Shirley Temple Black was coming to my house for the first time in 1968. Up until then when I told my neighbors that Mrs. Black was one of my clients, I would get those “sure she is” full of doubt eye movements. Now they would take me serious, I assured myself, knowing that I had a bona fide business—a home secretarial service.

“Oh no!” I thought disappointed as she walked to my front door. The way she was dressed no one would recognize her.

But let’s begin the story on how Shirley Temple Black became my client. After four years I had a successful home secretarial service with clients from business and non-profit organizations. It was uncommon for a woman to operate a home business in the ‘60s unless it was childcare services. I felt that only my husband and my clients took me serious. My new goal was to “get a celebrity as a client.” I was sure that would give me the recognition I wanted as an authentic business.

There were three celebrities that lived within 10 miles from me in the San Francisco Peninsula: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Bing Crosby, and Shirley Temple Black. My plan was simple. I would promote my business by putting an ad in the Pacific Telephone Yellow Pages®--the Internet search engine of its time. Secondly I would send them promotional invitational letters. I had a catchy name, “Instant! Girl Friday.” I would get lots of business from clients who were in a rush. The ad got in the phone book and later I would write those letters once I found their mailing addresses.

Six months later I received the phone call. “Hello,” the male voice said. “I saw your ad in the telephone book. I have a speech written on a yellow pad that needs to be typed in five hours as we have a plane to catch. Can you do it?”

“Of course,” I said.

“Good! Give me your address and I’ll be right over.”

Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang. I opened the door and to my astonishment I knew who he was. “Tall, deeply tanned, with a brilliant smile and thick black hair,” was how he was described in Shirley Temple Black’s autobiographical book, Child Star, 1988. I agreed with the book—I was 30 years old and he was definitely good looking.

“Mr. Black,” I shouted enthusiastically as he stood at the front door.

“You know me?” He asked looking surprised.

“Yes, I use to work for Ampex Corporation in the purchasing department. You would come to see our Director all the time.”

What I didn’t tell him was that all ten of the Royal® electric typewriters became silent whenever he came to the office. I was sure he knew the typing pool had quit typing to watch him walk across the room.

For the next four years I typed Shirley Temple Black’s speeches and letters. Mr. Black or daughter Susan would deliver the pages of handwritten materials to me. I soon learned how dedicated and proud the family was of her. Mr. Black was always bragging about her. At that time she was giving speeches to leaders of organizations, political groups, and famous dignitaries all over the free world.

I often thought it was too bad that the public didn’t know how much time Mrs. Black gave to our country and abroad. She was the unofficial “ambassador” for America representing us internationally before she officially established her Ambassador career in the ‘70s. Many of the thank you notes she wrote showed me how caring and generous she was with her time.

Mr. Black was President and CEO of a fishing and hatchery company that conducted new ventures in salmon farming. Despite his busy schedule he supported Mrs. Black in her endeavors and he shared many stories with me.

One time I mentioned the names of wives of other celebrities in our community that I thought did good works and contributed to the community.

“Yes!” he said abruptly stopping me from saying anymore. His stern voice surprised me. “But they do not have Mrs. Black’s intelligence and knowledge of what is going on in the world. She gives hope and joy to the world and the country wherever she speaks.”

Mr. Black was a supportive and protective husband. He was extremely proud of her accomplishments—unusual for husbands to brag about their successful wives at that time. He never knew her as a child actress nor had he seen any of her movies before he met her in 1950. Everything he knew about her was her contribution as an adult, a loving wife, mother, businesswoman, and international speaker. He knew that her name alone--“Shirley Temple”--opened doors for her all over the world.

But let’s return to my first meeting with Mrs. Black. This time Shirley Temple Black was going to deliver the materials instead of her husband or daughter. I would type her hand written notes on my brand new “state of the art” royal blue IBM Selectric® typewriter and later she would take the finished copy and “fly away” to her next speaking engagement. I told my neighbors she was coming. I could see them peek out their windows ever so often.

I anxiously waited for her to come. Finally, she arrived. “Oh no,” I thought with anguish in my heart. “No one will know it’s her.”

Mrs. Black living up to her reputation as a quiet, introverted soul parked her beat up bright yellow pickup truck in front of my house. She stepped out of the truck in old tattered jeans, dark sunglasses, large curlers in her hair and a headscarf covering her head. No one recognized her…

To the world she will always be remembered as little Shirley Temple, but for me I knew her as the intelligent, dedicated, caring Mrs. Shirley Temple Black.

All it took for me to have this dedicated leader as a client was to set some goals and follow through on them. Now, it’s your turn to write down your goals, set up a plan, and take action to make your dreams come true.

Author's Bio: 

Joan Clout-Kruse is an authority on achieving goals and getting things done. She wrote thousands of reports, articles, and studies for Silicon Valley companies. She has spent the past 15 years as a writing coach and Ghostwriter helping her clients achieve their dreams and goals.

Clout-Kruse assisted the beloved celebrity, Shirley Temple Black, with her writing needs in the 70s. She developed and implemented the first Zip+4 mail code system for Stanford University in the 80s, and at UC Berkeley in the 90s managed one of the largest mail operations in the East Bay (Northern California) handling more than 100,000 pieces of mail and packages per day. Achieving writing and production goals was the primary target of these positions.

Clout-Kruse is the Author of “Top 10 Traits of Silicon Valley Dynamos.” "How to Write Your Great Book in 90 Days or Less," and a handbook, "The ABCs of Success." She is a contributing author of "Power and Soul: Secrets of Creating the Business and Life of Your Dreams," and "How Did You Do That?" Her topics on writing, goal setting, and personal success have appeared thousands of times on the Internet.