harris labj
TRANSCRIPT
COMMENTARY38 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 2, 2014
� ERIN CONDRENFounderErin Condren Designs
We are so excited for ourfamily reunion on my parent’sfarm in Kansas. The wholefamily will be there, even mycousins, coming from allaround the country with theirkids over the Fourth of July.Can’t think of a better way to celebrate our coun-try and our clan than in the heartland.
� TAMAR SIMONDirectorOurCrowd Americas
I’m heading to Israel for a week in June tospend time at the headquarters of my company,OurCrowd, in Jerusalem. Though it’s work, being
in Israel always feels like a vacation because ofthe country’s historical roots and tourist hot spots.
� JAN B. BRZESKI Managing DirectorArixa Capital Advisors
When I was 8 my family lived in a small villagein Switzerland for a year. The village is on the sideof a mountain and there are no gas cars allowed onthe roads. This summer, my wife and kids and Iwill be joining my parents, who are in their late80s, and my sister, to spend a week in that village.
� CHRISTINE KWACorporate Services CoordinatorLincoln Property Co.
I’d stay in the U.S. because of all the won-derful vacation spots California itself offerswithout going too far: Santa Barbara wineries,
Lake Tahoe, Monterey Bay, San Diego’sLegoland, zoo and Sea World.
� JENNA BARNETTPresidentVisionary5 Public Relations
My new husband and I recently returned froma honeymoon in Bali and Japan, so we’re stayingin the states this summer, but we have plenty oflittle trips planned.
� FARSHAD TEHRANIChief ExecutiveTego Power
I’m heading out to Minnesota with a fewfriends to have an adventure where we’ll drivetanks, crush cars and fire machine guns. Thefacility is called Drive a Tank, and it’s unlike any-thing I’ve ever done. I can’t wait.
� LABJ FORUM
By VICTORIA THOMAS
CLUTCH the pearls: I read about the plannedclosing this month of Harris ShepardPublic Relations in Century City with a
pang. While Harris Shepard adores Doris Day, hemore resembles Mary Poppins: mysteriousbeneath the obvious rigor. In the official pressrelease, Shepard states: “When I started myagency, I really felt like the stars and the planets –and lots of hard work – came together to makemy group successful from the beginning – andnow I feel it’s just the right time to leave.”
Harris Shepard ruled the fickle realm of WestCoast beauty PR with an iron (though manicured)fist for 27 years. He was my mentor and one ofmy greatest teachers. The enduring lesson heimparted, in business and in life: “Put on somelipstick and get over it.” Harris, in fact, mighthave sort of a thing for lipstick. This seems rea-sonable, since beauty brands were his agency’sbread and butter, and he traces his family historytangentially to that of Max Factor.
Harris scooped me up when I was a little downon my luck as a writer – let’s just call it my SantaFe period. I was in the process of finishing myfirst book, which, thus far, has turned out to be mylast. The gig was past deadline and unpaid. (Yes, Idid it for the glory, which has yet to materialize.)
I might call that experience thankless, exceptthat it led me to Harris Shepard.
Of course, Harris knew my publisher. In fact,he knew everybody. His power-Rolodex – and heinsisted on a typed, hard-copy Rolodex in thosedays – was legend. Even mean girls at the beauty
magazines would take his calls. Harris met mefor lunch at the Ivy and told me he needed some-one fast on the keys. His usual bevy of junioraccount executives – Mimi, Fifi, Gigi, Muffy,Buffy and Shoshanna – had quit, leaving theChief, as I came to call him, holding the bag.
“But, dear, dear …” His voice trailed off overan impossibly high-priced chicken salad. “Dear,dear, and I say this with love …” He gesturedweakly in a vertical motion, rendered close tospeechless by my road-kill fashion statement:waist-length hair, heaps of Navajo turquoise,denim jacket, velvet hippie skirt, well-worn redcowboy boots, nary a speck of makeup. “You’re alittle light on lips.” He chewed, pensively. “Infact, dear, and this is said with love, you look likea Russian folk dancer. I feel like you could throwme over your saddle and ride off with me!”
