I have a friend named Bruce, and it’s an honor to call him a friend. We can’t move into “Best Friend” territory until I start winning the weekly giveaways from his popular newsletter, but he swears he can be bought so I guess it’s me that needs to up my game.

I met Bruce two years ago at a Chamber 101 event when I first started with Junior Achievement. I was just excited to be in a position that considered networking “work”, and to be part of a Chamber that trains their members. I settled in, crisp new business cards ready for the peddling, and around the room we went with introductions. Bruce sought me out after the intros and shook my hand, but I had no idea who he was or what he was talking about. Clearly that confusion was obvious because he changed his elevator pitch from “How we can help each other” to “I’m Mr. B.” Let me tell you, I was Star Struck – Mr. B. is my Ricky Ricardo.

Since that day at Ridglea Country Club, Bruce and I have been each others “date” to numerous Chamber events. I tell him it’s for crowd control, he tells me it’s for the arm candy, but in the end I always enjoy every opportunity I get to pick his brain and learn. Gone is the day that I self promoted myself to President of the “Mr. B Fan Club”, and the blurb he put in his newsletter this week solidifies that decision.

Click here to see the Mr. B Newsletter. 

Now to figure out how to persuade him to let me win all the giveaways…

OneRepublic – I Lived

“Hope when you take that jump, you don’t fear the fall. Hope when the water rises, you built a wall. Hope when the crowd screams out, they’re screaming your name. Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay.

Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad, The only way you can know is give it all you have, And I hope that you don’t suffer but take the pain, Hope when the moment comes, you’ll say… I, I did it all. I owned every second that this world could give. I saw so many places, the things that I did, With every broken bone, I swear I lived.

Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up, And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup. Oh, I wish that I could witness all your joy and all your pain But until my moment comes, I’ll say… I, I did it all”