Knock On Every Door, the book and a companion CD.

A Motivational & Inspirational True Life Story by Edward Curry

LESSONS FOR LIFE: KNOCK ON EVERY DOOR

Edward Curry’s Knock on Every Door, a Motivational & Inspirational True Story is a journey back in time to Charleston, West Virginia, to the life lessons instilled  by his mother. She knew she hadn’t long to live and wanted to make sure that her shy, introverted son would develop the necessary traits for a meaningful, productive life. Edward was eight when his mother proposed that he sell magazines door-to-door; a scary proposition for a kid who just wanted to play ball and hang out. Curry calls it “a lesson in reality,” yet under his mother’s guidance that door-to-door baptism would shape his character. 
 
Marie Curry, the manager of a successful insurance agency, organized her plan around what she called the six essential building blocks of life. Edward was to acquire   ‘Courage’, from lesson one, by simply getting out there and doing it. But on his first day of selling he had no luck and wanted to quit. Unaware that his mother was watching his every move, he began skipping houses. Then it was time for lesson two: Building character. Do not take the easy way out, his mother advised, but ‘knock on every door.’

Character molding taught him to make his presentation appealing, to be persistent, and to know when to stop talking. In this way he overcame his shyness, found he enjoyed the work, and eventually achieved success. But there were more building blocks ahead.
 
Number three, “Understand and Give Compassion,” involves a humorous episode. Hanging out with older boys who smoked, Edward, who was not yet ten, told his mother he wanted to give it a try. He was surprised when she replied yes, and told him he would do it right there at home. Treating her son as a young man, with respect, was an act of compassion though the immediate results were not so pleasant. Laying out cigarettes and a cigar on the table, his mother showed him how to light up. Violently coughing and hacking, Edward fled the kitchen.  Another lesson, don’t smoke, had been thrown into the bargain.         

Next up, the young salesman is asked to recognize the importance of commitment: hardest of the building blocks. “Complacency,” his mother warned, “is the number one enemy of success.” Complacency was not a word that he readily understood; and only later in life would he fully grasp its meaning. 

Lessons Five and Six address the difference between personal and business goals and the importance of staying focused on those goals.

In the workbook section, the reader is invited to fill in the blanks. For example,  “Describe obstacles and challenges you have courageously overcome.”  In recounting Lesson Four, the workbook has the reader looking forward: “State three things in your life to which you need to make a commitment.”  For Lesson Five, the reader is asked to list top personal goals and a first step toward achieving them. 

Edward Curry’s impressive resume includes his prior role as founder of the Chicago based  Compass Group, LTD and president and founder of Target Marketing-Management Consulting, he is a consultant to the insurance industry, former marketing director for Allstate Insurance, and as an author and columnist. In this book and accompanying CD, Curry captures the loving force that helped guide him into a successful life.   

What people say:

"Strong messages from the heart, presented with gratitude and love! Knock On Every Door will have universal appeal to parents that need or wish to teach their children 'life lessons' in an unforgettable way."

Paula & Craig Urbanke – Rome, NY

"I think Knock On Every Door is a wonderfully inspirational story that has relevance for all ages."

James C. Reed, Jr. – Charleston, WV

"The lessons Ed Curry learned from his mother led to productivity in his life. He shares those lessons with us. Knock On Every Door is well worth hearing and implementing."

W. Jerry Holcomb – Virginia Beach, VA