Every now and then, someone invents something, launches a company, records a song, or creates an idea that seems to propel them overnight to fame and success. It happens — but it is rare.

The vast majority of success stories are built differently. They had to take the stairs and grind it out one step at a time. The reason is simple: with every step forward, you learn something today that you did not know yesterday. Growth, wisdom, experience, and resilience are earned gradually.

Abraham Lincoln lost eight public elections before ultimately winning the presidency.

Colonel Sanders developed his famous recipe in his 50s and faced more than 1,000 rejections before opening the first KFC at age 62.

Truett Cathy opened the first Dwarf House at 25 but did not launch the first Chick-fil-A until he was 46.

Ronald Reagan lost two presidential nomination bids before eventually becoming president at nearly 70 years old.

James Patterson had his first book rejected 31 times before a publisher finally took a chance on an unknown writer. Today, he has published more than 200 books and sold over 425 million copies worldwide.

John Grisham faced rejection from 28 publishers before a small publishing house decided to take a chance on him.

Norman Vincent Peale was 95 years old when he wrote his final book and continued speaking vigorously well into his 90s.

And lest we forget, Warren Buffett was 32 when he started Berkshire Hathaway and only recently retired at 95.

The list could go on and on, but my fingers are getting tired. Ha.

The point is this: many people today want to take the elevator to where they believe they should be. In reality, however, the stairs are usually the only way to get there. KT

Gerard Way said, “one day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”

When the good lord calls me home and my life flashes before my eyes, I want the movie to be a joy to watch. It will probably be the last earthly event I do, and man I hope it is good. Will your movie be one of joy or regret? Will there be things left undone and forgiveness you didn’t give, or forgiveness you didn’t ask for?

Here is the great great news – If you are reading this blog, you still have time. It may be years, months, or only a few hours but you do have time. I had a friend of mine pass away recently and he had things to do, people to call, dreams to live for, goals to achieve and children’s weddings to attend and grandchildren to hold but he didn’t get the chance. God doesn’t (it’s a good thing) give us a date and time when we are to be called home. If he did, we wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.

2nd Corinthians 5:8 refers to leaving this body and being instantly in the presence of God. It’s in the twinkling of an eye. I don’t know how fast that is, but it sounds quick. The point is, we need do all we can while we are alive to make sure when our movie plays, and it will play, we have a smile on our face because we know we did life right. KT

I have spent my career brokering hotel transactions, and over the years I have had the privilege of working with a number of historic properties—each with its own story, character, and legacy. Few, however, rival the intrigue and depth of the story surrounding Indian Springs.

What is known today as Indian Springs State Park was once among the most celebrated resort destinations in the Southeastern United States. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s—particularly from the 1890s through the early 1920s—Indian Springs was not the quiet, family-oriented park we see today, but rather a vibrant, sophisticated retreat that attracted affluent travelers from across the East Coast.

At its peak, Indian Springs was home to approximately ten hotels, each contributing to the area’s reputation as a premier resort enclave. Among them, the Wigwam Hotel stood as a defining landmark—an opulent property and, at the time, one of the largest wood-frame structures in the state of Georgia. Other notable establishments included the Foy Hotel, Bryan’s House, Varner House, the Elder Hotel, and the Calumet Hotel. Collectively, these properties created an atmosphere comparable to the grand resort destinations of the era—places where elegance, leisure, and social prominence converged.

Accessibility played a key role in Indian Springs’ success. The north–south rail line made a dedicated stop in nearby Flovilla, placing the resort within easy walking distance for travelers arriving from major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Weekend excursions became commonplace, with well-heeled guests arriving to partake in the mineral springs, social gatherings, and refined hospitality offerings.

Yet, like many storied destinations of its time, Indian Springs possessed a dual identity. Beneath its polished exterior existed a more clandestine layer—one that included gaming, alcohol, and other indulgences that, while unofficial, were widely understood to be part of the experience. In many respects, Indian Springs functioned as an early precursor to the modern resort-casino concept, offering visitors both luxury and vice in equal measure. Its reputation as a destination where “anything could be found” only added to its allure.

