Yoo Hoo didn’t come when called, so she called louder. He still didn’t come. So, she called even louder, “Yoo Hoo, Dammit!” He came running into the house for dinner. From then on, Yoo Hoo Dammit became the black and white collie’s official name. The memories of the beloved canine made her smile, but with a wistful ‘I’d love to see him again’ look in her eyes. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge many years ago; although it was evident his memory is alive in her heart. She enjoys her cats now, her own, plus a couple who stopped by to say hello and didn’t leave. She’s a charming lady with a wit that is totally disarming. She once described her husband’s eyes as Copenhagen blue. I would say hers are the color of freshly brewed coffee in a fine crystal cup. And, she’s just beautiful. I was nervous interviewing this icon, mainly because I had read her biography and was in awe. I liked her even before I met her. I walked away from the interview knowing why. I reminded myself of a child peeping around the door to see the famous guest in the parlor.

The Wall Street Journal called Myra Janco Daniels a dreamer, with the tenacity of a bulldog.  Dreams, however, usually just don’t come true on their own. You have to make them happen, and that’s what the lady does best. Bring her your dream and see for yourself. If you don’t have one, that’s fine, she has one she’ll share with you.

We have been the beneficiaries of her dreams and tenacity in Collier, Lee, and surrounding areas when she facilitated contributions and brought us the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Every time we sit in that grand hall and hear the music that lifts our souls, we have Daniels to thank. She has held the office of CEO at The Phil for over 25 years. Every art exhibit that touches us in some way is the result of her generosity to the community to go out and do the work, knock on doors, facilitate, cajole, and make happen these colossal dreams that enrich our lives. She doesn’t do it for the praise, make no mistake about that. She has this boundless energy and desire to be of service to mankind that propels her to give of her time and many talents to help make her fellow traveler’s dreams come true. Her philosophy is that a community without the arts is a community without soul.

Daniels started riding the tail of the comet when she was a very young child and has never let go. She learned her business acumen at her grandmother Sophie’s knee. Although her parents taught her many things in life, it was Sophie’s voice that told the young Myra to look at life as an adventure. When Sophie Jancowitz immigrated to the United States from Bucharest at nine years old her formal education ended; however, she started a lifelong odyssey of self-education with a passion for learning. Myra Janco Daniels is comfortable standing on the shoulders of giants, although her mentor grandmother towered less than five feet tall. Jancowitz was a powerhouse of a woman who owned and operated her own business when women were supposed to stay home. She also helped immigrants find work, fed them, and sometimes housed them during the Depression. She struck a deal with these sojourners: if they learned English she would learn their language in exchange. Sophie learned nine languages and the immigrants learned English, then they became American citizens and voters. Myra learned this sense of community and her own responsibility to help people by the time she was four years old. “I still believe in paying it forward,” she stated with conviction.

Daniels wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She worked to earn money by cooking and cleaning and scrubbing toilets when necessary. When she arrived at Indiana State University she had a four year scholarship, but only $10 in her pocket and nowhere to live. She fortunately found work in exchange for room and board and became best friends with teacher Goldie Kinder Hiatt. Goldie became her surrogate mother and mentored her just as her grandmother had. She gets very nostalgic at the mention of Goldie’s name, the person who always told her no matter what it was – she could do it. “Oh, how I miss talking with my grandmother and Aunt Goldie,” Daniels reminisced. “I was responsible for doing the household laundry and I was really bad at it. I got the idea to take it to the Chinese laundry and they did a beautiful job for only $3.50, which was half of my weekly salary,” she laughed. Goldie was so impressed that she told her friend Marguerite about the wonderful job Myra had done on laundry. “Before I knew it Marguerite was knocking at the door asking me to do her laundry too!” Needless to say she confessed, but instead of admonishing her Goldie thought it was such a clever idea and wished she had thought of it herself.

While still a college student, Myra orchestrated a hugely successful ad campaign for summer dresses at Meis Department Store, (one of two part time jobs she held down between classes). The ad she called “Cool As Lemonade,” proved to be a pivotal point in her career. Her idea sold over 800 units for the store. After graduation she started her own ad agency, with earnings of one million the first year in business, and she was only in her early 20’s at the time. In her “spare” time she learned to fly and piloted a Tri-Pacer airplane to get to out of town meetings.

No story is complete without a love interest, and Myra’s is straight out of Hollywood. One day a very handsome stranger came into her life. His name was Draper Daniels. He was a renowned ad man in Chicago. In fact, he created The Marlboro Man, and was a legend in his own right. If you’re a fan of the television show “Mad Men”, the character of Don Draper was based on Myra’s husband, Draper Daniels, who she lovingly refers to as Dan. He not only bought the agency where Myra was President, he stole her away from her fiancé. Theirs was a fairy tale love story that you’ll want to know more about. “I still keep some of his favorite ties. Just couldn’t part with them”, she shared. Also, there’s a little mystery involving two rolls of nickels that Myra found among Dan’s belongings after his death. You’ll have to read her book, “Secrets of A Rutbuster” to learn the significance. Fair warning…you’ll laugh a lot, and then shed some tears. This book is a must read, a guide- book not just for succeeding in business, but some good solid advice on living.

I asked Mrs. Daniels whom she wanted to play her in the movie. “That’s so funny,” she mused. “You know another reporter asked me that one time and we decided Meryl Streep might do.” She laughed again at the prospect of a movie.

Myra Janco Daniels…she’s as cool as lemonade.