The Successful Mistake Story
Written Jan 10 2017
Howard Yasgar
A true story, it’s about my very dear friend Barney Kaplan.
Back around 1970, I met Barney Kaplan.
Barney was in the wholesale automotive parts business in Detroit.
After WW2, Barney went into the automotive parts business.
In conjunction with his parts business Barney opened an automotive electrical repair shop that was located on Wabash Street in Detroit.
Barney enjoyed being in business, because it gave him the opportunity to meet and talk to people everywhere.
By the time I met Barney, it was in the 1970’s and he was already very successful, having developed customers and friends all over the world.
As Barney got older, he just loved to give people unsolicited business advice.
Because Barney had such a broad knowledge in automotive electrical repair business he felt he should disseminate this information to everyone he met.
In Barney’s mind, he felt everyone could and should use his advice.
What happened was, many of us, took Barneys advice, and we used it to our advantage.
But there were also many business people that took offence to Barney’s free consultation and advice.
It was because Barney would tell people how their factory should be re-designed, he would tell them how the windows and overhead lighting should be located. Barney gave you all this free consultation and advice even if you didn’t want it.
After many years of doing this, and as Barney got older, into his seventies, he sort of felt that he was the Guru to everyone the electrical rebuilding industry.
He just couldn’t wait to meet someone to engage them in conversation.
Barney came up with a novel idea as to how to break the ice, and how to start a conversation with a stranger.
He had a saying printed on the back of his business card, “What is a successful mistake”?
Naturally when people read this, they didn’t have a clue as to how to reply to Barney. And that’s exactly what barney wanted.
For the few people that did try and reply, Barney always said they were wrong, and he went into his long explanation of what he felt a successful mistake was.
Because I knew Barney so well, I had heard him go through this routine many times.
No matter what the people replied, Barney would correct them and tell them his version of what a successful mistake was.
On occasion, I would be talking to someone and Barney would see me and approach us, naturally, I would introduce Barney to whoever I was talking to.
Then It wasn’t long before Barney handed them his business card and said “Do you know what a successful mistake is?”
Barney just couldn’t wait for them to reply so he could say they were wrong and go into his explanation.
One day I was sitting at the bar at an automotive trade show in Chicago.
I was having a conversation with one of my best sales representatives, he was a fellow that covered the entire state of Texas for my company.
As we sat there talking, who should walk up, but my dear friend Barney Kaplan, who I immediately introduced.
It was only a matter of a few seconds before Barney took out a business card
Barney even turned the card over so my agent could read it easier.
Then Barney quickly asked him, “Do you know what a successful mistake is”? Barney couldn’t wait for the guy to flub the answer.
My sales rep, a very wise Texan said, “Sure I know what a successful mistake is”
It’s when you meet a beautiful girl at a bar, and she comes home with you. Then when you are in bed you find out she is a female impersonator, and is really a guy, that’s what I call a successful mistake.
Barney was speechless, and he never said a word.
After that, I noticed Barney removed “What is a successful mistake” off his business card.
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