You Need Courage!
Shortly after I began a career in business, I learned that Carl Weatherup, president of PepsiCo (百事可乐公司), was speaking at the University of Colorado. I tracked down the person handling his schedule and managed to get myself an appointment. (46)
So there I was sitting outside the university’s auditorium, waiting for the president of PepsiCo. I could hear him talking to the students.., and talking, and talking. (47) He was now five minutes over, which dropped my time with him 4down to 10 minutes. Decision time.
I wrote a note on the back of my business card, reminding him that he had a meeting. "You have a meeting with Jeff Hoye at 2:30 p.m." I took a deep breath, pushed open the doors of the auditorium and walked straight up the middle aisle (过道) toward him as he talked. Mr. Weatherup stopped. (48) Just before I reached the door, I heard him tell the group that he was running late. He thanked them for their attention, wished them luck and walked out to where I was now sitting, holding my breath,
He looked at the card and then at me. "Let me guess," he said. "You’re Jeff." He smiled. (49)
He spent the next 30 minutes offering me his time, some wonderful stories that I still use, and an invitation to visit him and his group in New York. But what he gave me that I value the most was the encouragement to continue to do as I had done. (50) When things need to happen, you either have the nerve to act or you don’t.
A I began breathing again and we grabbed (霸占) an office right there at school and closed the door.
B As I sat listening to him, I knew that I could trust him, and that he deserved every bit of loyalty I could give to him.
C I became alarmed: his talk wasn’t ending when it should have.
D He said that it took nerve for me to interrupt him, and that nerve was the key to success in the business world.
E I was told, however, that he was on a tight schedule and only had 15 minutes available after his talk to the business class.
F I handed him the card then I turned and walked out the way I came.