A Story of Success - Here's To You, Hank Teuteberg

I'm looking at a picture of one of the most successful men I have ever had the privilege to know. He was raised in Brookfield WI and moved all the way to a beautiful house he and my sister built overlooking Lake Oconomowoc – about 15 miles away from where he had been born. He enlisted in the Navy shortly after high school, then became a computer programmer back in the days of punch cards and big box mainframes.

He got married to my sister 44 years ago, and they raised three children – and raised them well. And those children gave them eight grandchildren – and they delighted in them. He founded his own business in 1976 – a printing company that, over the years, has grown into one of the top marketing services, fulfillment and printing companies in the US.

He was an excellent baseball player. He was an avid golfer – a low handicapper that belonged to two country clubs and played – a lot. For years he ran every morning, and for years he carried his own bag – for all 18 holes.

His success at his business allowed him to buy a place in Florida – on Sanibel Island – so he and his family could get away from the brutal Wisconsin winters – and he could play golf – every day – and he did.

But he never took his eye off the ball – off his business. And it prospered. And it does today – with his son as the President.

He was the kind of guy that you just knew would live forever – or close to it.

And then he drowned, in a freak happening, in Pewaukee Lake - where he had almost drowned at age 11. And at the age of 69, with so much in front of him, he left this earth. And when I look at his picture – it's on the cover of the program for the Visitation and Mass of the Resurrection that was held for him - it simply does not seem possible that he is gone. But he is. And at the Visitation a solid line of people stretched out the door of the church where it was held - and they just kept coming. For four hours my sister stood or sat next to his casket and greeted and talked to every one of the people who came to pay their respects. For four solid hours – without letup. What a tribute to his life and to his family!

And the one quality so many remembered about Hank – whether they were golfing buddies, neighbors, baseball teammates, business associates - was that they never heard him say a bad word about anybody. What an epitaph!

Hank wasn't a particularly reflective guy – had he been asked to write down what people would say about him at his funeral – and that's an exercise often used to develop goals – I'm sure he would have found something more important to do.

He was successful in so many ways success is measured. But for my money, the phrase “ He never said a bad word about anybody” is his true measure of success.

Until we meet again, Hank.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

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