I was sitting at my computer early Sunday morning about ready to start looking at movie times for later in the day.  The day's headlines all kind of blurred, still dominated by Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett's passings...when my eye continued down the screen and saw what I thought had to be a mistake:  "Pitchman Billy Mays Dead at 50".  Naturally I clicked to the article, which had only been live for about 10 minutes, and read the nearly detail-less story of the man's passing.

I didn't know Billy Mays personally, although we did share a nod and smile to each other at the most recent Response Expo; I was talking with a few friends when he walked by (with his noticeable limp from his sore hip).  I looked his way, and he at me, and we exchanged a wordless good morning.  So he didn't know me, but was more than happy to acknowledge me, which is more than many people who don't know me are willing to do.  His willingness to make eye contact with me, a complete stranger, told me more about him than anything I'd read or seen.  In my experience, people who are willing to acknowledge complete strangers have a humbleness about them that puts people at ease.

Since his passing, I've read quite a bit about him, learning some of who Billy Mays was, how he wanted to be perceived by those close to him, and ultimately by everyone who saw him on TV.  From what I gather in the research I've done, Billy Mays's on screen persona was an enthusiastic version of his real self.  He was a principled man who used what he endorsed, and believed in what he said, and what he sold.  How many of us can say that?  I take a certain element of inspiration from Billy Mays; HPM is founded on the principle of "Commerce with a Conscience".  What that means is we actively decline business that preys on the very people who use the service...it's not as easy as you might think. 

We find, much as Billy Mays must have, that you can't pigeon hole an entire category just because a couple of players in it are unscrupulous.  So, like Billy Mays, we carefully review every client, choosing to carry only those who provide a real beneficial service to the end-user, and who don't punish that consumer in the process.  That's "Commerce With A Conscience".

I wouldn't say that Billy Mays was our inspiration, but the more I read of him and get to know him, the more I can see we saw things eye to eye!

We'll miss his presence at DR-oriented events, on TV and all that he had to contribute to our industry.  I believe he rests in peace.

-Peter