my inspiration (m)

Several years ago, I was assigned to manage one of the most inane products ever introduced: a non-aerosol shave cream for women.  It wasn't the non-aerosol part that was bankrupt; it was the container itself.  While it looked pretty with its sexy shape, it was heavy and impossible to dispense without a third hand.

The package was so heavy and clumsy I asked if we were planning to give free medical care to women in the event they dropped it on their toes in the shower.  My boss did not look amused.  Instead, he told me we needed to make it "as big a deal as possible" in the marketplace. 

So, we had a big sales meeting and then we had a public relations event.  Michele S. was Director of P.R. for the business and she came up with a great idea.  Let's host a function in New York City and invite every editor of every major women's magazine to a breakfast at a great location and tell them about the product.  To entice them further, Michele pulled out the Big Gun...Dr. L--dermatologist to the stars (like Madonna).  Dr. L always draws a big crowd, Michele said.  And, to top it all off, we'll have one of the hottest (as in most popular) private workout instructors in NYC join us.

The theme for the event was "It's All About Legs".  It was a three part presentation.  I was going to regale the audience with the key messages about this wonderful product women have been waiting for and how it helps the shave; Dr. L was going to tell them about the skin on their legs, how it differs from the other parts of the body and therefore needs special care which this product would provide and the Personal Trainer was going to show them some leg exercises to tone the muscles so they would have smokin' hot legs.  The perfect trifecta, no?

Well, Dr. L shows up for rehearsal and she's as big as I am.  We look at each other the way Lindsay Lohan first looked at her British campmate (who was her long-lost twin sister)  in The Parent Trap---with a gasp and a jolt of recognition.  We don't say anything and rehearse our lines.  The Personal Trainer was too busy to come to rehearsal.

The next day, Dr L and I are wearing near-identical outfits in brown (which was the new black that year).  We could have been sisters.  In walks the trainer, wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts....for the presentation!

The event was well-attended, the presentation was effective and we got lots of placements in the magazines that summer.  The product got great trial but bombed because women couldn't get the product to dispense as the package was too hard (ahem!)  I still have the photos from this event and you can see Dr. L and I on the ends with the skinny half-naked trainer in the middle.  We're looking at the Trainer and our eyes are saying "Die, bitch".

Fast forward to 5 years later.  We do a different PR event for a different--and better--product.  We again stage it in NYC and again hire Dr. L. 

She walks into the room and is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!  She's lost more weight than she currently weighs and is wearing some fabulous outfit.  She's stunning.

I corner her after the meeting and ask how she did it. 

She said she went to a nutritionist, followed the program and went into chat rooms every night to talk to people and get support.  She said writing about it helped her.

She is my inspiration.  And this is why I blog.