All posts by Keith Thompson

One of the most respected men I know

Career

I have a friend in our business that I respect greatly. If I had to choose three people I have the highest regard for, he would be one of the three.

He had a large business back in the 90’s and owned a lot of hotels with a very small group of investors. Through a disposition move, he lost all his holdings. While other people when faced with this same set of circumstances, would fade away and not get back in the business. My friend started over from the basics and build a new company that today is larger than the company he lost 20 years ago. He has done it honestly, straight forward and with incredible integrity. Today, he is one of the finest men I know and I could not be more proud for him of the success he has obtained.

When you look back through time, very seldom do you see people having success after success with no failures involved. You may see this more today in the tech world where it seems that they invent some technology that just blows up overnight to be a success. It is important to remember that even Steve Jobs got fired once from his own company before being rehired and turning the company around.

Like with my friend, success usually come to the one who is persistent and patient who does business honestly and transparent. At the end of every success book ever written is the part where people do business with who they trust and like. It is as fundamental in business as anything I know. KT

Looking through the fog

Career, Life

Business and life are full of success and failure. I don’t know of a person that only knows success without also knowing failure. Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Milton Hershey, H.J. Heinz and Abraham Lincoln all had one thing in common. They all filed bankruptcy before going on to great success.

I heard a quote the other day that I wrote down. The quote was “failure is the fog from which we all glimpse triumph.” I have thought about that quote for several weeks and think there might be some truth to it. See, if you only have success you will not be forced to improve, change or better yourself. It is usually a failure (hopefully a small one) that forces us to look deeply at what we are doing and how we are doing it. It also forces us to ask, how can I improve on what I do?

I like the word fog in the quote because when you get turned down for job, lose an account, don’t get selected for a promotion, etc. you find yourself in a little haze (fog) that you must focus to see your way through. Yesterday, we lost a little piece of business that I thought we had a good shot of getting and I had to stop and remind myself that no one wins every time. I also had to remind myself that sometimes not getting what you thought you wanted, can many times be a good thing. Today, I have some clients that are enjoyable to work with and then I have other clients that just are too demanding to really enjoy.

This morning and got up and started thinking about the little deal we lost out on yesterday and I stopped and said to myself, wait a second, look at how blessed me and my family are! After that I was ready for the next opportunity instead of dwelling on the one I lost. As with every fog, it is usually short on duration and then the light comes through and you see a whole new day stretched out before you. Life is a gift so don’t waste one day rehashing old disappointments. Cowboy up and get back on your horse. KT

Doing the best you can

Career

Last week we won a piece of business that was important to our company. I have been selling hotels for many years and been involved in many presentations and sales pitches. Some we win and some we don’t. That is just business. The thing I have found out though about myself, is that the most important aspect for me, is if we did our best. I find that if we do our best and still lose the account, it is ok. If we lose the business and didn’t do our best in the process, that is when I get very critical of myself for not trying as hard as I can.

Recently we were not chosen on two smaller engagements that would have been good to have but not that important to the overall business plan. In both cases I did not go personally to meet with the sellers. The books we put together were great, the research was sound and the delivery was solid but, I failed at the most important aspect. The personal connection. I find that people hire who they like and trust and it is impossible to gauge either of those aspects through a phone call, email or an on-line presentation.

So, when the opportunity came around for the business we won last week, I decided that we would go all out and even above what the client had ask for. We prepared data and presentations that were unlike anything we had ever done before. The result was, through this level of detail, we were prepared better than our competition when we did the presentation face to face. There was not a question the client ask that we did not have an answer for. We literally did all the work as though we had already been hired. The preparedness was recognized by the clients and we got the call telling us we won the business.

