The Success Interviews: Part One

About a year ago I started to spend a great deal of time studying the people that were in or are in my life that I think are successful. Not them thinking so and telling me, but my own view and ideas about their success.

Interviewee number one is a dear friend, about 70 years old, I am 48 just for the record, and is once retired from the wonderful world of Mechanical Service Contracting, an industry that I work in as well.

Jim sold his company to a larger entity as part of a roll-up they were doing in his area, that being Connecticut. He and his wife worked many years to build it into the success that it was, he sold it and walked away.

The irony is he had several children, who although adults at the time of the sale, wanted no part of the family business ... Now, two of the three kids own their on Mechanical Service Contracting firm, Go Figure!

Jim now works part time for one of the kids and keeps himself occupied and stirring the pot.

We have spent a great deal of time together, we usually end up talking about our mutual chosen professions, to that point, he was one of the first people that popped into my head when I started thinking about this series of interviews I wanted to conduct.

This exchange occurred via e-mail, but knowing him as I do, I could literally hear his voice as I was reading his words.

The initial question to Jim, as to all that you will read about in this series was:

What are the three big things that you attribute to the success you have had?

His answers were:

There are several reasons I attribute to the success of my company. You can pick and choose the three but I feel they are all important.

Ø Surround yourself with talented people and then let them do their job.

Ø Be honest with your employees and customers. Integrity is most important.

Ø Your work ethic should lead the way. You must be the leader. Employees will follow.

Ø Treat employees with respect. Care about them and their family.

Ø Build long term relationships with customers.

Ø Constant communication with your existing customers

Ø Being able to recognize trends in the economy. React before it happens.

Ø Success happens with a certain amount of luck. I took advantage when it happened.

Ø found out that when I first started my business I was the most important person. After I hired employees they were the most important. We are nothing without them.

Ø Share the wealth!

Greg I hope this helps in your project. This certainly was the ingredients for my success. There are many more but you’ll have to wait until my book comes out!

As I reads this response, it is verbatim, I couldn't help think that Jim had lived up to the quote on the embedded picture and quote of Albert Einstein above. Jim is a class act and a gentleman for sharing his words with me, I hope you can take something from them and apply to your world as they make sense.

Greg