Some weeks ago I was talking about how I have always been patient when working a deal. Patience, as the old and famous cliché by now says, is a virtue.  No joke, it is!  I was talking about that and the way that I usually approach any new situation is to be diligent in my research, aggressive on the imagination and patient on the negotiation.  It has worked for me for years.  The only thing that sometime makes a difference is: how much do you need a deal to go through?

This is exactly where most of us mess up and appear over-anxious, under-prepared or, why not, we just need to get a break.  Well, the reasoning is that a deal is a deal, no matter what you think of it, no matter how much you push it, the deal is the same deal.  You can try to change it, but the essence of it being good or bad is what you make of it and the terms of engagement should be delimited at the start.  Sometimes, by hurrying things up, we only lose our ground at the big-boys table.  Sometimes the best thing is to wait until all stars align and you consider everything correct.  Sometimes…..

Other times you have to grab opportunities and run with them.  Weren’t we talking about patience?  Well, let me put it to you this way.  You are trying to catch a fish on the river, it usually takes 20 minutes for them to start biting, you know this by experience.  The weather is perfect, you are enjoying the day out or it might be scorching and you want to get out there, well, in any case, you are going to have to wait the 20 usual minutes.  That is the patience we are discussing.  If a usual fishing expedition takes this long, well, so be it.  Enjoy the day or cover your head, either way, you are waiting 20 minutes.  Deals are like that as well.

But what happens if, as you are waiting for 10 minutes, an eagle soars up from the lake with a big fish and loses its grip and guess what, it lands right on the boat.  The drop numbs him.  What do you do?  Do you call the eagle on its cell phone and tell him you have something that is his? (male eagle), do you throw the fish back in the water and say a prayer for him? do you save him on the cooler and go home?  do you save him on the cooler and wait your other 10 minutes to get your usual fish?

Well, not to break any rules of fishing etiquette, and assuming you can keep the fish that fell from the eagle’s grasp without a lawsuit of some kind by an idiot, I would say that the opportunity landed on you and you must take advantage of it while you take care of your usual business. You must be decisive and make sure not to lose focus of you current task.  You fishing technique always yields as patience pays off.  The opportunity that dropped by (pun intended) is an extra good thing that you will immediately take advantage of and also take care in the immediate future.

This week, the eagle dropped something and we are keeping it. We will keep at our current pace and enjoy this opportunity.  We should be thankful for our work that we were in the right boat, on the right lake and that the arthritic eagle was passing by.

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…

For those that know me in business, this is one of my favorite sayings.  It reflects the fact that 1) I accept reality, 2) Reality does not bother me, 3) If it bothers me, there is no point in it.

I have learned, as many of us have, that life isn’t really about what you want. It really pays no attention to your wants or needs, it’s a bitch and then you die.  Well, before you get all negative on me and think I am turning evil here, I mention this because unless there is an unforeseen event in your life (like a tragedy), your life is mostly what you make of it with your everyday actions, thoughts and feelings. You decide the path you will follow and you paint the line on the road ever so broadly with the way you conduct yourself as a human being.

I hope that I conduct myself in an honorable manner always, and if I don’t I hope that I reason it out, before life makes me real aware of it.  Be careful when you read this, do not think that I am saying that tragedies are brought on by your actions.  What I am saying is that, other than unfortunate events, our current state of being is the result of all of our own willful actions, so there you go, it is what it is.  No way around that.

I will enjoy my philosophy time this week and will entertain myself with some work over the weekend, being that business calls for it.  Yes, I remember I said I wanted to rest 3 days a week. Well, that is not part of my reality YET.  I did not want to work weekends, that is not possible YET.  And when it is time and it is possible, it will be the result of the decisions made today and yesterday and so on.  So life is to be enjoyed and then you live!

Stay Calm and Keep Humble….

Every project needs to be evaluated at certain points in its life. The best way, according to theories, is to set a date of evaluation of project at the onset. The date we set in our minds was March 31st. Well, wouldn’t you know that date has come and passed and well, we have to decide if we follow on or stop right here.

