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Wise Connections is the name of Sherill Whisenand Cruz' thriving, national media management business. But it would also provide an appropriate title for her autobiography. Should a film version ever be produced, the star-studded political drama-action-comedy would be a guaranteed blockbuster.

“It's just my Walter Mitty life,” Cruz laughed with lyrically infectious optimism.
That's how Cruz describes the amazing and well-orchestrated circumstances that have connected her to every American president since Richard Nixon. Also, the host of powerful and influential celebrities that utilize her media credentials — Wise Connections.

But her nostalgic reference to a 1940s era, daydreaming literary character whose mundane surroundings provide the backdrop for fantastic, historical events and achievements is slightly off the mark. Cruz is by no means a hapless daydreamer.

With blue eyes that actually sparkle, she emanates an aura of wholesome, Midwestern femininity. At 53, the sunny gal-next-door is too youthful for the role of a female Walter Mitty.

“I’ve just had the most gifted, gilded life — the whole Midwestern, white picket fence, Pollyanna kind of thing,” she said as she humorously recounted numerous stories that tend to elicit a common response:  “No you didn’t do that!”

Cruz philosophy on life and business are interchangable.

“It's hard to slow down when you're on fire. Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. Be remarkable — and be indispensible. Everyone is disposable in the workplace but make yourself indispensible. They'll want you around and back time and time again. Make a memorable, positive impression. Work hard, be persistent and laugh a lot.”   

A graduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from a top Iowa University is almost overshadowed by Cruz’ impressive resume:

As a Republican campaign precinct organizer and national media manager, she’s worked in more than 40 states; held positions with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and then-Governor of Texas George W. Bush.

She’s also been an aide to U.S. Senator Charles E. Grassley, R-IA; worked in over 20 gubernatorial races; 22 U.S. Senate races and 30-plus U.S. Congressional races and was a finalist for a White House fellowship. That’s just a brief summation of Cruz’ political experience. The Wise Connections Cruz has established in New York, Little Rock, Hollywood, Tehachapi and places in between are yet still to come.

Before branching out into politics, Cruz began her media career as a hometown newspaper editor while still in grad school. She was the youngest managing editor in the state, running the editorial department single-handed for a weekly with a circulation of about 1,500. “We represented the entire county and we would run thrilling headlinds like ‘Farmer’s pesticides kill chickens.’”

“What I really wanted was to be a PR specialsit for the networks.”

She later went on to the Big Apple, to intern as a publicist on Good Morning America.

“I was fresh out of Iowa. They saw me coming from a mile away with my double-knit suits and crappy shoes, staring up at all the tall buildings.”

But within a matter of months Cruz managed to ‘scoop’ David Hartman.

Cruz, a staunch Iowa Republican  professionally concealed her disappointment when she was sent to the 1980 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden as a “runner.”

Not one to be sidetracked by ideologically competing assignments, she knew Richard Nixon was in town, and Cruz had a friend who knew which house he occupied on the upper East side.

“We planned it to the Nth degree,” said Cruz, remembering how the two ambitious girls dressed to avoid rousing suspicions within Nixon’s  Secret Service detail.

With no purses or bags, just paper and pen tucked into small, neat pockets they waited for Nixon to emerge for his usual, early morning walk to ease his phlebitis.

“It was pouring down rain and we had no umbrellas. Secret Service had basically dismisssed us when  Mr. Nixon opens the door.”

After a brief discussion with his security team, Cruz and her friend were caught by surprise.

“Mr. Nixon motioned us in, so we   walk into the foyer of his brownstone and start having this completely normal conversation. My friend Tricia was telling him she was named for his daughter, when suddenly Pat Nixon looks down from the railing above. She still had her PJs on,” Cruz said. “He introduced us. He rembered our names! And then he her told her, ‘They’re going to join me on my walk this morning.’”

As so it happened, with the Secret Service following in the rain, Cruz remained at the former president’s side as he granted a TV interview to a fledgling CNN news crew.

“David Hartmans’ jaw dropped to the floor,” Cruz said. “He said it was the one interview he never got in his entire life.”

It wouldn’t be the first time that one of Cruz’ various media and/or political assignments would cross-political party lines. During the 80s, she became “Social Saturday night , party down friends” of the Clintons while running an opposing campaign in Little Rock, Ark. 

