Description of the video:

Scarpino: What were your leadership takeaways from your experience in Proctor and Gamble?

Mays: P&G was very protective of Proctor’s image, of P&G’s image. I remember when I was very—just started—maybe a few weeks, and I was asked to get a hotel room to do training, day training, just to get a day room. My manager said, well, I’ll meet you down at the hotel. I go into a hotel, Holiday Inn, and I never will forget it.

Scarpino: In Cincinnati?

Mays: No, it was here, in Indianapolis. It is here, right down on Meridian Street. It may not still be there. They should have torn it down. But I will never forget that—it was a Holiday Inn. And so, I go in to get it and the guy says, we don’t have any rooms for you. And I said, well, you know, I’m prepared to pay for it. And he said, we don’t have any rooms. And I’m looking at the parking lot and there is not—it’s you know, I mean, we’re in the middle of the day. It’s nine o’clock in the morning and there’s nobody there.

So, my manager comes in and says, did you get the room? Where’s the keys? Let’s go so we can get started. We were going to go over pricing and presentation strategies and whatever. And I said, well, no, I didn’t get the... So, he looks at the parking lot and he goes to the desk and he says, I want to get a room. And so the guy said, oh, yes sir. You know, and gives him a room. So, he says, well, I thought you didn’t have any rooms because this young man just tried to get a room. And he says, well, we didn’t have any room for him. And he says, well, didn’t he tell you that he was getting this room for training with Proctor and Gamble? And he says, yeah, that doesn’t mean anything to me. And my manager says, okay.

He goes to the—walks away from the desk—goes to the pay phone, calls Cincinnati and talks to his boss and says, you know, this is wrong. The manager in Cincinnati, his boss, calls Memphis and says, we have an umpteen-million dollar contract with Holiday Inns. We’re going to cancel the contract. Because if you discriminate against an African-American you are really discriminating against Proctor and Gamble. This is an employee and we do not tolerate this. Of course the guy in Memphis is, I mean, Proctor and Gamble is—we called it Proctor and God back in those days.

So, he calls the hotel, the one in Indianapolis, while this is all still going on—in a matter of minutes. He tells the clerk that not only does he apologize, not only does he give us a suite, but he comps it and says, your job is on the line because if Proctor and Gamble cancels this contract, you’re fired. I mean, it’s just that simple. So, I asked my manager—remember I’m black; I’m used to this kind of this everyday stuff—and he says, no, no. He says, the respect comes when you are a company like a Proctor and Gamble, you do not tolerate any kind of—and he says, we do not deal with that. I don’t care if you were—it could have happened to a woman, it could have happened to any—a Chinese, anybody. So, we are not in the position to tolerate that. And this is back in ‘68.

Scarpino: Was that an unusual corporate attitude at that time?

Mays: It was, absolutely. I guess to re-emphasize that just a little more...

Scarpino: I meant Proctor and Gamble and not Holiday Inn.

Mays: Right. Oh, yeah. Well, no it could have been Holiday—no, I think it was a normal practice for Holiday Inn, too. But I think that it showed me that corporations—that the right thing is possible.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask a question that is going to betray my ignorance of business and economics but I am going to do it anyhow. In your experience as a successful businessman for years and years is there any difference in the failure rate between minority-owned businesses and majority-owned businesses?

Mays: Oh, I think that on a percentage basis there are probably more failed minority businesses but for different reasons. One of the reasons that is most prevalent that businesses fail is access to capital and so if you don’t have enough money or if you don’t come from a well-to-do kind of environment, then you start the business on a shoestring and any little ill wind that blows along blows the business under. So, I think that is more of a problem in the minority community because we just don’t have the same access to capital. Given the same kind of business credentials, I think what you will find is that minority businesses with what they have to work with tend to be more successful on average than non- minority businesses because they’ve had to overcome so much.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What were your leadership takeaways from your experience in Proctor and Gamble?

Mays: P&G was very protective of Proctor’s image, of P&G’s image. I remember when I was very—just started—maybe a few weeks, and I was asked to get a hotel room to do training, day training, just to get a day room. My manager said, well, I’ll meet you down at the hotel. I go into a hotel, Holiday Inn, and I never will forget it.

Scarpino: In Cincinnati?

Mays: No, it was here, in Indianapolis. It is here, right down on Meridian Street. It may not still be there. They should have torn it down. But I will never forget that—it was a Holiday Inn. And so, I go in to get it and the guy says, we don’t have any rooms for you. And I said, well, you know, I’m prepared to pay for it. And he said, we don’t have any rooms. And I’m looking at the parking lot and there is not—it’s you know, I mean, we’re in the middle of the day. It’s nine o’clock in the morning and there’s nobody there.

So, my manager comes in and says, did you get the room? Where’s the keys? Let’s go so we can get started. We were going to go over pricing and presentation strategies and whatever. And I said, well, no, I didn’t get the... So, he looks at the parking lot and he goes to the desk and he says, I want to get a room. And so the guy said, oh, yes sir. You know, and gives him a room. So, he says, well, I thought you didn’t have any rooms because this young man just tried to get a room. And he says, well, we didn’t have any room for him. And he says, well, didn’t he tell you that he was getting this room for training with Proctor and Gamble? And he says, yeah, that doesn’t mean anything to me. And my manager says, okay.

