Back in the Pleistocene epoch—when woolly mammoths roamed the earth and I began working here at National Business Media—I labored as a staff writer for the newly launched Restyling magazine and its then sister publication AutoGraphics. From another office—in the part of the building where Sign Business magazine was then produced—I would sometimes hear the publisher’s phone being slammed into its cradle followed by a string of very colorful expletives. The Sign Business editor would then be called into the office, the door would be closed and hell would be paid. Strangely, these events were also followed by deep and infectious laughter. 

 

As a relatively new employee at the time, I was almost afraid of Ken Higgins. And when I took over Digital Graphics magazine a couple of years later, I realized with some trepidation that I would be working directly under him. But my fears were unfounded and I quickly learned to appreciate Ken’s unique style and professional abilities. He was the best publisher I’d ever met and I certainly learned a lot from him.

 

He taught me that the most important thing in business is your relationships to the people with whom you do business. He showed me that successful business relationships are built on respect, trust, integrity and follow-through. For him, the bottom line was always about quality. People remember quality much longer than they remember a bargain, he would say.

 

During his tenure as publisher Ken also taught me that I should never use purple on the cover of a magazine. My only foray into the dreaded purple cover color theme resulted in a regrettable closed-door meeting and lots of colorful expletives. I’m still not sure why that particular hue rubbed him the wrong way, but you can be sure that since that day I fastidiously respected that particular idiosyncrasy. 

 

Watching Ken work a trade show floor was like watching a master in action. Never spending too long at a single booth, never leaving before the client feels he’d been personally acknowledged. He showed me that working hard is not always hard work, and that maintaining your sense of humor is actually a necessary survival tactic in this day and age. 

 

I appreciate the fact that you always knew where you stood with Ken. If he was unhappy with my performance, he’d let me know. But if he thought my work was exceptional, he’d go out of his way to let me know that as well—even when he’d moved back to Florida and I no longer worked under him. By this time, his supportive comments were simply those of a friend. 

 

When news came to me of Ken’s sudden passing on July 3, I knew that nothing about this job would ever be quite the same. He was highly intelligent, quick witted and excruciatingly funny. And he had a laugh that would stay with you for days. In fact, when I close my eyes, I can still hear his laughter. I hope I always will. 

Okay, back to work.