legend
2003 Boaz Rauchwerger
Nestled at the base of the scenic Sierra Madre Mountains, about 27 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, you'll find Glendora, California. Founded in 1887, Glendora was officially incorporated as a City in 1911. It remained a small citrus-producing community until the late 1950s, when agriculture gave way to large-scale residential development.
Toward the northern edge of Glendora, on an unassuming street that is across from groves of young trees, you'll find a lovely home that is known to many as "the ranch." This is the headquarters for one of the true legends in the world of professional speaking.
When you meet her, don't let that gracious smile, the glowing eyes, and the quiet demeanor fool you. There is a powerhouse behind the warm personality. It is my great pleasure to introduce Dottie Walters.
Dottie is a true pioneer in the speaking field. She helped to found the National Speaker's Association and is also the founder of the International Association of Speaker's Bureau Owners. In addition, she owns a speaker's bureau, Walters International, and is simply a marketing genius. No matter by what title people call her, I'm proud to simply call her my friend.
Her story is fascinating, quite inspiring, and sprinkled with a lot of gutsy determination that is born in her Scottish heritage. Let's begin at the end of World War II, when the economy in the United States was going through rough times. Dottie's sweetheart, Bob Walters, had just returned from serving four years as a Marine in the South Pacific. It was at Tarawa, while under enemy machine gun fire, that Bob rescued wounded men in his platoon. He was decorated for his bravery.
Once back in Southern California, Bob and Dottie were married. Then came the traditional GI-backed tract home, a dry-cleaning business, and two children. Meanwhile, the economy worsened.
I guess you could say the dry cleaning business "dried up" and money was very tight for the Walters family. That's when Dottie began to show her true spirit. Her father had abandoned her mother when Dottie was beginning high school. She took many jobs, giving her mother all her checks during her high school years. Thus, she was used to being industrious.
In order to help Bob make the house payment, Dottie created The Shoppers' Column in the weekly Baldwin Park Bulletin. Baldwin Park was the Southern California chicken ranching town where they lived at the time. Keep in mind that she did not have a car, no typewriter, and no typing paper.
Add to that the fact that Dottie's father, before he deserted the family, kept her from going to college by stating that "she was too dumb to be worth educating." Thus, she turned to the public library and devoured biographies of people who had accomplished much in their lives. Each famous person she read about, especially Benjamin Franklin, became a friend of her mind.
One of those books, by Albert Einstein, told Dottie to "stop fussing about problems and concentrate on Solutions."
What a great lesson for all of us. How much time do we waste fussing about problems? What if we simply took action QUICKLY and concentrated on solutions?
Dottie, with her two young children in a rickety stroller, and cardboard in her one pair of worn out shoes, started out and called on local merchants in Baldwin Park. A neighbor loaned her an old typewriter and gave her a ream of paper. She was in business.
She convinced the local paper to sell her space on credit for the first two weekly columns. Then she sold local merchants on the idea of having stories about their businesses in the column. Within a couple of weeks, she had enough money to make the house payment that was due.
Then, one day, she met Dr. Norman Vincent Peale at a seminar he conducted in Pasadena. After the event, she had an opportunity to meet Dr. Peale and to tell him about the business venture that made the house payment. He eventually featured Dottie's story in his "Guideposts Magazine," under the title "What Can One Housewife Do?"
It was through Dr. Peale's efforts that Dottie published her first book, "Never Underestimate the Selling Power of a Woman." It was the first book in the world for women in sales. Tupperware then bought the entire first edition and Dottie began her speaking career. Dottie was then invited to appear on the popular television program, "What's My Line."
Solving the problem of making a house payment led Dottie to speaking engagements worldwide. She also opened new businesses that tied into the world of paid speaking, wrote other books, and published a magazine about professional speaking. Her most famous book in recent years was "Speak and Grow Rich," now known as the foundational book for would-be speakers worldwide.
She and Bob, throughout their 50-year marriage, hosted many people at their ranch in Glendora. In addition to helping Dottie in her work, Bob was active in the Boy Scouts. Many swimming merit badges were earned by young kids in their ranch swimming pool.
There is a corral on the grounds of the ranch. That's where Bob used to keep his horse. He was a volunteer for many years with the Glendora Sheriff's Department and would ride the trails of the nearby mountains, looking for any riders in distress.
Although Bob passed away in early 2003, you can tell that his warm spirit, so well matched with Dottie's, is present in the house that they shared for many years.
There is an old Scottish saying, "Be a friend to yourself and others will." Dottie Walters, during her difficult early years, found a friend in herself and in the biographies she read at the library. Now she has friends throughout the world and so many people attribute their success to her.
I am so blessed to have found a friend in Dottie.
A Daily Solution Affirmation
I take action quickly and concentrate on solutions.
Article reproduced with permission from Boaz Rauchwerger. You may reprint any of these articles in any publication or Web site so long as you credit Boaz Rauchwerger as the author and include this Web site address, www.Boazpower.com.