He goes to the—walks away from the desk—goes to the pay phone, calls Cincinnati and talks to his boss and says, you know, this is wrong. The manager in Cincinnati, his boss, calls Memphis and says, we have an umpteen-million dollar contract with Holiday Inns. We’re going to cancel the contract. Because if you discriminate against an African-American you are really discriminating against Proctor and Gamble. This is an employee and we do not tolerate this. Of course the guy in Memphis is, I mean, Proctor and Gamble is—we called it Proctor and God back in those days.

So, he calls the hotel, the one in Indianapolis, while this is all still going on—in a matter of minutes. He tells the clerk that not only does he apologize, not only does he give us a suite, but he comps it and says, your job is on the line because if Proctor and Gamble cancels this contract, you’re fired. I mean, it’s just that simple. So, I asked my manager—remember I’m black; I’m used to this kind of this everyday stuff—and he says, no, no. He says, the respect comes when you are a company like a Proctor and Gamble, you do not tolerate any kind of—and he says, we do not deal with that. I don’t care if you were—it could have happened to a woman, it could have happened to any—a Chinese, anybody. So, we are not in the position to tolerate that. And this is back in ‘68.

Scarpino: Was that an unusual corporate attitude at that time?

Mays: It was, absolutely. I guess to re-emphasize that just a little more...

Scarpino: I meant Proctor and Gamble and not Holiday Inn.

Mays: Right. Oh, yeah. Well, no it could have been Holiday—no, I think it was a normal practice for Holiday Inn, too. But I think that it showed me that corporations—that the right thing is possible.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask a question that is going to betray my ignorance of business and economics but I am going to do it anyhow. In your experience as a successful businessman for years and years is there any difference in the failure rate between minority-owned businesses and majority-owned businesses?

Mays: Oh, I think that on a percentage basis there are probably more failed minority businesses but for different reasons. One of the reasons that is most prevalent that businesses fail is access to capital and so if you don’t have enough money or if you don’t come from a well-to-do kind of environment, then you start the business on a shoestring and any little ill wind that blows along blows the business under. So, I think that is more of a problem in the minority community because we just don’t have the same access to capital. Given the same kind of business credentials, I think what you will find is that minority businesses with what they have to work with tend to be more successful on average than non- minority businesses because they’ve had to overcome so much.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What were your leadership takeaways from your experience in Proctor and Gamble?

Mays: P&G was very protective of Proctor’s image, of P&G’s image. I remember when I was very—just started—maybe a few weeks, and I was asked to get a hotel room to do training, day training, just to get a day room. My manager said, well, I’ll meet you down at the hotel. I go into a hotel, Holiday Inn, and I never will forget it.

Scarpino: In Cincinnati?

Mays: No, it was here, in Indianapolis. It is here, right down on Meridian Street. It may not still be there. They should have torn it down. But I will never forget that—it was a Holiday Inn. And so, I go in to get it and the guy says, we don’t have any rooms for you. And I said, well, you know, I’m prepared to pay for it. And he said, we don’t have any rooms. And I’m looking at the parking lot and there is not—it’s you know, I mean, we’re in the middle of the day. It’s nine o’clock in the morning and there’s nobody there.

So, my manager comes in and says, did you get the room? Where’s the keys? Let’s go so we can get started. We were going to go over pricing and presentation strategies and whatever. And I said, well, no, I didn’t get the... So, he looks at the parking lot and he goes to the desk and he says, I want to get a room. And so the guy said, oh, yes sir. You know, and gives him a room. So, he says, well, I thought you didn’t have any rooms because this young man just tried to get a room. And he says, well, we didn’t have any room for him. And he says, well, didn’t he tell you that he was getting this room for training with Proctor and Gamble? And he says, yeah, that doesn’t mean anything to me. And my manager says, okay.

He goes to the—walks away from the desk—goes to the pay phone, calls Cincinnati and talks to his boss and says, you know, this is wrong. The manager in Cincinnati, his boss, calls Memphis and says, we have an umpteen-million dollar contract with Holiday Inns. We’re going to cancel the contract. Because if you discriminate against an African-American you are really discriminating against Proctor and Gamble. This is an employee and we do not tolerate this. Of course the guy in Memphis is, I mean, Proctor and Gamble is—we called it Proctor and God back in those days.

So, he calls the hotel, the one in Indianapolis, while this is all still going on—in a matter of minutes. He tells the clerk that not only does he apologize, not only does he give us a suite, but he comps it and says, your job is on the line because if Proctor and Gamble cancels this contract, you’re fired. I mean, it’s just that simple. So, I asked my manager—remember I’m black; I’m used to this kind of this everyday stuff—and he says, no, no. He says, the respect comes when you are a company like a Proctor and Gamble, you do not tolerate any kind of—and he says, we do not deal with that. I don’t care if you were—it could have happened to a woman, it could have happened to any—a Chinese, anybody. So, we are not in the position to tolerate that. And this is back in ‘68.

