Monday, April 5, 2021
From: Maryann Kozaczek
Shannon and the McCoy family, Courtney and the Holdock family, I am so sorry for your loss. May the treasure trove of experiences you hold in your hearts from having Cal so long in your lives comfort you now.
I remember Cal always smiling, warm, approachable, thoughtful, insightful and quietly brilliant, yet surprisingly funny. In 1987 he hired me to join him at a new products consulting group in Manhattan. Eventually we both formed consulting practices and often teamed up to work on each other’s projects. Throughout our collaborations Cal was focused on innovation, listening to consumers for that "nugget" as he called it, that behavior or comment that would spark a new product idea or a creative campaign. When he found it, his eyes would light up; he truly loved what he did. Many companies today have product lines that are built on Cal’s “nuggets” of insight.
Our pharma, HBA, financial and tech oriented clients were far flung; with inevitable down time in airports. Cal used the time to talk of his family-- his wife Diane's leadership in the skating community; her brilliant find and aquisition of the Cape May house summer home they loved. He shared updates on daughters, Shannon and Courtney delighted with their skating, diving, academic and career achievements. When Shannon named her son after him, he floated on air with pride in "Little Cal."
As a new parent, Cal was my counselor on “defining moments" of children. His advice was wise, witty and optimistic. Even Cal's voice mail message wished everyone "a positive and optimistic day.” Cal thought you couldn't change people; saying, "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," but you could encourage them to play to their strengths and go above and beyond their own expectations. He was that rare person who chooses positive reinforcement over criticism.
With the 2007 publication of his book on innovation, "Why Smart Companies do Dumb Things," Cal came to speak at New Jersey American Marketing Association where I was then President. Our members were tough on book authors preferring to hear from corporate execs or practitioners, but Cal had been author, executive, association leader and consultant at various points in his life; he had done it all. The book was just icing on the cake for him. After his stiring and engaging speech attendees rushed to meet him, keeping him late answering questions, For a weary bunch of commuters on a week day evening, that was high praise.
Cal was focused on priorities both personally and professionally. He knew some details were not worth worrying about. It is impossible to think of him without seeing the ever present reading glasses perched on his nose. He left dozens of pairs of those glasses on airplanes enriching his optometrist who stood ready to Fedex a pair to him wherever he might be. When Cal he began to teach at Berkley college, we joked that he was a "natural" and "already an absent minded professor." Of course, he was a huge success at teaching...his students adored him and retrieved his forgotten reading glasses for the next class.
Thank you, Cal, for being my mentor, colleague, counselor and friend, and for all the encouragement and inspiration...and the great stories.
