When It Reigns, It Pours

At the risk of sounding like a swell-headed egomaniac, in addition to the Sports Business Journal piece (look down one post), I was also interviewed by uber-entrepreneur Austin Hill at his textbook-worthy Billions With Zero Knowledge blog.  When you evangelize the art of Surprise, you're often called on it, hence Austin's questions about the rather unconventional way I hire. 

Perhaps my favorite hiring story (and one I forgot to tell Austin) was that of Farlan Dowell, an Airborne Entertainment product manager, and former Price Is Right contestant, who's leaving us for to work for a competitive company (the quisling!) in L.A. 

Farlan was exuberant and rather "out there" during our first interview three years ago, and I sent him away with the challenge of doing something special to convince me to hire him.  About a week went by and I heard nothing, and figured he'd copped out and joined the ranks of the uninspired and insipid.  But the next day I got a call from a store owner down the street.

"You Andy Nulman?" he asked.

"Well, you called me," I replied.  "Who are you?"

"You don't know me, but there's this guy outside my window in a box."

"A box?"

"Yeah, and it says 'I Want To Work For Airborne Entertainment.  Call Andy Nulman at 289-9111.'  So I'm calling you."

I got about a half dozen similar calls from different people on St. Laurent Boulevard.  I opened my window and stuck my head outside my 7th floor office, and sure enough, there was this goof parading up and down the street, head and limbs protruding from a large cardboard box emblazoned with my name and my company's (see it in all its glory below) , causing a traffic jam of curious onlookers and horn-honking supporters.

I called him upstairs and he got the gig immediately.

And if he wasn't such a traitor...he'd still be with us.  You could read the interview here.  And you can get in touch if you think you can fill Farlan's rather large shoes...uh, box.