Electrical Engineer Goes Into Direct Sales

I decided to try my hand at direct sales. I had already discovered that I enjoyed working with people more than working with computer design. I was taking a Dale Carnegie course in Poughkeepsie, when one of the instructors introduced me to Dick Shapiro, a sales manager for World Book in the Dutchess county area. Dick became my mentor. He taught me the rudiments of selling door to door. But he also taught me how to recruit other sales people. My first year was tough, to say the least. I not only had trouble selling, I couldn't even get in the door. But, I fell in love with recruiting! I recruited a school teacher and in going out in the field with him, I learned how to sell. That was the beginning of a thirteen year career with World Book. I was given the Charleston, S.C. territory to build up. It placed last in the nation in sales. Within one year, with some intense recruiting effort, it became the #1 territory in the North America. After three more years in Charleston, I was promoted to Branch Manager in Richmond, VA. There I was over 5000 sales reps in a three state area, headquartered in Richmond.

I prospered in Richmond until the company went out of business in 1992, due to the competition from the Internet. My wife and I had just purchased a large home on a lake the year before. Now, we were back to square one! Wendy and I co-founded Health, Wealth and Happiness, Inc. in 1992. Our sole purpose became one of helping other's find a source of secure income and great opportunity. More on that later!

Who is Lowell Farmer?

Who is Lowell Farmer? I am a country boy who grew up on a farm in rural Virginia. In fact we lived four miles from the nearest tiny town. That town is Gretna, Virginia. When I was in grade school, the Chamber of Commerce put a sign on the edge of town that said, "Ain't No Big Thing, But We're growing." That same sign is still there today, sixty years later. The people who lived there were the salt of the earth, honest, with family values and humble. It was a great place to grow up!

My Dad was a tobacco farmer who loved animals. He had horses, mules, donkeys, ponies, hogs, sheep, goats, geese and even a pet black snake in the corn house! My brother and I had plenty of chores to do every morning and also in the evening! We learned how to be honest and how to work hard. We also went to church every Sunday. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was twelve years old. I appreciate my Mother and Dad and how they raised us.

When I graduated from Gretna High School (Our Senior class consisted of 56!) I went to Va. Tech to study Electrical Engineering. After a rough start (I almost flunked out my first quarter), I ended up applying old fashioned hard study to graduate with honors.

Then I took my first job at IBM in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. as a design engineer. After five years of doing design engineering and earning twelve patents on my work, I yearned to leave the "cube farm" and do something totally different. I loved creating new computer systems and electronic circuits, but I hated having a boss and working in such a structured environment.

Tune in later for "the rest of the story".