I guess the point is that it doesn’t matter how long you have been doing your job or how accomplished you might be. There are still basic things you must do if your goal is to do the best you can.  Not be the best because no one can control that, but do the best you can because that is entirely in your control. When we left the meeting, we felt good about how things had gone but what I was most proud of, is that I knew in my heart we had done the best we could. That is really all anyone can strive for. I knew that even if we did not get the account, it would still be ok because we learned a lot in the process and pushed ourselves to be better than we were the week before. KT

Knowing what you need to do

Career, Life

Years ago (1990) before I started selling hotels, I had invested in some restaurants and was slowly but surely going broke. I remember the period so vividly that it brings me to tears when I go back and look at journals I wrote or items from that period. People will tell you that time helps to ease certain memories but at least for me, I remember that period in our lives with such clarity, it forced me to find God’s new plan for my family.

I was basically trying to change anything I could and market anyway possible. As I look back on it, it was going to fail and nothing I could do would stop the slide. I was working (seemed like) 100 hours a week and was more broke at the end of the week than at the start.

I remember stopping one day and prayed the prayer, “lord, I don’t know what to do and how to fix it but I commit my life to giving you all the praise if you show me the way.” I realized that God is not usually found in a flurry of actions, rather, he is found in the still, small voice if I would just stop and listen.

I can tell you will all honesty in my heart that one day I was coming back from Columbus GA where we owned the restaurants and for some reason I got off the interstate and started winding my way through of all places, Riverdale GA. I remember turning on a street and seeing a sign for real estate school and with no previous thought, decided to pull in and go see how much it costs. Something deep in my spirit gave me the calm assurance that I was there for a purpose and a reason and that it was not a mistake. I can’t explain it, but I remember signing up for the class that would ultimately change the course of my family’s financial life.

I got my license and showed up on Bill Hodges’ front door who was a friend as well as he sold hotels. I ask if he could teach me to how sell restaurants (because that is all I knew) and I remember Bill saying he didn’t know how to sell restaurants but he could show me how to sell hotels. I said ok. The rest of the story would take ten pages to write but that would not be the point of this blog.

The point is that when you find yourself at the end of your abilities and having tried all you know how to do and willing to place your future in his care, I find that God will show up and lead you where you need to be. I can say with all certainly that without the restaurant failures, I would not be in the business I am in today. Did God lead me into the restaurant business to fail? The answer is no, he didn’t. It is more like he picked up the pieces and led me out of the forest.

Before buying the restaurants, I remember hesitation in my heart that I just assumed was cold feet and therefore I ignored it. The result was that I failed my family and almost lost everything. I can also say with crystal clear clarity that it was God that led me out of that situation and into a better way. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like I just walked away free. It took me eight more years to get completely out of debt from the restaurants. Therefore, there are some decisions in life you must sweat through it, but it is the knowing, that you are in the right place at the right time that gives you the hope and vision you need to get through it. KT

Retirement

Life

This past weekend we had a family event with Elaine’s cousins at our lake house. Many of the people who attended are a little older than us and most are retired. I was having the retirement conversation with Michael who is one of the greatest guys in the world and who has been retired for some time. I expressed that retirement scares me and he and I discussed what it was like for him.

It does. It scares me to think I will not be doing what I love to do, which is selling hotels. This morning I woke up a little earlier than normal and started thinking about all the things I had to get done this week and the meetings I am going to in other states. Then like a hammer, I remembered the conversation with Michael yesterday about retirement and how he missed the work and the people he worked around and how it was a major adjustment for him.

On the way to the office today, I paused to be thankful for work and the ability to be involved. Thankful to be around other people doing the same thing and what a gift it is to be able to participate. I was thankful for deadlines, spreadsheets, clients and conference calls and all that goes with the business. I also realized that last week I was just doing what I do because it is what we do every week. Today was different because I have an appreciation that I didn’t have last week.

From time to time God puts people in our paths to give us that needed attitude adjustment and many times it helps us be thankful for what we already have. Being thankful and full of hope for the future are perhaps two of the most silent gifts God gives us that enables us to face the future with expectation. KT