The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 40: Chip Off the Old Block

Episode Date: January 31, 2017

This groundbreaking agent had the world's most unique client.  And he took him straight to the top.

This is the way I heard it. Not so long ago on a famous soundstage at a famous studio and a town famous for being famous, Wally and Chip stood behind the big mahogany doors and waited for their cue. Wally was nervous, but Chip seemed immune to the pressure. He didn't care about the 8 million people waiting for them on the other side or the five multi-millionaires who could change Wally's life with the stroke of a pen. Two minutes, Wally. they're almost ready for you.

The floor manager looked and sounded like every other floor manager Wally had ever seen, a clipboard, a headset, a pencil behind an ear, an automatic grin. Thanks, son, said Wally. We'll just cool our jets right here until you say the word. The floor manager hustled off to placate another anxious entrepreneur as Wally glanced at Chip and shook his head. You've never been nervous a day in your life, have you? Chip didn't respond, but he didn't have to.

Wally knew as every thought. That'll happen, I guess, when you represent the same client for 50 years. Once upon a time, as the first black agent in the history of William Morris, Wally had represented lots of remarkable talent. Marvin Gay, Helen Reddy, Sam Cook, Diana Ross, Simon and Garfunkel. Too many to name, really. But when Wally saw Chip's potential, everything changed. Wally left his clients and the agency behind and put all his energy into making Chip, a household name.

And how are we feeling, Wally? Are we ready for our close-up? The segment producer talked to Wally like he was a nervous, 80-year-old man trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat, which in fact he was. We're feeling good, Carol, right as rain. It's okay to be nervous, Wally. Just remember to take your time out there. Talk slow, just like we were. rehearsed it. When the sharks ask you questions, don't get too cute, just give them the facts, have fun, and be yourself. Only way I know how to be, Carol, it's the only way I know how to be. Carol walked away and now it was just the two of them, waiting in the shadows. Wally and Chip, Chip and Wally. Had it really been half a century? Had Wally really built a business that churned out

$60 million a year and revolutionized an industry? Had he really let that business slip through his fingers? Of course he had. That's why he'd brought Chip to the shark tank to raise some capital, to start from scratch one more time. The mahogany doors swung open without a sound. Carol whispered, action, and Wally smiled his famous smile. It was a long walk, longer than it looks on television. The bald guy in the middle wasn't smiling, but that's okay. He never smiled. Mark, what's his name, looked friendly enough, and the blonde girl from the home shopping channel seemed nice, too, while he wasn't sure about the real estate lady, or the man on the far right with the unpronounceable last name, he wondered if any of them might remember him. He wondered if any

of them would still invest in his famous client the way so many others had in the past. While he hit his mark, smiled at the sharks, and began the speech he'd rehearsed all month. He talked about his love of business, his joy in living. He talked about his beloved Aunt Della, who actually introduced him to Chip, years before Wally became an agent. Then he played his famous kazoo, flashed his famous smile, and hit the sharks with both barrels of charm. Finally, he stepped back and turned the presentation over to Chip. As always, Chip was a sensation. He wowed the audience. In fact, according to the sharks,

Chip's unique appeal was enough to close the deal. Almost. As the main ingredient in Wally's new line of gourmet cookies, the small but delicious chocolate chip had always been the secret to Wally's success. Unfortunately, while the shark, sharks loved his home-baked cookies, there was something missing from Wally's pitch, something that looked a lot like a deal-breaker. You see, 40 years ago, Wally created the very first gourmet chocolate chip cookie and promoted it like one of his famous clients. But when Wally needed cash to fend off the competition, he began to sell off pieces of his company. And when there were no more pieces

left to sell while he sold his Aunt Della's recipe along with the rights to his name. And that's a pity because 40 years later, when the chips were down once again, the sharks didn't care how delicious his new cookies tasted or how many extra chocolate chips he jammed into each one or how much charm the 80-year-old promoter could still summon up on national television. They just wanted to invest in Wally's name. a name he no longer controlled. Consequently, Wally entered the shark tank with nothing but a story and a plate full of chocolate chip cookies.

For the sharks, that made for a delicious snack, but a lousy investment. So they passed. And for Wally Amos, famous Amos, to those who remember, that's the way the cookie crumbled. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. If you work in university maintenance, Granger considers you an MVP, because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off, and Granger is your trusted partner. Offering the products you need all in one place,

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