Profile of Success: A Leg Up on the Field

Sonia, an architectural space planner, pushed Doug to try his hand at a secret passion of his: direct marketing. He began marketing grommets for office furniture, a product she believed all furniture manufacturers needed. Mockett wrote a direct marketing letter and mailed it along with a sample of the grommet to the presidents of 400 furniture manufacturers. Much to his surprise, he received nearly 185 phone calls in response. This spurred him to mail his first catalog in 1983, a four-page edition with grommets as the sole product. The mail piece has grown into a 300-page book today.