Not to be dramatic, let’s evaluate quickly on a couple of fronts:

• Revenues: not where expected, probably miscalculated from the beginning, Should have been more realistic and careful about how we would project these out. Although we have been doing very well in our consulting projects, we have not been doing as well in our brokerage business. Our projects have taken more than expected to get off the ground and that puts pressure on cash flow.
• Expenses: again not where expected. Although they remain particularly low and honestly, we are a responsible team, they add up every month. Our expenses base is probably at 20% more than our revenues in cash terms. That means losses accumulate each month.
• Outlook: sunny with a slight chance for showers. Things are marching along. As mentioned before, a little later than expected but actually a little better than originally planned. I have not doubt of my capabilities as an entrepreneur and I say this humbly, but I made a great and my best decision when my partners came in looking for a job and I took a chance on them, without any revenues, 4-5 months ago.

Decision: well a couple of weeks ago I said I was doubling down like the gambler, and believe me that I am. I will re-evaluate the project in 60 days and see where the roads take us. I am not afraid of failure, just like I am not bothered by success. They are only emotions in different directions. It only means that the planning was good, the stars aligned, that was God’s plan and the circumstances were in our favor. It is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Only a positive result in the financial evaluation of a project. The real victory is walking away from a place where I was not happy anymore. A place where I did not feel it was good to be because we were going in different directions. A place that gave me a lot and that I poured my heart and soul into. That is the real triumph, to walk away from obscene amounts of money and be smiling because you are proud of your actions.

I see my kids EVERY morning that I am home and have breakfast with the little ones, and say goodbye to the older ones when they leave for school. I see my wife, EVERY day when I am home and enjoy the time spent with her at home and at work. I am happy and that is not a tragedy. That is the real measure of success of the project. The financial stuff is only a small piece of reality and a way to make a living, nothing more.

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…

I have been away with my family for the last 2 weeks and have enjoyed my time with them. Last week, I did not post because I did not want to take time away from their Spring Break.  This week is Easter. The conversation at the dinner table these 2 weeks has been Education.  My older kids are starting to worry about college and my little ones are hyper-competitive with grades.

One thing I can tell you is that I realize that your family time is important at any age because it shapes their thinking and expectations.  In the case of my kids, we have made a point of always directing them to what we think is important.  Education is a big thing for, not so much for a professional future, but in order to appreciate the other things in life that sometimes we do not see if we do not know any background on it.  I will give you an example:  A few days ago we were discussing the origin of the word decimate.  If you look in a dictionary, the word gives you something like to kill or destroy.  I was telling my children that the word has an origin in the Roman legions.  When the troops would rebel, they had to make an example out of them, and since the penalty was execution, they could not be left without soldiers.  So they would go and pick one out of ten and take their life.  Hence the word decimate.

You would think this is not the typical table discussion, but when you speak to your kids about history and reality, you have to be truthful and open with them, and obviously speak with candor and respect to their age.  Well, business is the same way.  We have to be truthful and open when we talk to each other.  Very much like a family.  My partners and I are honest with each other and it saves a lot of hassles.  I would wish that more individuals acted on principles instead of strategies.

Today’s discussion was about the future of my kids and their college interviews. They seem worried and excited, and I must admit, they do not realize, I am more excited than both of them combined. I love them and hope they truly enjoy the college experience.  I know I did! Probably a little too much…

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…

If there is one thing that one of my old bosses hated, was the lack of detail when it comes to negotiating a deal. I don’t mean the type of cross your t’s and dot your I’s. More like the kind of, check to make sure the 22 cents remaining are mine and nobody else’s. I always thought it was a mix of control and greed, but as I delve more into my own deals, I am kind of beginning to understand him.

If there is one thing I have learned this last few months is that patience and flexibility are a virtue. Not everybody can be patient and not everybody can be flexible. When you have an instinct for ambition, you will take every opportunity to negotiate to your advantage. Whether you are negotiating with your business partner or your kid, this is the way you do it. But there is always the motivation at the end: how much do you want for yourself, and how much does the other person want.

