About a year ago I had the chance to meet an incredibly vibrant, colorful man who said he was from Florida, but I knew better.
I’m originally from the Northeast and this guy—whose name is Terry Chester—did everything that I would expect someone from the Northeast to do. It turns out, when you have as much energy and are as vibrant as Terry is, being from Florida is only a small part of the story.
Terry is originally from New Jersey and received a BS in Environmental Science from Rutgers University, followed by a Masters from Yale University. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Africa and Europe for a year and conducted PhD research at Rocky Mountain Biological Labs and the University of Florida. He can tell you more about bugs and flowers than questions you can ask.
But he didn’t “work” in this field (the bug and flower field is, despite being beautiful, probably not financial rewarding). Terry did find success as an account executive for both radio and TV; he was also a corporate sales manager and general manager.
But that whole corporate thing doesn’t work so well for Terry. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just that he has too much energy to be cooped up in board rooms. No, Terry and boardrooms don’t mix so well. But Terry and the entrepreneurial spirit are one-and-the-same.
With not even one academic course in business management under his belt, Terry started his own advertising business and literally used trial and error methods to solve the many problems business people face each day. Besides aging him many years, he gained a unique insider’s perspective of how business works, and how much fun it can be to grow a business despite the many obstacles. Since then, he has taught small business management courses at the college level and given outrageous seminars. 13 years later, he’s still alive, got all his hair, and is still vibrant and energetic.
And now Terry is a semi-permanent fixture in Austin. And Aperio Marketing is proud to introduce Austin (and the blogosphere) to our newest partner, who will assist and drive our advertising efforts and Web design for our clients.
Furthermore, Terry is going to be a contributing author to this blog, answering questions on sales, marketing, and advertising every Tuesday … and so, because we are such a fan of alliteration, we will be calling this Tuesday’s with Terry.
Why Ask Terry Chester, and Who The Hell is This Guy?
By Terry Chester
Advertising, marketing, business, and life are SUPPOSED TO BE EXCITING!! YES, really – they are!!
So why are most agencies and firms and business consultants and corporations so friggin’ dry and boring? There are thousands of books on marketing and business, and most of the ones I’ve read put me to sleep. Why is it that as soon as people mention “money,” everything gets so damn serious? I’ve known lots of folks who don’t have money, and many of them are still happy. I reckon the “keeping up with the Joneses” marketing doesn’t affect them like the others.
Why do most people live for Friday at 5 PM, buying into the concept that they’re supposed to be depressed one-seventh of their lives? (Monday = depression.) Because 90 % of humans, due to low self-esteem, blah, blah, blah [we'll talk more about the "blah's later on], do not take the time to realize that every moment is awesome, and they can take control. Life is a blast!
Yeah, shit happens continually, but that’s the way it works. It happens to everyone. An ant walks across a sidewalk and gets stepped on by you. You don’t even realize you stepped on her, but she’s dead. All she wanted to do is find food to feed her sisters and babies in the nest, but you stepped on her as she was following a chemical trail that led to the food. You didn’t even realize you killed this ant. That’s life. For you….and life [death] for the ant.
TC’s Ten Percent Theory
When I was sixteen, I remember being in the living room/bedroom of my grandmother, [we called her] Evie. She was a wonderful human being. I got hit with one of those white lights, like John Travolta’s character did in “Phenomenon,” and this voice said “Terry’s Ten Percent Theory….ten percent of all people are “Alive” and 90 percent are “Dead.” What did it mean? And why did some skinny, pimple-faced kid in the ghetto get this message?
As I traveled through my life, I have discovered that the 10% theory has never been disproven. If one is on a board of directors with 25 people, about 2 to 3 people do most of the work; if one teaches a class of 40 students, 4 appear to really want to learn; if a sales team is comprised of 10 salespeople, one person seem to skyrocket and lead the pack. Think about it…about 10% of the ads we view are quite creative, and the other 90% are dull, lackluster and don’t do the job.
For many years, I attempted to motivate the 90 percenters into 10 percenters (through speaking engagements and sales management), but when it comes down to it, it has got to be their individual choice. It used to frustrate and embitter me. Now, I simply laugh about it and accept it. Like the ant crossing the sidewalk…it just “is”.
Are ten percenters better than ninety per centers? That question can only be answered by the individual, but I will tell you that ten percenters do get diseases and divorced and trauma, just like the 90 percenters. However, the 10 percenters seem to take it as part of life and forge forward, not making excuses and giving up like the 90 percenters do.
Do 10 percenters have to be manic in a Robin Williams fashion? Not really, but there is a light that burns inside their eyes that one can feel, a light that seems to say “every moment of your short life is precious and full of wonder, so savor it and live it!” Whereas the 90 percenters generally stay cemented in routines [we call them "boxes"] and are very attached (addicted) to the comfort zone they’ve created [and its rules] to keep them living day-to-day.
As I mentioned, they have successfully established that at least one day out of seven is depressing (!)… Monday. Ten percenters see no difference between Monday and Saturday. They are outside the cultural influences that lead our population like lemmings to the ocean. They hear their own drummer and dance to the funky beat!
So why me? Because, brothers and sisters, I love messing with this whole vanilla, conservative “business/advertising/marketing is supposed to be dull” or “It’s business” world and tell you openly and honestly, what is really going down.
Ya with me? Can you handle a shot of true life force? Then here we go, yo!
If you have a question for Terry, please email him at terry – [at] – adbiz.com, or feel free to leave a comment.
