Travis McWhorter took 30 over years to complete this book. During this time he visited all 50 States, established sales records and started two successful businesses. He has yet to catch a record fish, but easily could have set a record in perseverance to catch just one on a family outing as a child. It was this determination that will have you wanting to get things done each time you read this book. It is filled with humorous stories on living, fishing and selling.
Reel Me In! The Art of Fishing and Selling by Travis McWhorter
Travis McWhorter was born in Olney, Texas on November 19, 1943. He was a war baby. His dad worked on an assembly line building military planes while his Mom stood in lines to get the essentials.
Moving to Megargel, Texas in 1945 became one of the biggest influences of his life. The small-town environment nurtured by many relatives living nearby gave Travis a sense of belonging and confidence that would serve him well in his future life. Travis' parents were merchants. So were his grandparents and several uncles and aunts. Travis grew up working in the family grocery store. His uncle Kenneth taught him to sell, his dad taught him hard work and honesty, and his grandad T.B. McWhorter passed down a gift for the gab. Humor, determination, and discipline came from his mother Leo, and patience and bread making from his "Grannie" McWhorter.
Friendly competition came from having three sisters: Linda Womack, Wanda Revell, and Gwen Cook. They all became great influences in the Texas public school system. All of them worked hard at making excellent grades and never slacked off in trying to out score their one and only brother. They probably all could have beat him, but he never had to admit it because they were never in the same classes.
Sports and politics were two of Travis' early loves. He was class president five out of six times during his junior high and senior high school years. He loved that position. He started in all sports-- basketball, volleyball and baseball--all four years of high school.
Some other indications of his desire to win throughout his life include:
When he was ten his Little League team lost all but two games. The same team won the Olney City Championship the next year. When he was eleven he made the All-Star Team. He loved the team inspiration provided by Manager Ashley and Coach Firenza.
His high school basketball team won only a few games his freshman year, his senior year they were 34-3. To this day Travis still cannot get the taste of losing out of his mouth from the last game. He credits that loss for inspiring him to push hard for victory many times over throughout his business and personal life. His coach took him out the middle part of that game over a misunderstanding and they fell well behind. He put Travis back in during the fourth quarter and the team rallied but still lost. Travis felt the coach was a great teacher but not good under pressure. Travis has tried hard to stay in every game of life since and has often came from way behind to win. It is easy to win when you are way ahead, but having the determination to gut it up and come from behind is the teaching of Travis.
When Travis saw his first graduation ceremony from high school he knew he wanted to make the Valedictory Speech when his class graduated. Thanks to Marvin Cepica and James Draper pushing to do the same, when he became Valedictorian of the class in 1962 he enjoyed that accomplishment very much.
When Travis made his first 100% club as a sales representative with Moore he learned that one gentleman had made nine in a row and that was the record. Travis vowed to make ten. The gentleman did not stop and went on to make eleven before finally missing. Travis raised his goal to twelve. When the Southern Division of Moore eventually was merged into another one, Travis' record of twelve consecutive 100% clubs still stood.
There were many other examples in his life, including his ability to get other people to set and achieve hard goals for themselves. He has influenced hundreds nationwide. His determination, humor and belief that getting people to want to do something rather than push or force them, is what this book is about and frankly will have people saying "Reel Me In!"
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