The Clearwater Effect By: Jim Gandolf

The Clearwater Effect  By: Jim Gandolf

I feel, I am at my best when the water flows up or down a creek. I can watch the movement over the rocks and obstacles within the way of the movement. To me this is a beautiful site. I was having lunch one nice day at the end of Spring.  I used to have my lunch at this spot when the weather was great in Port Washington, Wisconsin.  I really didn’t have that many friends in that town, but having lunch by the creek was great for me. I was going to a high school called Port Washington High School. The town of Port Washington was beautiful, but some of the people just didn’t like me because I was not from there, and I was known as an out sider. So, it was better off that I had lunch by myself a time or two, just to have peace in my life. I had five half-brothers and all were real young, two were in grade school, one was just around two years old, and two new-born twin brothers. I never really did get to go out much because I just had to much responsibility. My alone time was my lunch at school down by the creek. This was nothing like the west-side of Indianapolis, Indiana, to where I had so many friends it was always a great time to reflect on all of them down by Sauk Creek.

 I remember this particular time, many years ago as I was in thought down by the creek, I was hit so hard about the life I was to have in the future. Two nights ago, I had a heart to heart with a friend’s father Mr. Bob Clearwater, I called him the master sales man. He and his son Brian Clearwater sat down at the table and discussed the best job in the world called SALES! That talk hits me like it was yesterday. I just finished my speech (In Speech Class) about sponsoring a car for the Indianapolis Five Hundred Miles Race.  I just didn’t know what I was going to do until that night at the Clearwater’s House. I was happy that I did get an A on the speech. I did not know what I was going to sell, though? Later, in life I never knew how valuable that conversation was with Mr. Clearwater. My soul was defiantly in motion from that point on. I won sales contest against 28,000 sales people, found race car sponsorship's, and raised funds, through product sales. I have been in the background of many major closings because of that great night. Mr. Bob Clearwater took the time to explain this great action work called “sales”. I have had many failures, and many successes in that battle of sales. I do know who got me on the right track in this sales movement. Some say it was my own father, or my Uncle Gary Licho, but no it wasn’t at all, it was Mr. Clearwater!  I closed the biggest purchase order for one major company, that was awesome. I have gotten major fuel contracts and now working on building my own race team, with help of great people. I have learned the lesson of shut up when the deal is on the table, and listen.

Jim Gandolf