Life Lessons from a Friend

I have a friend who seems a bit like Walter Mitty in that he has a story for everything and seems to have lived several lives already. He is great with people and might be the most influential unpaid mentor, consultant and coach I have ever seen. Many that know him go to him for life and business advice, and he tends to always have the right answer at the right time.

I have begun to compile a list of lessons learned from this friend and will continue to add to it as I document more:

People will always come back to see the monkey at the zoo that flings its poo.

This phrase is usually how he refers to himself. Maybe he means, "Don't take yourself too seriously," "Be yourself," or possibly, "Even the monkey has a particular audience."

You only have to be the shiniest turd.

This quote is what he uses instead of "Be the best." Maybe it makes being the best more attainable.

You will never look back and regret having spent quality time with your family.

I am a workaholic and can think of dozens of occasions getting a call from my friend on a Friday afternoon. He always poses the same question, "What are you doing?" My response is undeniably the same, "I'm at the office." He will without fail tell me to pack it up, go home and surprise my wife and kids. I've only followed through a handful of times, but in 100% of those instances, I was glad I did and got to spend more time with my family.

Treat everyone the same.

Whether they are the CEO or the janitor, everyone should be treated with the same respect.

Write it down.

He isn't that hard to impress. Always bring a pen and paper.

Find out what the other person is interested in and focus the conversation around that.

It's important to show genuine interest in others.

When someone gives you a suggestion, follow up.

People are always suggesting activities, restaurants, books, etc. He always takes the suggestion and follows back up with real feedback.

Be generous and express gratitude.

I have noticed more and more that few people follow up with a thank you. At Menlo Group, we send out client gifts on a weekly basis, and it's always interesting to see who sends a thank you text and who doesn't. We don't give with the expectation of a thank you, but a thank you sure feels good.

I'm grateful to my friend for continuing to inspire me.