An Important Business Lesson I Learned Many Years Ago

Some of the most valuable business lessons I've ever learned didn't come from a classroom, a conference, or even from owning a business. They came from working my adolescent and young adult years working construction with my father.

Growing up, there were times I worked 50+ hours a week alongside him renovating homes and commercial properties. There was often pressure to finish the job, stay on schedule, and move on to the next project. Every day behind schedule meant less profit and delayed the next opportunity. But there was one rule we never compromised on: Do it the right way from the beginning to the end of the job - never sacrifice the integrity of the work.

If rot or termite damage was revealed, you didn't cover it up. If the framing wasn't right, you didn't hope nobody would notice. If something we did wasn't built correctly, you tore it out and started over .... even when it meant more time, more labor, and less profit on that project. As a teenager, I didn't always quite understand it or pay much attention to this approach. It just the way we did things. Honestly, at that time I was hoping we would be done on time on Fridays so I could go hang out with my friends or head to the shore for the weekend!

Looking back, I realize he wasn't just teaching me construction. He was teaching me character, integrity, and workmanship.

Anyone can make something look finished. It takes character to make sure it's built to last and following through with your agreement with your customer. My father believed your work is a reflection of who you are. Your reputation isn't built by the projects that go perfectly. It's built by the moments when doing the right thing is harder, more expensive, and when nobody would have known if you had taken the shortcut.

I've realized over the years that business isn't much different.....

A home builder can hide problems behind fresh paint. A mechanic can replace a part without fixing the underlying issue. A restaurant can buy cheaper ingredients. A healthcare provider can shorten appointments. A manufacturer can skip preventive maintenance. A business can slash training or customer service to save money. Every one of those decisions may improve the numbers in the short term, but they usually come at the expense of quality, reputation, and long-term success.

The best business owners I've worked with don't treat symptoms. They ask better questions, identify the root cause, and build systems that prevent the same problems from happening again. They get on the level of their technicians, staff and the ones who are in the trenches everyday fighting for them. They also understand that the standards they establish today will shape the future of their business for years to come.

Those businesses are built on the same principles as quality construction: strong foundations, efficient systems, high standards, and the discipline to do things the right way, even when it's harder. They are never assuming their way is the only way and are always innovating!

The philosophy is simple: Shortcuts don't eliminate costs and stress. They postpone them and are added to your bank account as a debt. The more debt that builds up, the riskier your operation becomes and the increased likelihood of failure. I am an adamant believer that you always focus and invest on doing the right thing in business even if you may make a less money in the short term. Your return on investment will likely being in business for a long time and have a lot less stress.

That's the same philosophy brokers should bring to their commercial real estate work.

Many people assume my job is simply helping businesses lease, buy, or sell property. Sometimes it is. But many times, the best advice I can give a business owner is to slow down, step back, and determine whether real estate is actually the problem. This is tough to do but it is the right thing to do at times.

There are times when the right solution isn't a larger building, a new location, or even a move at all. Sometimes the real issue is operational, financial, or strategic. Moving too quickly without addressing those underlying challenges can create bigger problems than the ones you're trying to solve.

Even when a client is ready to move forward, my responsibility doesn't end with finding the right property. It continues through every stage of the negotiation. There are times when I push for lease provisions that better protect my client's business, even though doing so may delay the transaction, create difficult conversations with the landlord, or even put the deal at risk.

The reality is, I don't get paid unless the transaction closes.

But my responsibility isn't to get every deal done. My responsibility is to help my clients make the right decision for their business and help put them in position to succeed. Sometimes that means fighting for stronger protections. Sometimes it means conceding a little in negotiations. Sometimes it means recommending they walk away entirely. Because I'd rather lose a commission instead of a long term broker-client relationship, and watch a business spend years dealing with the consequences of a bad decision that could have been prevented.

There were times I spent months helping a client evaluate an opportunity, only to recommend they walk away from the deal. Not because I couldn't get it done, but because it wasn't the right decision for their business. Commercial real estate should support a company's long-term strategy, not distract from it. If the underlying challenges haven't been addressed, a new location rarely solves them. More often than not, it simply magnifies them.

The older I get, the more I appreciate what my father was really teaching me. He wasn't just teaching me carpentry and building skills. He was teaching me how to build a reputation and to make a difference for customers...... value integrity over convenience, to take pride in workmanship, and to do what's right even when it's difficult.

Because sometimes the right decision isn't the quickest one. It isn't the easiest one. And it certainly isn't always the most profitable one in the short term.

Businesses built on character, integrity and quality workmanship don't just survive.....they stand the test of time, just like a building constructed on a strong foundation.