Ten Things I Learned From Bill Porter – Book Review
Shelly Brady (2002)
ISBN 1-57731-203-1
Book Price: $9.00
Bill’s story “Door to Door” TNT movie
Shelly Brady was a teenager when she first worked for Bill Porter (“Door to Door” the TNT movie about Bill). After studying theatre arts in college, she again worked part-time for Bill. Now, she spends much of her time sharing Bill’s story with various organizations and corporations. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
10 Things learned from Bill Porter
In ten chapters, Shelly Brady displays ten things she learned from Bill Porter. She covers: Following your passion (Ch. 1), Persistence pays off (Ch. 4), Not taking “No” for an answer (Ch. 5), Knowing our limits and reaching beyond them (Ch. 6), Being a team player (Ch. 7), Living our values (Ch. 10), and more.
An amazing inspiration to us all
Shelly Brady paints a word picture of a man who would not quit. She does so with a positive and provoking style. Her focus is on instilling the lessons she has learned from Bill Porter. Shelly says, “Bill has proven to me that dreams have a way of coming true if we stay focused on the path, no matter what obstacles confront us.”
The fact that a man with cerebral palsy could become a door-to-door salesman and eventually have over 500 loyal customers is a powerful point of inspiration. Shelly presses beyond this to discover the keys within the man that made him a winner. She quotes Bill, “It doesn’t stop me from accomplishing whatever I set my mind to… “
Bill’s mantra reflects his positive outlook. Shelly reveals, “… a mantra, Bill repeats over and over to himself, “The next customer will say yes, the next customer will say yes.” Eventually, Bill believers, they all will say “yes.””
“Eventually, he became the top-selling Watkins salesman in the entire Northwest, a position he continues to hold today.” Such comments echo resilience and determination through reader’s hearts. This is why Shelly tells Bills story.
“Sheer determination” could have been a subtitle for Shelly’s book. She outlines Bill’s daily practices, “Everyday, Bill would knock on doors for eight hours, covering seven to ten miles on foot, rain or shine. He knocked at approximately one hundred homes per day, and if he was lucky, one in ten would buy something.” Amazing!
A compelling personality
Shelly Brady reveals a powerful story and a compelling personality. Readers will be provoked towards success.