That’s what we tell ourselves when we are temped, just a little bit won’t hurt. Examples of temptations range from fear to gambling and everything in between. We all know what they are and the ones that are most tempting to us. The other day I was in the grocery store going down the chips isle and I paused in front of the Fritos section. They had a regular size bag and then they had the family size. I played out in my mind what would happen if I bought that family sized bag. I knew I would eat half that bag when I got home. So, for me and Fritos, just a little bit doesn’t work.

Taking the the Fritos example a little further, a little bit leads to a little more and then a little more and before you know it, the whole bag is gone. Obviously, I am using the Fritos as a metaphor for many other harmful temptations we all know. I have found, while it is hard to do, saying no at the beginning is a lot easier than saying no after you give in.

Satchel Paige was one of the greatest baseball payers of all time and he was asked one day about his exercise regimen. He replied, “when I feel like exercising, I just lay down until the feeling leaves me.” Ha. Taking his advice, when we are tempted to give in just a little bit, step away until the feeling leaves you. KT

It is funny how something imagined, can make someone happy.

Funny story-

Years ago, I had a restaurant in Columbus, Georgia. We served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our clientele was across all ages and as you can imagine, it is tough keeping everyone happy. Our dining room in the restaurant was big and could often get cooler or warmer depending on the time of day and the crowd.

During breakfast and lunch, I would get 10-15 people that said the dining room was too cold or too hot. For several years, I would change the thermostat as each request was made and that would only cause more requests.

One day, I mounted a thermostat on the wall in the dining room and decided I would ask the guest that complained to change the thermostat to where they wanted it. The people could not have been happier because they got to set the temperature where they wanted it, and it also gave the guest a level of control that made them feel good.

I never told anyone that the thermostat wasn’t connected to anything. Ha.

Let me tell you though, I had some happy customers. KT

If I have learned anything in commercial real estate it is this, no one is going to save you a seat at top. You will need to muscle your way in and will probably get a bloody nose in the process. No one just shows up and gets a seat at the table. Isn’t it really that way in most areas of life?

I think sometimes about other areas of our life such as education, financial, health, socially, parenting, relationships and the list could go on for pages. I don’t know of one area that is easy except for physical looks. There are just some people that are naturally pretty or good looking and have that part easy. Clearly, I was in the wrong line when they were passing out looks. Ha. But other than that, life is a struggle, and you will have to work for it and maybe even use your elbows to make room.

Here is a little tidbit for you. 80% of all real estate agents quit within five years. Of that percentage, 80% quit within the first year. Similarly, 60% of all restaurants fail in their first year and 80% fail within five years. Last tidbit – All sales companies combined, 20% of salespeople sell 80% of everything sold. Do you see a pattern?

If you summed all this up, the greatest ability you could have is availability, and in business, the greatest attribute you could have is integrity. Also, maybe some good elbows pads.  Even the best educated, best looking, best dressed, best pedigree, and best everything still must climb the mountain right along side the rest of us. KT

In 1965, the Chevy Impala was causing Ford a lot of heartache. The Impala was the number #1 best-selling vehicle of all time in 1965 and Chevrolet outsold Ford, again.

I have tried to confirm this took place, but so far haven’t been able to. The story is that in the spring of 1965, Henry Ford II got all his executive team (floors of people) together and they walked down to the assembly line where all the cars and trucks were being built. He told the foreman to do something that rarely ever happened. He told him to shut down the line and get all the employees together so he could talk to them. Everyone, especially the executives thought they were about to lose their jobs.

He told them, “My grand-daddy started this company 65 years ago and never imagined we would take it up the tailpipe (ha) by a Chevy Impala. I want each of you to walk home tonight and while you are walking, I want you to think about how we can make our cars and trucks better. The man who comes to my office with an idea, that man gets to keep his job, The rest of you second-best losers -stay home. You don’t belong at Ford.” He turned around and walked away leaving them all in stunned silence.

Obviously, they all kept their jobs the next day, but he went on notice that what he valued most, were people that thought about ideas to make the company better. I feel certain that every suit (executive) went home that night and wrote up some ideas to show the boss the next day. Ha. Ford obviously turned it around and today is one of the most financially sound vehicle manufacturing companies in the world.

Today you can’t just clean house like in 1965 but the concept of new and fresh ideas is what makes people valuable to a company. It doesn’t matter what your job role is, every company wants people that think about ideas of how to improve what they are doing. KT

Somewhere along the line, some business school decided it would be a good idea to teach its classes that it was standard procedure to not call someone back. They reasoned, that if you don’t call someone back, the other party would understand the message. I did not attend this class and have always believed it was proper business to return every phone call.

I had this client years ago who was very wealthy (probably with a B) in Fredericksburg VA. He was arguably one of the wealthiest people in Virginia and he had always adhered to the practice of calling every person back before he left for the day. People loved him even if the message wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

I remember when I started out in hotel brokerage. The first several days I stayed in the office thinking that was what I was supposed to do. About day four, I said enough of this, and got in my car and went to 137 hotels down I-75 and found some people to talk to. I will never forget Bob who owned a little hotel in McDonough. He talked to me even though he knew I didn’t have any idea what I was doing. To this day, Bob will always return my call and we have been friends for many years. When someone calls me now, even though I can’t help them, I always call them back because I remember what it meant to me all those years ago.

In much of society today we seem to have forgotten our manners. I still have the wound marks on my arms and legs where my mother would pinch me when I didn’t display the proper manners in public or at church,,,, especially at church. ha

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln responded to every letter he received while being President? Yes, every single one. Could you imagine that level of etiquette today? Well, we can still do it if we really want to reap what we sow. If you sow good manners, you will reap good manners from others. Much of life I have learned, is doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. KT