HATTIE: What do you think it takes to run a small business?

MICHAEL: I think it takes a work ethic. I think it takes a commitment, and I think that's oftentimes why some businesses succeed and some fail. If you look at the individuals running the business--there's a lot of people in business today, there's a lot of people here in my own company, sales reps, that they think this is what they want to do. But when they really get into it, when the rubber hits the road, they don't want to work as hard as they thought they did. They didn't want to make the sacrifices they thought they'd have--you know what I'm saying?

HATTIE: I know. Yes.

MICHAEL: And I think that's what it really takes. If you look at small businesses today, you will--if you took each one and analyzed it in its entirety, you would probably see that maybe the people weren't willing to make the commitment, the time.

ANNE: I've run into friends over the years who said, `Oh, I haven't seen them in 20 years, are you and Michael semi-retired?' And I'm like, `Are you crazy? We have never been worked so hard in our lives. You know, knowing what I know now, knowing the size of it, I would no more start over and rebuild this for anything. I mean, it's just too much.

MICHAEL: You know, it's not so much looking at the clock, it's more a matter of doing the job. And as a result, if that job takes 15 hours, then it takes 15 hours. If it takes 18 hours, fine. Now I'll be candid with you. There's days it's taken three hours and I got out of Dodge, you know? But, generally, you look at, you know, your business as more as a project-driven business than as an hour-driven business. If you start looking at your hours, you're really probably not intended to be in business, not whether it be this business or any business.

HATTIE: Yeah.

MICHAEL: I will tell people right up front, this is the privilege of working 60 hours a week. You just get to pick the 60.

HATTIE: Is $60 million really a lot better than $2 million? MICHAEL: I think you probably have more headaches at $60 million than you have at $2 million, but I also think you have a better lifestyle at $60 million than you do at $2 million. And I think you also have a situation where you literally have the ability to help a lot more people.

MICHAEL: You know, at $60 million, when you have 90 sales reps, I feel the success of this company is because of the quality of our people. My wife can find product lines, but if you don't have quality people to sell them, what good is it?

HATTIE: Right.

MICHAEL: I can sit back there and have all the systems in the world, but what good does it do it? So when you get right down to it, I think it's the quality of your people, I think it's the quality of people that we have in our offices, it's the quality of people that we have out there in the sales world, and that's what our customers like, too. People will consistently tell us, whether it be a major account or a small account, they truly enjoy working with our reps. And I think the reason for that's 'cause our reps enjoy selling this kind of product. This is whimsy. How many jobs can you have that you can have fun selling whimsy?

ANNE: I can't imagine I'd be doing anything else. I mean, I can't even imagine it. And Michael and I both have days where Michael will almost say, you know, `Pinch me 'cause I think I'm gonna say I love what I'm doing today.' He'll remind me that I said that. It depends on which day and what time of the day, and that would be the same for Michael. And we do share that with each other. I'm like, `I love what I'm doing today'...and Michael says, `Are you crazy? You know, you've got all the fun stuff,' he says. And I do, I really do have lesser of the headaches. In fact, it's kind of known, if you're calling with good news, ask for Anne, and if there's a problem...just ask for Michael. Otherwise, they're gonna transfer you to him anyway, and... That's why I'm Queen of the Moment and he's Mr. Long Term.

HATTIE: Queen of the Moment and Mr. Long Term.

ANNE: When he describes himself as the fellow in the parade who followed the elephant with the shovel--and there's a little truth in that.

HATTIE: Remember, you can have your head in the clouds as long as you keep your feet on the ground. We'll see you next week.