This golden era came to an abrupt end with the onset of Prohibition in the United States. As alcohol was outlawed, the very elements that had drawn visitors began to disappear. Without the social freedoms that had defined the resort’s appeal, visitation declined rapidly. In a series of events that remains the subject of speculation, nearly all of the hotels—save for the original Indian Springs Hotel, which still stands today—were lost to fires in the early 1920s, often attributed to insurance motivations.

Today, Indian Springs presents itself as a tranquil and scenic state park. Yet, for those who look closely—and allow their imagination to wander—it is still possible to sense the echoes of its former grandeur. The landscape once hosted one of the South’s most dynamic and luxurious resort destinations, a place where refinement and revelry coexisted, and where the foundations of modern hospitality were, in many ways, quietly taking shape.

I have held many titles over my career and personal life, but the title I cherish the most is the title, Daddy. There is something about that word spoken from the lips of your children that moves your heart. Hearing that word lets you know that all the worry and sleepless nights were worth it.

When I think of being a daddy, I think of the most precious moments of my life I have shared with my wife and my children. I believe when you get to the one-yard line of life and the memories of your life flood your mind; it will be memories of your family that will be on your mind when you draw the last breath.

The moments I have spent as a daddy when the cell phone was off, and the computer was closed and it was just me and my girls will always be moments I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The thing that most of those moments have in common is they didn’t cost a dime. It was Christmas mornings, prayers at night, wrestling in the floor, holding hands as we crossed the street, a hello kiss and hug when I got home, watching them be baptized, setting together in church, vacations, wiping their tears when the guy didn’t turn out to the one, and many other life moments.

Once the girls were older, it was having them ask me for my advice, watching them drive out of the driveway for the first time, giving the young man the “look” before he left with my baby on a date, graduations, weddings, grandchildren etc. These are the moments of life that I will cherish until the end of my life.

I was in the room when both of my daughters were born, and both times I cried like a baby. I held that sweet little bundle that was a gift from God and could only whisper a prayer of thanks to God. As a daddy, you instantly know that little baby is someone you would give your life for if needed. If you were like me, you also understood the term “unconditional love” for the very first time.

What are the moments that will flood your thoughts when you step from the here and now into the beyond? KT

When making a business presentation, lesson 101 is always remember that the client hires who they like and trust and not the one with the best power point presentation. I remember a few years I was meeting with Goldman Sachs, and we had this mac-daddy presentation ready for the meeting.

After everyone said their hellos and who knows who etc. it was time for the presentation. I was the lead on our side, so we plugged in the power point presentation, and I was getting ready for the full 30-minute PPP deck. I got to the first slide (I am not kidding) and the main GS guy in the room looks at me and said, “we can go through the presentation or we can just jump to us hiring you on several hotels.” I hit the off key on the power point and said let’s go to the hiring part. Ha. We had spent a week on that presentation and didn’t even use it. My point is to always take the lead form the client.

Many clients just want to get to know you. Every company has handouts (that no one reads) and presentations (that people yawn through) so if you have the opportunity to skip ahead, always take that option.

That was a successful example, now let me tell you a failure example. We were meeting with this important client and there were four of the client team in the room and the head of the group was on a speaker phone in the middle of the table. Once again, I was leading for our side, and I focused on the speaker phone guy instead of the folks in the room. We didn’t get hired because no one in the room liked us because we forgot to build a rapport with the actual people in the room. Needless to say, I never made that mistake again because it was a painful lesson.

I don’t care if you are talking about business or meeting a friend for lunch. Make the person/people you are with think they are the only ones in the room and give them your full attention. If you do this in business, relationships and even church, you will win more people and influence more people than all the handout presentations in the world. KT