Like I’ve heard in sermons at my church, we should be honest with ourselves; having the attitude of wanting to know where we fall short and what we need to do.
Our founding father, George Washington once said these words, “I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an Honest Man”. Abraham Lincoln, known as “Honest Abe” once worked in a store and walked two miles to return a six-cent mistake on a bill. Isn’t it ironic that the person, who was honest with pennies, now has his picture on them?
There are many stories about honesty being the best policy and today I would like to highlight one that starts back in 1881 when a young man seemed to have a keen interest in business. He had rather sell steel traps to hunters than do anything. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and was always inconvenienced by his boots becoming soaked with water when he would go on his outdoor activities. He set out to resolve this inconvenience by developing plans for a waterproof boot.
In 1911, at the age of 39 he took out a loan for $400 to produce a quality hunting boot with a rubber-bottom and a leather-top. The boot had some quality issues at first but he was honest with himself and the people that bought his boots. He continued to want to know how he could produce a higher quality boot.
Because the man in today’s story was a man of integrity and had a passion for building a high quality boot, his idea and business continued to grow. He then set up a boot shop in his brother’s basement in Freeport, Maine.
By 1917, he had sold enough of his boots and had enough money to buy a building on Main Street in Freeport. In 1918, he patented his invention of the boot and then moved on to inventing and improving other outdoor equipment. Over the years, Leon Leonwood Bean expanded his store and at the time of his death in 1967, the annual sales were in the hundreds of millions. The company continues today as a mail-order, online, and retail business based in Freeport, Maine. They specialize in clothing and outdoor recreation equipment with sales now approaching $2 billion per year. L. L. Bean Company continues to be known for its high quality products and customer service.
Check out my other blogs; where I receive a constant supply of inspiration for my writings, click on the links below:
Step AheadThis Day with God Devotional
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