The Secret? Ask Questions. A Story about Goldrush Jack

One of the best things about LinkedIn is serendipity. If you are using LinkedIn, the secret to mastering it, is to expand your network, deliberately. When I see interesting phrases, professional headlines, references, I am on my own journey with serendipity in my back pocket. I especially love discovering stories that lift the human spirit.

Just a few days ago, I discovered a wonderful story from James Bliwas (LinkedIn profile) about Goldrush Jack. Following Jack’s story, one of the commenters wrote, “What an interesting story. I meet characters all the time. Those who ask questions usually do.” And James responded, “That’s the secret: Ask questions. If I hadn’t asked about the banner, I never would have known about Jack.”

My father’s 11th commandment was “Ask.” I write more about my father’s commandment of “ask” in, “Life Lessons – Everything I Learned about Sales, I Learned from My Parents.” And there’s no secret to the Ask. Smile, be thoughtful, be respectful, and be a great listener.

Here’s to a great story because James thought to ask.

Happy Birthday Goldrush Jack

I’ve met a lot of characters in my life including a gun slinger straight out of the Old West.

When I worked in TV news in San Francisco 100 lifetimes ago, my crew and I were returning from covering a two-day story in Reno. We pulled off I-80 to find a place for lunch. About a mile off the highway was a small town that looked like time forgot years earlier.

The only spot to eat was a small hotel. Above the registration desk was a banner: Happy Birthday Goldrush Jack.

“Who’s Jack?” I asked.

“That’s Jack,” the desk clerk and owner told me, pointing to a very old man sitting nearby. Then, pointing to a faded photo of a very young man brandishing a six-shooter, he added: “And that’s Jack.”

We postponed lunch to do a story.

Turns out that Jack, who was well into his 90s, had been a sometime sheriff, sometime gold miner, sometime outlaw.

He’d moseyed up from Arizona during the gold rush and stayed. He admitted to being in gunfights but denied killing anybody. I don’t blame him. There’s no statute of limitations on murder.

“I bin on both sides of t’ law,” a toothless Jack told me in an on-camera interview. “There’s more money in robbin’ banks and stagecoaches than in bein’ t’ sheriff. Cudda got killed doin’ either.”

Have you met characters in your life?

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Enjoy more of James’ posts on LinkedIn here.