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What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from W.C. Fields
There is always a non-obvious, creative way to get a result
W.C. Fields was always an exceptionally gifted performer. But some of his most unforgettable performances took place off-camera.
Like most actors at the start of their career, Fields found himself a little short of cash. A problem? Not for him.
He simply created a different kind of job for himself in Atlantic City, one summer, as a professional drowner.
Here’s how it worked:
Several times a day, Fields would swim out to sea, pretend to be drowning, and then be “rescued” by one of his accomplices, the lifeguard.
Invariably, a large crowd would gather on the beach as the no-longer-drowning person was “resuscitated.”
Once his eyes opened and it was clear to everyone that this poor fellow was going to make it, the relieved crowd would turn to Field’s third accomplice, the hot dog vendor (who just happened to be standing nearby) and treat themselves to an “I’m-so-glad-this-poor-guy-is-alive” celebrational meal.
At the end of each water-logged day, Fields would huddle up with his entrepreneurial buddies — the lifeguard and the hot dog vendor — and split the proceeds. Voila!