Scarpino: Was that an unusual corporate attitude at that time?

Mays: It was, absolutely. I guess to re-emphasize that just a little more...

Scarpino: I meant Proctor and Gamble and not Holiday Inn.

Mays: Right. Oh, yeah. Well, no it could have been Holiday—no, I think it was a normal practice for Holiday Inn, too. But I think that it showed me that corporations—that the right thing is possible.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask a question that is going to betray my ignorance of business and economics but I am going to do it anyhow. In your experience as a successful businessman for years and years is there any difference in the failure rate between minority-owned businesses and majority-owned businesses?

Mays: Oh, I think that on a percentage basis there are probably more failed minority businesses but for different reasons. One of the reasons that is most prevalent that businesses fail is access to capital and so if you don’t have enough money or if you don’t come from a well-to-do kind of environment, then you start the business on a shoestring and any little ill wind that blows along blows the business under. So, I think that is more of a problem in the minority community because we just don’t have the same access to capital. Given the same kind of business credentials, I think what you will find is that minority businesses with what they have to work with tend to be more successful on average than non- minority businesses because they’ve had to overcome so much.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What were your leadership takeaways from your experience in Proctor and Gamble?

Mays: P&G was very protective of Proctor’s image, of P&G’s image. I remember when I was very—just started—maybe a few weeks, and I was asked to get a hotel room to do training, day training, just to get a day room. My manager said, well, I’ll meet you down at the hotel. I go into a hotel, Holiday Inn, and I never will forget it.

Scarpino: In Cincinnati?

Mays: No, it was here, in Indianapolis. It is here, right down on Meridian Street. It may not still be there. They should have torn it down. But I will never forget that—it was a Holiday Inn. And so, I go in to get it and the guy says, we don’t have any rooms for you. And I said, well, you know, I’m prepared to pay for it. And he said, we don’t have any rooms. And I’m looking at the parking lot and there is not—it’s you know, I mean, we’re in the middle of the day. It’s nine o’clock in the morning and there’s nobody there.

So, my manager comes in and says, did you get the room? Where’s the keys? Let’s go so we can get started. We were going to go over pricing and presentation strategies and whatever. And I said, well, no, I didn’t get the... So, he looks at the parking lot and he goes to the desk and he says, I want to get a room. And so the guy said, oh, yes sir. You know, and gives him a room. So, he says, well, I thought you didn’t have any rooms because this young man just tried to get a room. And he says, well, we didn’t have any room for him. And he says, well, didn’t he tell you that he was getting this room for training with Proctor and Gamble? And he says, yeah, that doesn’t mean anything to me. And my manager says, okay.

He goes to the—walks away from the desk—goes to the pay phone, calls Cincinnati and talks to his boss and says, you know, this is wrong. The manager in Cincinnati, his boss, calls Memphis and says, we have an umpteen-million dollar contract with Holiday Inns. We’re going to cancel the contract. Because if you discriminate against an African-American you are really discriminating against Proctor and Gamble. This is an employee and we do not tolerate this. Of course the guy in Memphis is, I mean, Proctor and Gamble is—we called it Proctor and God back in those days.

So, he calls the hotel, the one in Indianapolis, while this is all still going on—in a matter of minutes. He tells the clerk that not only does he apologize, not only does he give us a suite, but he comps it and says, your job is on the line because if Proctor and Gamble cancels this contract, you’re fired. I mean, it’s just that simple. So, I asked my manager—remember I’m black; I’m used to this kind of this everyday stuff—and he says, no, no. He says, the respect comes when you are a company like a Proctor and Gamble, you do not tolerate any kind of—and he says, we do not deal with that. I don’t care if you were—it could have happened to a woman, it could have happened to any—a Chinese, anybody. So, we are not in the position to tolerate that. And this is back in ‘68.

Scarpino: Was that an unusual corporate attitude at that time?

Mays: It was, absolutely. I guess to re-emphasize that just a little more...

Scarpino: I meant Proctor and Gamble and not Holiday Inn.

Mays: Right. Oh, yeah. Well, no it could have been Holiday—no, I think it was a normal practice for Holiday Inn, too. But I think that it showed me that corporations—that the right thing is possible.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask a question that is going to betray my ignorance of business and economics but I am going to do it anyhow. In your experience as a successful businessman for years and years is there any difference in the failure rate between minority-owned businesses and majority-owned businesses?

Mays: Oh, I think that on a percentage basis there are probably more failed minority businesses but for different reasons. One of the reasons that is most prevalent that businesses fail is access to capital and so if you don’t have enough money or if you don’t come from a well-to-do kind of environment, then you start the business on a shoestring and any little ill wind that blows along blows the business under. So, I think that is more of a problem in the minority community because we just don’t have the same access to capital. Given the same kind of business credentials, I think what you will find is that minority businesses with what they have to work with tend to be more successful on average than non- minority businesses because they’ve had to overcome so much.