Well Big D…I’ve kinda been putting this off because to write only a few of my thoughts down about our long, long, long exciting and yet super varied set of experiences and learning together I know is going to be personally hard and difficult to do. To say that we “worked together” simply short changes what happened to us together over some 30 plus years. And our strong relationship together, started right from the beginning of our first meeting. The DISNEY Years I’d been the first MBA hired at Disney after Walt had passed on, and Management realized no young Execs were coming along. Card Walker met with me, after a mentor sent me to Disney “no job had been outlined.” It was April/May ’67 after about 6 weeks of further meetings, I was hired to be the ‘Latin Am Marketing Mgr’. So for several years I traveled, and lived in various cities in South America, learned Spanish, and sold and marketed film and TV in South America. And made lots of friends all over Mexico and Latin America. But after several years, I was ready for another challenge to use my MBA. It was 1971, and Disney had opened Walt Disney World, when I was tasked with starting what would become a mutual adventure for Dan Kubik and I, into the exciting world of Direct Response Marketing and Mail Order Advertising. And neither of us had a clue about what lay ahead for us. Building a whole new Disney Division in Direct Marketing globally, was set in spades. The President of the Music Division was in trouble, and we needed to take over an outside operation in New York, that owed Disney $3 million in receivables, for mail order record sales. And we needed control things direct. After I had scoped the problem, via a number of trips East, the mission to start a new Disney Direct Marketing Division was approved and set to go. And, in a morning meeting at the Studio with Wally Robira and Don Tucker, I met Dan Kubik, and he was billed to me, as “my Accounting - Numbers Guy’ who would work with me on this ‘project’! Aye yi yi…and just who the hell was this Kubik guy!? Well, that “instant personnel decision” turned out to be OUR great mutual fortune and luck for Dan and I. Our astrologic sign was Gemini. Both of us were Betas (members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity). We were both creative as hell. He liked accounting…I hated it! We liked learning new things, working & playing hard, all at the same time! We liked people and could deal with the just about any of ‘em…the best…the worst…and the even bull shooters (sp)…! Dan and I traveled extensively together New York, Chicago, San Fran, New Orleans, Texas, Boston. Quasi joined at the hip. At DMA Conferences…we were the Disney Guys. I set the tone for things and Dan would pick things up and always follow through on the details…and hell, even keep us honest on the numbers. Later, after learning each other’s manners and strengths we could pretty much think for, and back stop each other. Problems would pop up, but between us we’d come up with the solutions. And people would say…how the hell did you guys, ever do that…? We’d look at each other say…we’re just smart! Over the next years I took over the old President’s spot for the combined Music & Global Publishing Divisions and Dan stepped into Manage the full Direct Response Marketing Division…and Dan was truly now, a “Marketing Guy” (that understood all the numbers too)!! OMG :>) The Televisa International Years After 11 years at Disney Studios, I got an offer to start a US operation for the Mexican TV Network, Televisa SA, and powerful it was as Mexican TV & Radio monopoly and the largest TV programmers in the world. I couldn’t refuse. And I asked Dan if he’d join me, after I got things going. He agreed, and several months later we started working again together. Our huge opportunity was bring entertainment, products and services to the burgeoning US Hispanic market. And we started to build our marketing plans to take advantage of huge amounts ‘trade television time’ from Mexico used to the program the US Spanish language Network, now Univision, and monetize those TV spots in our business. Dan and I picked up flew to Mexico City and met with our new partners a bunch of young guys, and the amazing Emilio Azcarraga (El Tigre) and 10th wealthiest guy in the world. We were energized, even though most Americans hadn’t a clue how many folks were speaking Spanish in the US, but we got the picture fast! And today, every American knows this audience means. Dan and I first built a Record & Music Co (Discos America/TeleDiscos). And over the years added a motion picture distribution company (Televicine Intl) and then we bought Columbia Pictures (Spanish Film Division) and even sub distributed Disney movies in Spanish here in the US. The famed #1 Mexican actor CANTINFLAS was made Chairman of our Televicine Board of Directors. And all along, Dan and I are flying back and forth the Mexico DF every couple weeks. We both learned to love margaritas, tequila, Negro Modelo beer…and all sorts of great Mexican dishes served in the best restaurants of MDF! (And there are lots of stories here…that I won’t go into right now). In the US, we realized there were no Spanish Advertising production groups, so we had to produce our own TV commercials. And Latmark Advertising was founded. It was many an ‘all nighter’ learning produce TV spots that could sell in 30 secs or a 1 min spots…all necessary promote our specially created products on the Spanish tube, for an audience that was ready and waiting for us. Our multi-cut compilation albums with the best Spanish & Mexican singing stars and artists and lots #1 songs was a sensation as “a first” in the market. We averaged 600 to 750 thousand albums sales per album release. And “Estrellas de Oro” (Golden Stars) was our first HIT out of the box (previous bests were 25,000 from CBS’s top artist!) So our formula started to work! More. We launched some of the Spanish Life Insurance (Uni Seguros)…Casa America Foods…Latin Periodicals Distribution (imported Mexican magazines with ARA services)…and our own Ad Agency Latmark Advertising. All of this between Dan and I and a host of great folks that came to work with us. But all good things come to an end and in ‘82…and when the Mexican Peso went further south. The currency was blocked for Dollars, and we couldn’t pay for US TV programs, so we closed the operation. The Azimuth Communications Years But Dan and I had lots of ideas. So Azimuth Communications Corp was formed, and after an introduction from a close friend, we started consulting with a company in Seattle called Thousand Trails. Once we figured out their business was selling access to 100s of private campgrounds, we got started. What? Yeah right, people with big motor homes and RVs was their market…and over the years Trails built to 200,000 members. Each had paid like $7,000 to join and $350/month to use the RV camp properties in gorgeous places. Our mission was to leverage concepts to make money from the group…and we had a 50/50 deal between TT & Azimuth. Being in the Direct Response business, we decided a Private TTrails Visa Card might be a winner! It was big. And we put $20 million on our banking partner’s books in 6 weeks, and $500 million over the next years. So lots of creative ideas were bounced back and forth between Dan and I …and all thru this experience, Dan and I were like brothers and trusted each other to a tee!!! Guess I got a little to detailed here…but none of it would have been possible without each of us, working together. So, Dan my boy, I’m sure your up there dealing with a whole new set of ideas. And I expect you’ll be waking me up one of the nights, to some how run ‘em by me in my dreams. You’re the best BRO and to say “you’ll be missed” is not even close. Love you Dan…I can still hear your voice…even though I can no longer pick up the phone or log on to you ‘via Skype’ and shoot the bull. Big hugs, your partner and pal as ever…Big M / Merrill Dean June 20, 2013