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ARE WE STILL WEARING JEANS?

Times have changed. I remember buying my first business suit. I also remember wearing it to work one day. And eventually, I started to wear my business suits every day. I went through a growth process. I grew as a person as well as an entrepreneur. I saw it as going the extra mile. I was part of a business that was struggling. There was a veil of deception put in front of the public. On the inside the company was in shambles.?

I added technology to my arsenal. I had the power of business books online; digitally. I had the ability to use all new business strategies, when facing any day to day challenge. I was able to do so much, to turn the company around. With time, my clientele became more upscale. I raised my pricing, and I expanded into other businesses; eventually. When I introduced myself to all new ventures; I arrived at higher standards.?

I started a company as a solution to my current situation. I had a website that would funnel leads; directly to me. These leads, I would follow up on; directly, myself. I would start with an email that included a full business plan. I would then call and make all initial contact. From there I’d set up a business meeting, where a full proposal would now include all new elements. At that point, it was easy to close on a contract. Three main elements, following my three main approaches.?

I studied the markets of that particular business. From there, I implemented all of my insights; to turn the business around. No matter what the market was, its demographics or its circumstances; I made each business profitable. I took a percentage of the business during the growth process. About 35%. And once my goals were all achieved, I would cash out and move on to the next business. It was extremely sustainable. I made a great income. The headaches also increased.?

With time, I found similar patterns. My business partners would call me during dire times. And I would rebuild the business, and go about my development of other companies. Then, it would all fall apart, and they would seek me out; again. After two or three times, I would start to limit my availability towards these places. I soon realized that the main limitation to the growth came from within. It was either from management, or ownership. Many times, it was from both.?

I could not consider the long term responsibility of opening my own place. A five year lease, or ten; fifteen or more was just not what I wanted for myself. I had other investments, such as real estate and music to handle as well. That placed me in a position of privilege and power. Many of those business partners, viewed my dreams, as a threat to theirs. They eventually started to try and compete with me. Some even tried to clone my business models, and strategies.?

What I shared with them, was my actual franchise. I fully understand the concept ot time. I knew that in the future, I would make the full investment into my brand. At that time, it just was not my focus. In the process I perfected all that I desired to do. I have over 500 of these businesses; under my belt. That full knowledge and understanding, stays with me forever.?

I could no longer go to work, in jeans. I had grown into a different person. My view of the landscape had changed. I knew firsthand the actual terrain of not multiple markets in my city. I knew them all, first hand. I had worked in every single market. I made every single business in each sector successful, and I made myself a nice fortune; in the process.?

Many tried, and even more failed to grasp the concepts; that I openly shared with them. They felt that once they had the formula, they automatically had the discipline and experience to execute on it. What they were always missing was me; and my loving heart. There are millions of ways to make an oatmeal cookie, although the ingredients are the same. There was a clear reason why my formula worked. It was me.?

I only highlighted first hand, and by example; where and how, they were failing. A business will not be successful because it is opened on Broadway, USA. Furniture will not comfort your guest, or make you new clients, if your customer service skills are bad. It does not matter how good the food is, if the overall experience is limited.?

I realized that I was not just there to make a sale, or close on a client. I was there to build a brand and a culture. I was set to build a loyal following, not just for the long term but, for life. I understood the changes in the industry. I saw many shifts, coming. I knew that customer needs, and client demands were changing. Whomever was not willing to grow and adapt, would fail certainly.?

I saw many come, and so many more fall. There I stood with all of this potential knowledge of both sides of the sword. These things could happen to anyone, in any business. This is not an exclusive club of failure. This is not prejudice, to any one industry or trade. As the world matured, the standards also raised; naturally. The consumer has many available options. People will give you a calculated amount of times, to get things right. Eventually, if their needs are not met; they will find another business that would.?

I saw clients going from place to place, and from market to market. It was so obvious that they used my excellence to measure business performance. If a client saw me in a business, they knew that it would be a top notch, world class experience. They would frequent those businesses; until I left. The needs of that market are that strong, until this day. That market remains agold mine. Because that town, and those villages within it, are more famously known for different forms of entertainment; that particular industry is overlooked. Without me investing all of those years, learning from that market, and its unique qualities and features; I would have been blind to that side of business. Sometimes, we as entrepreneurs, have to just jump in the water in order to learn how to swim.?

I developed 36 businesses for one family. An older couple. They built a multi million dollar franchise. They were ruthless, and abused their staff. They also practiced harmful tactics, to their competitors; driving them to the point of bankruptcy. I was the right hand man to the founder of the company. Eventually, this person would also betray me. With time, I found myself working with his best friend. This second person betrayed me, even worse. These were all major lessons not only in business but in my personal life in general. It made me a warrior.?

I took everything that I learned, and I started that company. During my first partnerships, a third business partner did something so wicked, I had to save a special place in my experiences for it. I built an all new business from scratch. I saved a completely dying company, and fully revitalized it. I put in months, and months of all of the hard work; marketing and promoting the business. My two previous business partners worked together in the background to destroy my new found company. They plotted with business partner number three.?

At the time I had no idea how far they would go; just to keep me out of the business. When it came down to the grand opening of my new business with my new business partners; they turned the business over to a family member and a close friend of the family.?

I was out.?

I was heartbroken. I was completely betrayed. I failed to place any of these parties under a fully defined, clearly written; business plan. That investment was $55,000.00 down the drain. But, it was a lesson worth $4.5 million dollars. I had already negotiated a cheese burger franchise, right next door. I had just told all of my family and friends. In fact, as a token of my appreciation, I wanted to honor my current business partner with 20% of the business, at no cost.?

