Last Saturday evening, I was privileged to attend the Sales and Marketing Executives International Academy of Achievement Hall of Fame dinner in Dallas. SMEI recognizes notable lifetime contributions to the free enterprise system through personal and corporate success in sales and marketing. Honorees reflect ethical standards, professionalism, leadership, and excellence.

The honorees offered some passionate words about the values they hold and today's changing business environment. I couldn't resist making a few quick notes so that I might share some of their thoughts with you. Those entering the SMEI Hall of Fame admitted that they set higher standards for themselves, their firms, and their associates. People, they agreed, were the heart and soul of the business. Maxine Clark, if fact, founded Build-A-Bear so that she could build a company with a heart and soul. Now, her teddy bear shops are popping up everywhere!

Everything is changing, they agreed, and it is important to recognize the advantages of bringing youth into an organization to help keep up with the reality of change. Several use college interns to great advantage, turning part-time interns into full-time employees after graduation. Fully one-third of Dr. Kurtenbach's Daktronics workforce is comprised of interns. He works closely with the local college to select students for jobs throughout his large format visual communications firm.

Another focus appeared to be on international opportunities. Most of the honorees have international reach, and they see free enterprise accelerating in much of the world. Mark Dixon and The Regus Group now operates professional business centers in 60 countries. Anheuser-Busch is ubiquitous in the global marketplace.

Peter Legge, an internationally acclaimed speaker and author, made the keynote address on Saturday. He stressed the idea that "the responsibility is yours." His question to us was, "when you are called to account, what did you do with the time, the talents, and the opportunities granted you?" I can tell you, the silence that followed his question gave hundreds of us a moment of sober reflection. Continuing his upbeat presentation, Mr. Legge said, "When your passion combines with your talents and gifts, you become unstoppable!" Wow!

Mr. Legge talked about the American bald eagle. The eagle embodies three vital attributes, vision, daring, and courage. He suggested, therefore, that the eagle is a good symbol for the entrepreneur in our free enterprise system. Success comes to those who have the vision to see opportunity, the daring to plan a course of action, and the courage to implement the plan and persist until successful. Again stressing personal responsibility, Peter Legge concluded by advising us to "look inside and you will find just what you can do."

This year, the six honorees were:
Stephen Burrows, CEO and President, Anheuser-Busch International, Inc., St. Louis;
Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive, Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop, St. Louis;
Mark Dixon, Founder and Chief Executive, The Regus Group, London;
Dr. Aelred Kurtenbach, Founder and Chairman, Daktronics, Brookings SD;
Scott Walker, Chairman and CEO, BillMatrix Corp., Dallas; and
Peter Legge, CEO and President, Canada Wide Magazines & Communications, Burnaby, BC.

You can learn more about SMEI's Academy of Achievement at www.academyofachievement.org.