Inspired by a life : Paul Newman

There is a lot to admire about Paul Newman's life. I am a big fan of his, yet I probably could only tell you one or two films he was in. I know very little about his career as an actor.

When I started the be line, I read a book called Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good written by Paul Newman and his business partner A. E. Hotchner. It tells the story of Newman's Own, the first company to sell natural foods in supermarkets and donate all profits to charity. (Most notably he used some of those profits to create "The Hole in the Wall Gang" camp which grew to be the world's largest family of camps for children with serious illnesses.) The book is a funny, easy read about how it all got started and how they overcame obstacles to achieve what is an incredibly successful food business. As an entrepreneur, it was encouraging to find out that even Paul Newman had difficulty navigating the world of manufacturing and distribution. They "systematically disregarded the advice of experts and relied instead on instinct and imagination." Through much trial and error, they create the business in a unique, unconventional style they call "non-management." They are often quoted as saying "There are three rules for running a business; fortunately, we don't know any of them." It was refreshing and the most inspiring business book I've read.

The fact that he was married to Joanne Woodward for 50 years and that they lived, not in Hollywood, but in the same house in Westport, CT also makes me a fan. It suggests a life of contentment, commitment, enjoying who and where you are, but not boredom. He was racing cars, acting, directing, playing practical jokes and I'm sure a lot more of what made him who he is until the end of his life. On a semi-recent episode of Iconoclasts, he told Robert Redford that his birthday gift to Joanne that year was 2 hours of driving around streets of Westport that they had not yet seen. It doesn't get more tender than that. Thank you for the inspiration Paul, and your ridiculous good looks didn't hurt either.