How Mitch Glaeser and the MEGAbook yellow pages team took on the Giants and Won
THE DEFINING MOMENT came on an airline trip back from Bucharest, Romania where he’d just finished nine days of motivational seminars through Europe. Mitch Glaeser, who had helped create the first alternative to the traditional Yellow Pages phonebook in Gainesville in the early 1990s, decided during that long flight to return to the business where he had earlier experienced so much success.
“Seeing first hand, the transition from communism to capitalism, reminded me of what being an entrepreneur was all about,” said Glaeser. “I was so excited that I wrote the mission statement and business plan on the way back in the plane. Shortly after that, an opportunity presented itself for me to go back into the directory business.”
The result was the MEGAbook Yellow Pages.
In a little more than one year, the MEGAbook team has published editions in Gainesville, Ocala and Lake City. Glaeser and his team are now working on the second edition in each of these territories, as well as several books in the suburbs of St. Louis. Using any industry standard, the first year of MEGAbook has been a tremendous success. “We started the company, then hired, trained, sold, wrote and distributed our first book in six months,” said Glaeser. “That’s unheard of in this industry. It was one of the best roll outs of any phone book company in the United States, and we’ve had a great response.” In just a short year, MEGAbook went from six employees to now 41.
That response was due in large part to MEGAbook’s unique features, including a reverse directory, expanded community information sections, large print, a mini-book, coupons, menu guides and much more.
The proof of the success can be seen in many ways. A reduction of more than 40 pages in advertising in the traditional Yellow Pages book, as well as the first-time-ever publication of its own mini-book are both signs that MEGAbook’s impact is being felt by the competition.
During Glaeser’s earlier foray into the Yellow Page business, he introduced the mini-book to Gainesville. An immediate hit, it was sorely missed after Glaeser left and the publisher dropped it.
MEGAbook is also the only phone book company with its own recycling program, showing its strong commitment and ties to the community. “We’re working on our second set of books in North Florida now,” Glaeser said. “We’re seeing significant growth, and we’re doing things that will make the books even better the second time around. There are three pieces to the formula for success in this business – great people, a great product and great distribution. We have all three. What the MEGAbook team has been able to do is build a pipeline of customers for businesses that want to create or maintain a customer base.”
Always thinking about ways to make the book better, Glaeser has teamed with Gainesville Today. Much of what is in this month’s issue of the magazine— the annual Guide to Gainesville— will reappear in the MEGAbook community section when it is published in October.
The driving force behind the success of these books is Glaeser himself. A whirlwind who is always on the go, involving himself in every aspect of the publication, he can also stop on a dime to take time out to help an individual or a group that needs some support.
Being nominated for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Award in its first year is a sign that MEGAbook is not only a successful business but recognizes its responsibility in the community. MEGAbook has already participated in a Bowl-a-thon for Junior Achievement and a Caribbean fundraiser night for the Boys and Girls Club. In April, it became the title sponsor for what had been the Cris Collinsworth golf tournament with the first annual MEGAbook Gators for Kids Classic. Glaeser is past President of Guardian Ad Litem, Exchange Club of Gainesville, Crime Stoppers, and also serves on numerous community nonprofit boards.
An interest in helping others clearly dates back to Glaeser’s childhood. A Gainesville native, Glaeser’s parents moved here in 1955. He is one of 81 siblings – 76 of them foster children. He is the youngest of four boys, and he has one adopted sister. After he was born, Glaeser’s parents started bringing in foster siblings.
Professionally, Glaeser’s career started early, and it has been a series of successes, or proved to be valuable learning tools or turning points.
At 18, while still a college student, Glaeser was buying and selling real estate. However, the ebb and flow of that business was not attractive to him, so showing his entrepreneurial spirit he helped his family build Collins Court – the first adult living facility in Gainesville, specifically designed and built for elderly care. Looking for a new challenge after that, he designed and built Alluring Profiles, which at the time (the early 1980s), was one of the first day spas in the area.
In the late 1980s, he served as a Legislative Aide to David Flagg for two years during Flagg’s first term as a state representative. He had an unsuccessful run for city commission in 1990, losing to now- Alachua County Commissioner Rodney Long, and in 1992 he lost in a bid to become Supervisor of Elections. In hindsight, that loss may have been the pivotal moment of Glaeser’s career.
“There was a field of six people, and I lost in a runoff to Bev Hill,” Glaeser said. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me. The following day I got a phone call from (then-Gainesville Sun Publisher) John Fitzwater.”
The Sun was about to enter the phone book business. He challenged Glaeser to join the sales force. “I turned him down many times, but eventually said I would try it for six months,” Glaeser said.
He quickly moved up the ranks to sales manager, area sales manager and ultimately general manager of the New York Times Directory Division.
“I had known Mitch and his family a long time,” said Fitzwater, who is now the publisher of the Lakeland Ledger.
“None of us knew much about this when we launched the project. Mitch was one of the first people I contacted. It was a wise decision. He did a great job. I’m very proud of where he is today.”
When the Times Company sold the phone book business after eight years, Glaeser then moved into international sales training, consulting and motivational seminars for Genesis Publisher Services, based in Michigan.
“That gave me the opportunity to learn as well as teach,” he said. “As I was working with large and small companies, I took the best of what they had, and with those pieces I was able to start the MEGAbook. I traveled for three years. It was very gratifying and extremely energizing, but when the opportunity came to make an investment in my hometown, it was hard not to take it.”
One of the people he met along the way was Debbie Norris, who publishes Yellow Page books in Texas owned by the Hearst Corporation. “Mitch was our company-wide motivator and trainer for years,” she said. “He trained all of our new hires, and they hit the streets as some of our top performers. In fact, some of our people still call him now for advice. We really respect what he did. That’s the key word about Mitch. He is very well-respected in our industry. You never hear anyone saying anything negative about him.”
After all the travel, learning and teaching, Glaeser says he is right where he wants to be. “It was great to be able to come home, and put together a team that simply can’t be beat,” he said. “We’ve put together a book that people tell us they love to use. That’s a great feeling.”
For more information about the MEGAbook, please call (352) 333-7578.