I am extremely good at judging this, but I have changed thankfully in so many ways, that I am always willing to see what is fair for me and for the other party. Once I establish a fairness principle, I try to make sure we both stay around there, that way we both win. If the other party is not willing to come close to fairness, then I don’t need to worry too much about a long-term relationship. If the party, like one of my current principals is fair, then I will take care of them like there was no tomorrow.

I actually have 2 principals right now that I believe are not only fair but well-meaning. Don’t get me wrong, I know they will always look for a way to come on top, I am not blind by my sudden good heart, but at least their self-interests are not extreme – they are, well, fair.

So to all of those out there reading this, please remember that as an entrepreneur you have to charge for your services and you have to pay for your services. Judgement will not always be about the lowest cost or highest price, but about the perception of fairness in your relationship. Hopefully, it will start with you and how you treat others…

Keep Calm and Stay Humble

This is an exciting upcoming week.  Not only is our project going well because our projects are close to materializing, but it is also an excellent week because I will be traveling to a very cool “Food Show.”  (Touché for those reading this and thinking you know where I am going.)

Part of business, as I have learned in most unfortunate ways, is discretion, and this is one of those situations.  You really want to share, but in the case of today’s technologies, you really can’t share everything.  I would like to say though, that I am going to a place where I will find some good people that need my expertise and help.  They value my experience and I value their drive to make their small companies shine.  I would rather spend the rest of my days as a professional helping people who are looking to grow, instead of wasting away in a corporate environment,

I was actually thinking today that I might have saved a few years of my life by making this decision.  My problems today are nothing compared to what I had and my stress level is so low, I can actually laugh and joke that I am not making much money.  I can actually – and happily I might add – pay the salaries of my partners who are not producing much as well, as they have been in it with me and have believed in our dreams together.  Life is good and so are my partners.

My wife and I are very blessed to be a part of this project and we love to share our time, resources and energy with our friends and partners. I believe that God will look at us and have mercy one day and say, “OK, here is a little something for you guys, have fun and make something out of it” (He might say it in Spanish if you believe that he speaks in your language.)

So for now, we wait and we wait happily as ever.

Keep Calm and Stay Humble….

You got to know when to hold them….
Know when to fold them….
Know when to walk away, know when to run…

These are the famous words from Kenny Rogers in “The Gambler” You gotta love that song. It reminds me a lot of our new business. Sometime, we are like the Gambler at the table and we are trying to read everyone’s faces and figuring out what is best for all. It feels a little like gambling to be honest. But it is only uncertainty and even mature businesses have it.

We have had a very good week. A very nerve-wrecking week. We had some good deals happen this week and some others that just won’t settle down, but one thing is common – the people I am dealing with are mostly honorable people and you can’t put a price on that. They are treating us well and we are looking for ways to make them grow as well.

This week one of the prophecies came true and one of our principals went the direct route and tried to knock us out of the way. A big company too, not small by any means. We talked about this before, give them a chance to screw you always, don’t worry, as they will do you a favor and get out of your way. The result… our client told us and did not seem to impressed by their strategy, a good client and a bad reputation for that vendor, as expected. I had actually mentioned this in my initial posts, and it came thru and funny as it is but two days before I was telling my partners how I thought this vendor was acting a bit funny and we all shared a good laugh after this.

So, as good vendors and good customers summon a good future, I am doubling down on my non-success. I am giving myself into this project until March for evaluation but I will not fear to go all the way until then and decide. It’s all-in and more resources will be destined to it or nothing. We have nothing to lose but money, and I am not doing this for money…. I am doing this for freedom and happiness.

Keep Calm and Stay Humble…

Well, last couple of blogs we have discussed how the deals have been coming in and how the dominoes are falling where they should be. As you well know, reality is not as pretty as it seems. Most deals are still in place and we have actually landed a couple of more deals since then, but there are always issues – and they are not really issues – but they are challenges and they take time.

