Brownie Wise on Self-Truth
“It isn’t simple to be frank with yourself. But, if you wish to find your particular success in life, it is the most rewarding reaction of them all.”
–Brownie Wise (1913–1992)
American industrialist
Tupperware catalyst circa 1950s
Sales history…
An inexperienced businessperson until a divorce in 1942, Brownie Wise started selling Stanley Home Products at home parties to earn extra money outside of her regular jobs. When she came across the "Wonderbowl" in 1947 (the first name for Tupperware), she and several others from Stanley switched to selling Tupperware – still by the "home party" method.
As she and her team started exceeding the sales volume of the department stores, Earl Tupper (founder) made the choice to make the "home party" direct-selling method the special way to market the products. Brownie was the natural choice to lead the effort and became the company’s vice president until her termination in 1958, when it appears Tupper could no longer tolerate the perception that she was the reason for the company’s success (be no ego, anyone?).
Dig deeper on Bonnie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the history of clear thinking.
__________
Speaking of truth… Do you know the allegory The Emperor’s New Clothes? I always thought I did but it really goes much further than I knew (10-minute read, tops).
It’s about truth, conviction, and being valuable.
Read with an English accent (which apparently can sound very uncommon depending upon which part of England you’re from) and a bit of actor’s energy, you might find yourself laughing out loud with pity as you recognize the similarities to some of our organizational experiences today.