“Hillary really liked me,” she said, adding that while friendly, Bill Clinton made her feel a bit uneasy. “He’d  always stare at my chest.”

Then there’s the story of how she once drove George W. Bush to the Dallas Fort-Worth airport in a white, Ford Escort station wagon.

“I was in Iowa working on a campaign. GW’s brother Marvin Bush lived next door to the house I was renting. He came over one day — I  remember it was snowing — and after he introduced himself he said, ‘My father’s running for President of the United States and I need your help.’”

She graciously obliged.

From journlism to politics and back again, during the 90s Cruz  enjoyed working for Walt Disney’s Government Affairs under the direction of her boss Michael Eisner. She coordinated media schedules and press releases, bought expensive gifts and secured perks for heads of state and entertainers who had important business with Mickey’s multi-millionaire managers.

When Eisner lost favor and was dismissed, so was his team. In a Mitty/Gump sort of way, this was the ending that would later lead to the beginning of Wise Connections.
Donning business suit sans Mouse ears, Cruz immediately applied for work at a LA employment agency.

Before she’d had a chance to fill out one full page of the requisite ream of temp agency paperwork, the personnell director snatched her into an inner office.

“Your resume is killer! You’re the perfect person for this really quirky job. It’s a celebrity, but I can’t tell you yet who it is.”

Cruz was provided with a cash stipend for gas before immediately driving three hours south to La Jolla. Unfortunately upon her timely arrival, the still-anonymous celebrity was not available.

“I was fuming,” she said. “But the HR director put me up in a downtown, 5-star hotel and told me that everything was on the house and to be back 10 a.m. next morning.”
When Cruz expressed concern  about interviewing with a celeb   while wearing the only set of clothes she’d brought/worn — the HR director said, “How would he know, he hasn’t seen you!”

Thirty minutes into the interview, Cruz was hired as the Media Director for Anthony Robbins, America's Peak Performance Coach.

“It was just literally love at first sight. We bonded immediately,” she said. “I was hired on the spot. He asked me what I knew about him and I told him, ‘You’re the guy with the helmet hair I see on late night commercials. I usually shut you off.” 

Robbins appreciated the honesty and Cruz’ natural manner with the famous and fortunate clientele he attracts. Cruz later learned she was hired out of 258 highly qualified candidates.

After several years of working with Robbins’ celebrity base and establishing relationships with national television and radio producers for his appearances, Cruz gained the motivational speakers’ enthusiastic support when she took his costly advice and decided to branch out on her own. She had kept files on the many promising contacts that were too small or too specialized for Robbins taste.

“I asked him to sign a letter of reference and he said, ‘I’ll do better than that, I’ll call them all myself.”

Wise Connections was born from Anthony Robbins’ personal phone call assuring Cruz’ original 20 clients that they “Really need to work with this gal. She really knows what she’s doing.”

Proving Robbins right, Cruz now provides a full array of media management services, including expert law enforcement speakers such as  Mark Furhman Steve Thomas and Daniel Petricelli. Also stand-up comedians; award winning Hollywood and Nashville musicians and songwriters; motivational speakers; spiritual leaders; a variety of Hollywood entertainers, authors and uniquely talented experts from various fields.

Still humbly attempting to credit her success to positivity and good luck, Cruz is far too credentialed — and innately astute — for a more modern Forrest Gump comparison.

“When I watch that movie and see how they portray him as always being in the right place at the right time to be part of history, I shrug my shoulders and ask, 'Yeah, what's so unique about that?'”

And yet, the unique sequence of events that have comprised the life of Sherill Wisenand-Cruz could be described like a box of chocolates; one powerful, sweet taste of success often leading unexpectedly to the next satisfying bite of life's assorted treats - and indulgences, or ‘perks.’

Admittedly, one of the sweetest connections Cruz has made during her amazing lifetime was meeting and marrying her husband, Paul Cruz and relocating to Tehachapi. An unexpected perk of their union is that they both have musical backgrounds; Paul’s former career was a popular and accomplished singer and performer in Los Angeles (another story for another Community Close-up!). Coincidentally, Sherill grew up playing piano for her hometown church services every Sunday. As a couple, they now enjoy singing Karaoke and occasionally entertaining at local events. Their next performance is coming up on Dec. 10 when the Rotary Club will host the Annual Senior Dinner at St. Malachy Church.