Grandma’s Gift

She didn't have a gift in her hand. Just an envelope. Marcus hoped it wasn't five dollars. As she got close to Marcus, she handed it to him and said again, "I really think you will like this. At least I hope you will."
This is the best gift ever? Marcus wondered. It couldn't be a huge check because he knew that his grandma didn't have that kind of money. What could it be? There was only one way to find out. He tore open the envelope and inside found a simple card that read:

A Weekend with Bobby Gold

JUNE 19-23

Along with it was a slip of paper with a phone number that said cell.
Okay this was strange. Bobby Gold was only one of the most famous billionaires in America. Marcus was very aware of who he was, but what did the card mean? Margaret smiled softly as she watched Marcus's confused look.
"I don't get it Grandma. Is it a seminar or something? Is he speaking somewhere? What do you mean by 'a weekend'?"
"I mean you will be spending the weekend - actually four or five days - with Bobby Gold. I arranged the whole thing." She was beaming now. Margaret and Bill also looked happy, while Marcus and Jack just looked quizzically at each other.
"Okay, so I must really be in the dark. How am I going to spend a weekend with Bobby Gold? And what am I going to do with him?" The thought crossed his mind that perhaps his grandma might be pulling his leg.
"Oh yes, I suppose it appears strange doesn't it? I arranged for you to spend that time with Bobby so he could teach you a little about business. That should be fun, don't you think?"
"Well, sure, Grandma, it sounds great, but how did you pull this off?" He still wasn't sure it was actually true.
"I called him and asked him if he would do it for me." Beatrice said matter-of-factly.
"You just picked up the phone and asked a guy worth eighteen billion dollars if your grandson could hang out with him?"
"Exactly."
"Mum," Margaret said, interrupting their obviously confusing exchange, "perhaps you should explain how you know Bobby."
"Oh yes, that's a good idea. It sounds outlandish doesn't it?"
"You know Bobby Gold?" Jack and Marcus said in unison.
"I do. Well, more accurately, I did. You know me, I don't like to brag, so I never told you that I was Bobby's nanny for three years when he was growing up. From the time he was eight until he was eleven - such a nice young man. But I moved away when your grandfather got transferred for work and I didn't keep up with what had happened to him until I started reading about him and seeing him on television. He has become quite successful, you know."
"Of course I know." Marcus looked at his mum and dad. "Did you guys know that she knew Bobby Gold?"
"No, we knew she was a nanny for a little boy whose family had some money, but we never knew who it was. We didn't know until she asked if you would like this for a gift."
Marcus turned back to his grandma. "So how did you get this arranged?"
"I called him up and left a message with his secretary and asked him to call me. The next day he did. I told him that you were graduating from Northwestern's business school and asked if he would spend some time with you. He remembered me - we always got along so well - and he said he would be happy to do it. Then he looked at his schedule and suggested that you accompany him on a little trip he has planned. I checked with your parents and they said that you were free and so that is how it came to be. I thought you would like it."
"Grandma, I love it!" Marcus got up and went over to give his grandma a hug and a kiss to say thank you. She still smelled like flowers. "Thanks so much, Grandma. This is going to be awesome."
She squeezed him tight. "You are welcome, Marcus. I am so proud of you. You should be able to be as successful as Bobby has become." Marcus stood up. "Well, let's start with my first million before we get to a billion - or eighteen." He turned to Jack, "Dude, I am going to be hanging with Bobby 'Nothing's Better than Gold' Gold!"

excerpted from Chris Widener, The Art of Influence