We have always said in this blog that time is a good friend and in this case it is being an obstinate friend. It is that buddy that won’t leave when you are already tired. It is that dude that does not get the hint when you are cleaning and telling him, “I gotta get up early tomorrow,” and he laughs and cracks another beer open. That is time right now, a good friend that is annoying me and my partners. He will not disappear and make all of our deals progress.

But….time is a good friend, and good friends help us when we are down and cheer us when we are up. As things progress and take their course, we continue to struggle and be positive, we continue to laugh while we are dead-broke and we continue to ignore critics and cheerleaders. Our job is to continue to be awesome every day and we are succeeding at that. Our focus is to keep our business growing and we are happy to do so.

This week the hits keep on coming and weeks ago we did not want them to stop. Relativity, as Einstein would say. Anyway, we hope to share more news with you next week, if time allows it…

Keep Calm and Stay Humble….

As we mentioned before, we closed 3 deals by press-time last week.  Well – my mistake, I should have waited, but Thursday is blog deadline and I had been late the last couple of weeks.  In reality we closed 5 deals last week. And we closed another 3 deals this week related to those.

My partners have been going crazy this week and are overwhelmed.  We will knock out one of those projects by Friday and focus on the ones for long-term.  I saw my partners frustrated, like they wanted to kill me, but did not have the heart to tell me.  I also saw them anxious because a drive-by deal got in the way, and they can’t attack their main deals.  I also saw them frustrated, as we are waiting for some information to continue finishing up deals from last week.

All in all, it has been a seriously busy week and we expect to bring in handsome rewards in the next 60 days.  All we have to do is make sure we don’t go broke by then and the worst will have passed.  As you know a new business, requires not only time and money to be invested, but lots if tender-loving-care and a s***load of patience.

We are so busy we realized we have to hire 2 more people within the next 2-3 weeks and we have not received a single dollar from our clients, but if we want to make our deals work, we have to invest heavily and that is where I have to pony up, whether I want to or not – more money from my already-hurting pockets.  As I see it, if it all goes well, and all of our plans come together as they should, we will have a very good 2nd quarter and hopefully by then we can start collecting some sort of salary.

Here is looking at all the risk takers and letting you know, keep it up, don’t give up and have trust in your abilities, and surround yourself with loyal, honest and hardworking people, who you will do right and share your rewards. You can’t do it alone, don’t be greedy

Keep calm and stay humble.

Well, it had to happen eventually. You work hard enough and eventually good things are bound to happen. In our case, we have been fighting for weeks to close deals, and as we have reported, we have come close, but not enough.

This week I am happy to report we closed not one, nor two, but wait for it….three! deals.  The first one was real exciting, because it is a real big chain that we have been after for a while and that believed in us.  One of my partners has been after it for a while, and she found a way to do it after a nerve-wrecking presentation with me (as always) annoying people.  It is not my intention, but I am just trying to have fun while we work! Anyway, done deal and we were thrilled.  Needless to say, I don’t think I will be going on presentations anytime soon with her.

The second deal was huge for us, as we will be working with a company that will really help us explore our abilities and we will help them grow exponentially I assure you.  We will become partners and we will look after their best interests as if is was our own.  These are quality people who I see are honest and hardworking.  We will quickly expand in various territories and grow along with them. We are very proud and humbled to see that they believed in us.

The third one is a smaller deal but equally rewarding because another one of our partners has been trying for four weeks to close deals with these type of customers, and they say yes, but he has not been able to close them! He was getting frustrated and upset, so after a week of a lot of positive news he was able to boldly declare, deal done!

What a week and we are grateful our clients believe in us and trust us with their business.  Maybe I won’t go broke after all.  If you remember, we talked about deals coming to close at the same time after a dry period. We were just talking about the ledge a couple of weeks ago. Well, we held on and we are still here.  Not out of the woods yet, but certainly very positive outlook

Keep calm and stay humble!!!