We met on an airplane in 1989 traveling to an industry convention. “Hi, I’m BB Brown. Where’d you get those glasses?”  (They were metal… horn rim. So like BB to notice.)“Where’re ya from?”  (BB is always more interested in you than trying to be interesting himself). Turned out we were in both in the life insurance business. We compared notes … acquaintances. Shared a warm exchange.
As we deplaned. “Great talkin’ to you, Bob. I’m going to go get a pair of those glasses. Thank you.” I thought to myself, “What a pro, such a gracious guy” I lived in Hartford CT. BB lived in Atlanta. Nice chat, but probably wouldn’t see him again. Wrong. Six months later I moved my family to Atlanta to revive a struggling business there.

That guy BB … I thought. Once you meet him he’s hard to forget. I think I’ll reach out too him. I did. But uh oh! I was new to town. Sent there to build a struggling business. BB was going to my primary competitor! And a formidable one at that. But I decided to look him up. When I found him, he was just as warm as I’d remembered him. And not surprisingly there was a modest professional distance between us. After all we would be trying to do business with a lot of the same people. He turned out to be a very tough competitor. My toughest.

I will never forget BB telling me about the time he went to his local pharmacy and asked the druggist to sell him 5,000 aspirin. The stunned druggist did just that. You see, one of BB’s greatest strengths is his ingenuity. He divided all the aspirin into two pill packets and sent each to his current and potential clients with this message. The next time you run into a business problem that gives you a bad headache? Don’t take these … just call me!
Brilliant.

Fast forward. BB got some of the highest quality business in Atlanta. So did I. Turned out there was more than enough for both of us. BB eventually retired. I moved on to become a consultant. Today at his age 91, me at 73, we have lunch once a month or so. Joined by our great friend Gary Lane.

But let me get to my main point here. BB told me once. “Bob if you use the word ‘unique’ … understand you’re describing something distinctive. Something’s that one of a kind. Unlike anything else.” At the time I thought, “I’m sitting in front of someone who is indeed unique… one of a kind.

”You see … BB is very accomplished. I know that. But he never feels compelled to tell me so or how much. His accomplishments are legendary in Atlanta. BB’s humble. BB is a wonderful listener. An historian… a great story teller. BB always sees, looks for the finer points in someone. Or anything for that matter. And that gaze of his? The same one he first gave me thirty years ago? Projects a wisdom, integrity and compassion not found often. Just some of the things that make BB Brown one of a kind … totally unique. I am proud to call him my friend. And as for that professional distance? … gone.

Lunch in a few weeks. Oh … and today? If you run into B.B? Take a look at those beautiful horn rim glasses.