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You Should Absolutely Brag About The Brilliant People You Know
Here’s how to get away with being a “name-dropper”
“My guest is Frank Sinatra.” The man nervously adjusted his chair, turned the microphone to Mr. Sinatra, and said, “Why are you here?”
Sinatra, who was notorious for not doing interviews, proceeded to tell the up-and-coming radio personality about a time he asked his buddy Jackie Gleason to cover a show for him because he had laryngitis. After Jackie did his stand-up routine and worked the crowd for an hour or so, Sinatra then walked him to his car and said, “I owe you one.”
Two years later, knowing what getting an interview with Sinatra could do for his friend Larry King’s budding radio career, Gleason called up Sinatra and said just four words — “This is the one!”
Gleason could have asked Sinatra for anything. A hand when he fell. Money. An introduction to a big shot entertainment executive. Instead, he called in a favor for someone who was deserving of a lift.
When I think about not only someone of character, but also what it takes to carve out a meaningful life, this story always comes to mind.
It’s easy to connect people who play at your level. It’s easy to call in favors for your own personal gain. It’s easy to play…