Little did I know how everything would turn out. People in the business before me, where all in on the play. I thought I had hit a homerun. Once I left home plate, my own team mates ensured that I would not make it to first base. They are, and forever will be in a league of their own.?

Time was on my side. And God has a beautiful way to balance things out. Business partner number one went bankrupt and lost everything, including his marriage. The young lady had been financing the entire operation, and his reign of power. He had an affair and got caught. She pulled the plug on the entire operation, and he lost everything. All of the people he placed in front of me; all betrayed him and became lifetime enemies. Their sole purpose was to destroy his brand; and any attempts he could ever make, to rise again. Today he is a myth, and only a shadow of what he once used to be. When you speak to him today, all he can talk about is how great he was; yesterday.?

Business partner number two, expanded and opened a restaurant. It went out of business in less than six months. The economy took a downturn, and his competition has much deeper roots in that industry. They beat him on every aspect, from pricing to the actual food, delivery times and digital marketing and promotion. They capitalized on his reputation for abusing his staff, and started to offer his employees more money and more benefits. It's hard to deliver pizza with no drivers. The financial stress also destroyed his marriage. She also had been the main investor in the brand. She moved out of state, and started all new businesses; and moved on with her romantic life. Today he still holds on to the initial business he had, except now it functions only as a full time job, to pay back all of his debts from his own personal financial market crash. Karma.?

Business partner number three also went bankrupt; holding on to the business. They had a legal lead, when I was pushed out of the company. But, soon the public noticed that there was nothing there in place to compete for their business. Their aim was, that if any business was there as a staple, for so many years; it would just work for them. Times had changed. People just moved on. The fact that they bragged about snaking me, did not help. It was all a plot from those two jaded gentlemen to aid her into betraying me, but only while it assisted them; into putting her out of business.?

And that, they did. That business has been through five owners. None of them have been able to turn the business around. That place is more a tax write off, for multi millionaires. A profitable business it has not been for over 15 years.?

What have I learned from all of this??

Be very careful of how you treat people.?

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.?

-Gump.?

When you have a good person around you. When God brings an excellent person around you; cherish them, and treat them the best that you can, so that they never leave you. When they leave, it is too late. Do not value a person when they are gone. Do all that you can so that never happens. Those dream builders will help you build your dreams. They do not care about the status. All they want to do is contribute to a noble cause; they themselves can call their own. One of my mentors used to say this to me. Everyone does not want a BMW. I say this to you over and over again. I did not understand this, until I stopped wearing jeans and shorts to work.?

I did it all. I wore jerseys. I wore basketball shoes. I wore open toe sandals to work. I still wear sports shoes, but they complement my business suits. That is the entire point here. In order for my business to grow, I had to grow first. In order to take my company to the next level; I had to go there first. I had to educate myself and expand my reasoning. My way of thinking was obsolete.?

I earned each one of these lessons, on my own and in the hardest way. When business partner number two fired me; he waited for the week that I normally would pay all of my bills. Do you know the domino effect that had on my finances? With a mortgage to pay here in America and one overseas for my mothers house. A brand new Mercedes Benz S class, a BMW for my wife and a Maserati coupe for myself. Plus, I had several race cars that I worked on; daily. I was in the process of selling the house, and I had been doing some remodeling to present it to potential buyers; in a more appealing way.?

Because times had changed, I pulled the pool out, and moved onto all desert landscaping to save on water. That week, it was Terminator 2: Judgement Day, for me. It set me back 2 to 4 years financially; from my basic estimates. That was orchestrated on purpose. That was not by mistake, or coincidence. That was planned, and executed marvelously. It was not designed to hurt me financially; but it did. It was designed to hurt me, in my heart. It was designed to harm me mentally, emotionally, psychologically and morally. The financial part, I could deal with in time. The fact that I gave my best to these people, as if they were my family; hurt more. But, I learned the hard way, that in real life there are culture vultures; just like that.?

They were not afraid of me. All of them were much older. Like Bernand Hopkins, they know all of the dirty secrets and arts of boxing. They can sneak in a headbutt, an elbow or a knee to the trunks. They know how to hit your shins; lightly like in Muay Thai. That can open up your eyebrow, easily. Once you bleed internally, you are blind from that one eye. By the time it bursts, physically; that is all Hollywood, for he reffs to stop the fight. The damage is already done at that point.?

I learned. I took those battle scars with pride. They teach me every day.?

I will be forever grateful for those battle wounds. It made me a man. I lasted over two years with no plumbing in that house, I was trying to sell. I lasted over three years without a properly working air conditioning system. I could simply not afford it. When I sold the house; I lost over $80,000.00.?

The force is strong with you young Skywalker. But, you are not a Jedi; yet.?

-Darth Vader

It is therapeutic to share this with you. The books that I used online, in order to build my business development firm; I still use till this day. I grew hemorrhoids smoking cigarettes, sitting on a rock; in front of one of those businesses. Trying to figure out how to rebuild that place. It nearly cost me my life; literally. Moments like this build character. For every successful business I own today; I had 44 failures. I am extremely proud to share that with you all today.?

What can you learn, and implement in your business, based on these experiences? How can you improve, in yourself, to use this as a catalyst, to get you to the next milestone?

The best investment I could ever have made is in myself. My education has made the entire difference. I would start my university classes online, during down times; when building these franchises. I knew that all of my investments were partial, and only temporary. But, the knowledge that I obtained, through my advanced education, would last; forever. I make this sound easy today. But I remember every single book, and every single mentor that got me here. In my business suit.?

I also make

?this success; look good.?

May the force be with you.?