The Magic Business Carpet Ride

Eleven-year-old Valerie and eight-year-old Neal West had just heard some awful words from their parents but none hurt more than when their father, Peter, said, “we don’t have the money to take Randolph to the vet, and he may die.” The thought of their dog dying was unbearable to the children. In today’s America many children’s lives have been turned upside down just like Valerie’s and Neal’s. Their parents had lost their jobs, and life as the children had known it suddenly changed. But the two West children wanted to save their dog Randolph and help their parents, so they drew upon an inner entrepreneurial spirit to start a vibrant business called Randolph’s Doggy Café. The West children’s business venture involved imagination, magical help and hard work and their story is in many ways a unique American story that both young and old will cherish and be inspired by.

Not many people can claim a career as business sales executive, chef, business entrepreneur and more as shown below. Taken as a whole, this experience is valuable in relating to today’s youth what entrepreneurship is like and what is needed to be successful in business. With this background Michael Baker has created a story about a brother and sister who with all their heart want to help their family survive in a hard economic time. Their love of their Dog Randolph and their mom and dad give them the fortitude to open the first Doggy restaurant in Pluckemin New Jersey. Any business venture is a grand undertaking so they work with their Magic Advisor, Eimer the Mole, who has just received his MBA (Mole Business Advisor Degree) to open Randolph’s Doggy Café The Children’s dream does come true but their exciting adventure making it happen is a story both young and old can enjoy and learn from.

Michael Baker has had an exciting and varied business career that started at ten years old selling fresh picked wildflowers door to door in Ossining, New York. Between that time and his recent retirement from UBS Financial Services, he has had many different entrepreneurial experiences. To name a few, he owned and operated a public waterworks, was a chef-owner of a French restaurant and established an innovative gasoline delivery service to corporate parking lots and currently is a partner in a premier gourmet store and caterer in Chappaqua, NY. Michael has authored four books and a play and now delivers his business experience in a lecture series titled, Entrepreneurship, The Inside Story. Michael can be reached at michaelab1@verizon.net.