RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2019
4
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com
To our shared success,
JANUARY 2019, VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1
CELEBRATING OUR 30
TH
YEAR
AS THE RETAIL OBSERVER
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
E LIANA BARRIGA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
MOE LASTFOGEL
ART DIRECTOR
TERRY PRICE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
SARAH BROWN
RANDY CARNEY
CHAD EVANS
MARIO JUAREZ
STEVEN MORRIS
DENNIS SHIELDS
JOHN TSCHOHL
LIBBY WAGNER
MICHAEL WHITAKER
DOUG WREDE
DEADLINE FOR MARCH 2019 ISSUE:
FEBRUARY 1, 2019
THE RETAIL OBSERVER
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THE RETAIL
L
ast week I witnessed a deeply moving event at a women's business
conference in New York City. At one point, the leaders invited women
to come onstage and share their experiences overcoming obstacles in
their lives.
A woman came forward, visibly distraught, and bravely told her story of
serious financial and personal challenges. It was moving to witness her
vulnerability. Behind me, I heard a woman whisper to her seatmate, "We've got
to do something. Let's raise some money for her–here, I'll give $50." Moved
by her gesture, I turned and said, "I'm in–here's $100." Other women sitting
nearby opened their hearts and wallets and soon we had $2,400.
I said, "Somebody should go to corporate and tell senior management what
we're doing." One of the women said, "I'll go." Ten minutes later she returned,
beaming, and said, "We did it! We've got $4,400."
I guess it would be reasonable to ask: "What does this story have to do with
my success? I've earned whatever I have by my own hard work!"
Well, let's consider Joseph and JoAnn Callaway. In their book, Clients First:
The Two-Word Miracle, they reveal how they built a hugely successful Phoenix,
AZ real estate business by doing the unthinkable: they based every single
business decision on the best interests of their clients, regardless of the
inconvenience and expense to themselves. While countless other agents
were biting the dust during the subprime mortgage debacle, the Callaways
were thriving. They encapsulate their philosophy in three simple words:
Honesty, Competence, and Caring.
Too often, when contemplating the next bold step to build our business, we
look for formulas, hoping that by following the steps others have taken we'll
achieve the same results.
But this is a New Year—let's honor the spirit as well as the letter of the law.
Let's remember a wise Chinese saying: "If you want happiness for an hour,
take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness
for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody."
THE SOUL OF
SUCCESS
Elle's View As I See It
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