Imagine a tiny little girl in Mexico, about five years old, (but already a voracious reader), looking over her mother’s bookshelf of personal development books. When her mother is busy, this is her babysitter—the bookshelf where she can always find something to read. She spies an inviting, goldenrod spine and her little fingers grasp it and slide it out and away from its neighbors on the shelf. A kindly older man smiles at her from the cover as she reads the title, Como Disfrutar de la Vida y del Trabajo or in English, How to Enjoy Life and Work. The man is Dale Carnegie and the book is actually a collection of excerpts from his most famous books, How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Wide-eyed and intrigued, she opens the cover and begins reading, with no knowledge that this book will ultimately change her life.
Fast forward twenty years to the waiting room of Dale Carnegie’s headquarters in Chicago, one of the largest and most successful Dale Carnegie franchises in the country. The little girl, now grown and the founder of a burgeoning marketing agency, clutches the tattered, dog-eared copy of her mother’s book—the same book that has inspired her life philosophy since she was five years old.
How did she get here? After sharing wonderful stories about the importance of the Dale Carnegie philosophies in her work and personal life, a generous client had insisted that she meet Mr. Greg Cox, Director of the Dale Carnegie franchise. That was two years ago. Mr. Cox had been reluctant to meet with a “marketer” who was probably just trying to sell him something. However, thanks to her persistence and positive energy, she was granted half an hour with him this day.
The beginning of a great friendship…
So began my very personal relationship between me, Jackie Camacho-Ruiz, and the Dale Carnegie organization. That day I made a good friend and strategic partner as I told Greg about my love for the Dale Carnegie principles and showed him the important book that my mother had purchased for 26 pesos in Mexico so long ago. I told him how even then, I wondered how I could apply these principles to my life as an adult, then set out to do exactly that and how the magic of the principles helped me in my daily life, with incredible success. We ended up conversing for nearly two hours, sharing our stories. He was amazed by my words and we ended up taking a picture of me with the book to share with others in the organization.
As I thanked him for his time and the opportunity to share my story, I turned to leave and he stopped me. “Jackie,” he said, “I don’t know exactly what you do for your clients, but I want it. Put together a proposal with some recommendations for me.”
The rest, I guess you can say, is history. Our proposal for a six-month contract for media relations and other marketing efforts was approved immediately and from there, our relationship has continued to this day. I have been blessed to have experienced most of the Dale Carnegie courses available, including the flagship Dale Carnegie Course, High Impact Presentations and Leadership Training for Managers. Best of all, I have been able to provide my team with courses and Dale Carnegie training as well.
The Full Circle Moment
There are precious few times in life when you experience a “full circle moment.” That is the moment at which you realize that a journey is complete. It’s the time you recognize how far you have come from a dream or inspiration, to the place you are right now. You may or may not have planned the events that led you to that moment, but nevertheless, there you are! And it’s amazing!
One of life’s special “full circle” moments came for me during a Dale Carnegie leadership course. At the end of the eight weeks of the session, the participants, which included about 35 CEOs, including many entrepreneurs, voted on the leader who has inspired them the most. The award is regarded as one of the highest honors given by the organization for excellence in human relations.
I remember hearing my name but I was in shock as I made my way to the front of the room to accept the petite crystal cube with the “Dale Carnegie’s Golden Book” nestled inside. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am never at a loss for words but at that moment, I was truly humbled and speechless. I couldn’t believe that I had come full circle from a little girl taking a book off the shelf to standing before a Dale Carnegie leadership cohort and accepting an award. It was truly surreal!
I have been honored and blessed to receive even more awards from other groups honoring my entrepreneurship and business excellence, but the award I covet most is the tiniest on my shelf. It’s that little cube I received during my “full circle moment,” that I will forever treasure in my heart.
I wanted to share this with you because I think we all experience these full circle moments and when they happen, it’s important to recognize the beauty and magic of them and reflect on their significance in your life. They usually start with a dream, or a spark of inspiration, an engine that sets you moving forth with passion. Eventually, you will have the opportunity to act, like I did in persisting in meeting Greg. From every action, achievement is possible, which is what happened when I secured my first contract working with them. Finally, if we are truly blessed, we will be validated for our efforts, as I was with my physically tiny, yet emotionally gigantic award.
Have you experienced a full circle moment? I wish you many in your lifetime because they are some of the most breathtaking and rewarding experiences you can possibly have. Truly, living full circle is living life to the fullest! May you do it with passion!
Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz is the CEO of JJR Marketing (www.jjrmarketing.com) and Fig Factor Media LLC international book publishing company (www.figfactormedia.com), founder of The Fig Factor Foundation (www.thefigfactor.org), creator of Today’s Inspired Latina book series and international movement (http://www.todayslatina.com), author of thirteen books (www.jackiecamacho.com), international speaker, and pilot. Jacqueline speaks to hundreds of audiences about marketing, servant leadership, finding your passion, and achieving success in business. She has addressed the United States Army, BP International, United Airlines, Allstate, and Farmers Insurance among other corporations to share her inspiration.
If you or an organization you know needs as speaker, please get in touch with us at http://www.jackiecamacho.com/contact.