Well, he was right. I cut my hair, bought a redChanel lipstick, and wore a suit and killer heelsfor the next several years as HSPR’s senioraccounts manager. But when the weeks got reallylong, I’d revert to my unkempt ways (ponytail,Birkenstocks). My rationale: Most of our longdays were spent in the office.
Care, effort“Harris,” I remember saying peevishly,
“clients can’t see us over the phone!” Ever dapperhimself, he gasped, genuinely taken aback. “Oh,but dear, dear, actually, yes, they can!” he protest-ed, without a whiff of irony. Of course, what hemeant was that clients can tell if you care andwhether or not you’re making an effort. Harrisalways cared and always made the effort.
The other truth from high atop Mount Shepardis that not only is the customer always right – sheor he is always, always a “T.D.” (T.D. = TotalDoll). This goes double for the high-maintenancedivas, narcissists, prima donnas, steel magnolias,wannabes, lost souls, attention whores and all ofthe other people who want to be rich and famous.
And this largesse spilled over onto us. One morn-ing, anticipating a client coffee meeting at the office,he sent a particularly rusticated assistant out into theshopping mall for pastries. Being a Brooklynite, Iunderstood that when he asked for “a rugelachassortment,” he meant plump crescents stuffed withpoppy seeds. The assistant returned with two headsof salad greens. These were tactfully tucked away,and never the wiser, the clients happily sucked on theMrs. See’s butterscotch lollipops that Harris alwayskept in a jar on his massive desk for us, his “beezand geez” (Bs and Gs = boys and girls).
I left Harris for money. One rain-soaked nightas I languished at my office desk, a sly acquain-tance phoned me out of the blue (I hadn’t evenbeen looking) with the proverbial offer I couldn’trefuse. The new boss turned out to be an infa-mous bellowing trans-Atlantic harridan who didnot pay the bills or the staff. Both clients andteam soon bolted, and the agency imploded. Iremember thinking of Harris as I stood in thedeserted Venice office space and handed over thekeys to the building manager.
Dear, dear, and I say this with love — youwere right all along.
Victoria Thomas is a freelance writer. She lives in Pasadena.
Mentoring With Arugula
It’s Time forTraveling
The first day of summer is just around thecorner as are many people’s seasonal workbreaks. So the Business Journal asks:
What are your summervacation plans?
Condren
PUBLISHER & CEOMATTHEW A. [email protected] | ext. 207
EDITORCHARLES [email protected] | ext. 208DESIGN DIRECTORROBERT [email protected] | ext. 243MANAGING EDITORSJONATHAN [email protected] | ext. 200STEVE [email protected] | ext. 229NEWSDESK EDITORTOM [email protected] | ext. 223REPORTERSHOWARD [email protected] | ext. 227BETHANY [email protected] | ext. 235SUBRINA [email protected] | ext. 251JAMES RUFUS [email protected] | ext. 225ALFRED [email protected] | ext. 221JONATHAN [email protected] | ext. 239MATT [email protected] | ext. 230OMAR [email protected] | ext. 263CHIEF EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHERRINGO H.W. [email protected] | ext. 256RESEARCH DIRECTORDAVID [email protected] | ext. 236
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJOSH [email protected] | ext. 218ASSOCIATE SALES MANAGER,NATIONAL SALESDARRIN [email protected] | ext. 220ASSOCIATE SALES MANAGER,DIRECTOR OF EVENTSJAMIE [email protected] | ext. 248ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERSNAZ [email protected] | ext. 253MARISSA DE LA [email protected] | ext. 219 EVA [email protected] | ext. 222KELSEY [email protected] | ext. 252JIM [email protected] | ext. 209KOLLENE [email protected] | ext. 264NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERSELLEN [email protected] l ext. 240BOB [email protected] | ext. 201CLASSIFIED SALES MANAGERROSZ [email protected] | ext. 215ADVERTISING COORDINATORERIN [email protected] | ext. 216EVENTS MANAGERSBREANNE [email protected] | ext. 203MARY [email protected] | ext. 213EVENTS COORDINATORMARIA [email protected] | ext. 214
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Los Angeles Business Journal PollWhat are your summer vacation plans?
Online results for week ended May 28.
Foreigntrip.
Somewherein UnitedStates.
21% 21%
29% 29%
Staycation.
Somewherein California.
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