It’s 2:45 a.m. in California and 5:45 a.m. in New York City. At this moment the Saturday edition of The Wall Street Journal is landing with that familiar thump on sidewalks and driveways on the east coast. Why am I still up? The Journal is publishing my story in their Profiles in Retirement!
All this came about because inspired by previous profiles, I emailed the editor telling him how much I enjoyed the column. In the email I briefly described my journey from university English instructor to children’s math book writer. The editor replied that he would forward my email to a journalist. A few months passed and I forgot all about this. Then one day, what should appear in my junk email box but an email announcing WSJ interview. I gazed at it, wondering if it could have been sent by the same people who tell me I’ve won the Nigerian lottery. But this one I opened.
There it was a real request from the WSJ by a real journalist. For me, a budding entrepreneur, this is beyond a dream come true! As a subscriber all these years, I love the Journal because the articles inform me of cutting-edge developments in business, health and science, entertain me in literature, culture and the arts and make me think about positions taken in editorials. I can rely on the Journal to state and defend a position. I may not always agree with it but I know where they stand. Whether a human interest story or news of the latest business merger, your articles are consistently well written.
Since publishing my workbook in 2006 and launching my company, TeaCHildMath, the Journal has become my entrepreneur tutorial. It provided me with a crash MBA. Not only did I learn how to register a domain name but the intricacies of trademark registration and the advisability of hiring IP attorneys. I also learned how to be my own publicist, brand developer and strategic thinker. I could not have done this without you. It is an honor to have my story told in your paper this morning. I owe this recognition in great part to you.