Just Watch the Left Front Fender!

This is a very different kind of post to be sharing at Marathon. I don’t believe I’ve ever shared this post my Dad wrote many years ago for my blog.

My Dad was always my very best buddy, and a few years before he passed away, with a lot of arm-twisting, I got him to do a guest post. He passed in 2015, but I was blessed to have him and his wisdom in my life for so many years. I was so lucky because there weren’t very many people my age who still had their parents alive, let alone enjoyed being with them!

His experience in business was invaluable to draw from, a reminder that as much as things change, some things NEVER change – especially when it comes to focusing on your business, reputation, and integrity.

Dad’s wisdom is a reminder of the importance of staying focused on your own backyard. Even more important is one of my wife, Sheila’s, most favorite expressions, thanks to Shakespeare, “To thine own self be true.”

The world is upside down these days. The media and politicians bombard us and along with associates, friends and neighbors, but to Dad’s point – just watch the left front fender!
 
Dad might not be at my side today, but he’s all around me. I like to think that right now, he’s hanging out with his buddies Don Blair and my pal Terry Deglau. The three of them are watching over all of us. So, meet my Dad with some great foundation tips to help you build a stronger business.

by Ralph Cohen

Yesterday was my 88th birthday.  I have been happily retired for many years, and unemployed for at least 15 of those. Now, out of the blue, comes our son, Skip, threatening me with employment! The pay he considers adequate is $.02 per word. So gathering together, my 50+ years in business experience, I thought this would be a good time to put my two cents in.

I am not a plagiarist, but I must quote my father who spent the last months of his life writing advice to his children:

“Conduct your business in an upright manner and remember, the most important thing in one’s life is to be honest with one’s self. Maintain the high standard and dignity that your business requires. Do not go into deals hastily and be visible in your business as much of the time as is possible.  If you take time to play, do it away from your business, because your livelihood needs all the attention you can give to it.”

Early on, I concluded that the best testimonials came from my many friendly competitors.  We didn’t really compete with each other, in the true sense. True, we were in the same field of endeavor, but we all knew we were there to help each other. Happily, the “tough competition” fell by the wayside.  

I remember giving Skip driving lessons and I told him, “Watch the left front fender…..the rest will take care of itself!” I’ve found this is really true of everything in life.

An old axiom says, “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.”  That is all part of reputation-building. I found that, sadly, in the field of real estate, truth is hard to come by for many. In our case, it was a major building block in the reputation which we enjoyed and helped us to thwart the competition.

Goodwill is all of the above, plus a lot of caring for your clients as well as your competitors.  If life is a give-and-take situation, giving is the more important of the two.  The taking will come with time and be far more appreciative.  Just remember – you heard it here!  

​Ralph Cohen, Founder and Creator of Skip Cohen!