Page 84 - Sorry, We're Not Hiring Any Visionaries Today

SORRY, WE’RE NOT HIRING ANY VISIONARIES TODAY
met the owner. He asked me if I had any experience selling menswear. I re- plied,” Oh yes, of course I do!” We went into his office, and he asked me if a man’s waist was 32”, what would be the chest measurement he’d have? Of course, with my background, I am thinking of ladies’ sizes. My specs were en- tirely off when it came to men’s sizes. I gave all the wrong answers. Despite this, the owner saw something in me and paid me $65 weekly — about $500 nowadays. It was good payback then. But I have to confess; I was a bit jealous of a buddy who moved to Canada with me. He wound up getting $75 per week!
I did well in sales at Studio 267. When I arrived in Toronto in 1967, it was the swinging sixties. But I wasn’t part of the Yorkville scene. I did, however, play racquetball. One of the people I played with worked as a manufacturer in the ladies’ wear industry. This connection was to play a pivotal role in my life a few years later.
I returned to England with my newly-minted wife to introduce her to the family. Unfortunately, she didn’t like living in England. But this didn’t really matter to me. I stayed in England for a few years and opened another seven Bon Marche stores with my brother.
Believe it or not, another coal miners’ strike hit England. I remember visiting each store with car batteries, trying desperately to keep the lights on! I realized I had to leave this place for good.
When I returned to Canada in 1975, my friend from racquetball introduced me to the owner of a chain of stores called J Michaels. I went in for an interview with the owner and got the job. While working with the owner, I devised in- ventory control systems they had never considered. Retailing was far more progressive in England at that time than it was in Canada. I developed ideas on controlling inventory and gave them my opinions on the products they were selling. The owner was so impressed with me that he asked me to run a new venture he was launching called Holly’s.
I was at the top of my game working for Holly’s. I was 31 in 1976, and Holly’s became a leader in the retail environment. The look of the stores was very
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