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Making His Golden Greeting: Joyce Hall is Born

Whether it is your birthday, bah mitzvah or anniversary, we all know the feeling we get when someone gives us a greeting card. For Hallmark founder Joyce C. Hall, creating that feeling was his life’s work. A high school dropout from humble origins, Hall worked hard to not only create a business for himself, but to revolutionize an industry.

Leaving His Mark: Hall’s Company Takes Off

Hall’s postcard company was doing well, but he quickly began to worry about his future. Could sales keep indefinitely? No, he decided. It was time for a change.

Lesson #1: Good Taste Means Good Business

“If a man goes into business with only the idea of making a lot of money, chances are he won't,” Hall wrote in his autobiography, When You Care Enough. “But if he puts service and quality first, the money will take care of itself. Producing a first-class product that is a real need is a much stronger motivation for success than getting rich."

Lesson #2: High Hopes Help Hold You Up

Hall was 16 years old when he came up with the idea of starting the Norfolk Post Card Company. He was ambitious to say the least. At the time, the market for imported postcards was limited, which would have made his business venture difficult for even the most seasoned of entrepreneurs. Still Hall, a high school dropout with no business experience under his belt, believed whole-heartedly in his idea.

Lesson #3: Listen to Your Gut Feeling of Gold

Maybe it was smarts, or maybe it was pure stubbornness, but when Hall set his mind on doing something, he followed through. And, much to the chagrin of those who invariably advised him against it, it in turn invariable worked.

Lesson #4: Do Not Sit Around and Wait for Something to Happen

When Hall first moved to Kansas City in 1910, he had no grand thoughts of becoming a millionaire or even creating a company of any significant success. All he wanted to do was make a living, and he thought Kansas City was the perfect place for a hard-working young man to do just that.

Lesson #5: Innovation is Your Invitation to Success

Hall succeeded not only by taking action when others refused, but by taking action in ways that nobody had yet imagined. His meteoric rise to the top is characterized by a willingness to dream and to dare.

Leaving His Mark: How Hall Manufactured Success

"All I was trying to do was make a living," Hall once said. "In those days, if you didn't work, you didn't eat. And I like to eat."

Joyce Hall Quotes

Joyce Hall Quotes

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