“People who are successful in high school basketball, are the same ones successful in college ball and the same ones successful in the NBA”, Dave Bing said. It’s those ones willing to work hard. He said it’s the same thing with business. From working at a bank on his NBA off season to immediately going to work after retirement, Dave Bing serves as his own example for how hard work means all the difference.
How does a man with impaired vision in one eye go on to be a hall of fame athlete? Hard work. How does a man who dribbles a basketball for a living become a leader in the manufacturing industry, and without having any background in it until his mid 30s? Hard work.
Hard work isn’t the only thing Bing brought to the table. Dave Bing has an enormous amount of basic wisdom as well. Many times people come to business wisdom and try to give some outside the box kind of philosophy, but not Bing. He shot straight through and through. With advice like, know your weaknesses and get someone else to cover for them, and just trust your gut when you hire people Dave Bing was a good business 101 reality check.
Categories: Business Wisdom · Dan Izzo
Know something. Do a good job at it. Create a reputation for yourself. It seems time and time again this seems to be the formula for many of the entrepreneurs we’ve learned from who have been in the game for years. They learned from working a job in an industry. They do a good job at it and create their own company where they make a reputation for themselves by doing a good job, getting things done and making customers happy.
This was the case for John Ferchill. He went to college and then eventually got a job with a Midwestern development company. Eventually opening his own company with his own money. In his own words he stated, “We are relentless for completing projects on time and on budget.” He’s created a strong reputation to back up his strong personality. He stated that people love him and some hate him, but they all respect the work he does and they know he’s the best.
With all that being said one of the greatest lessons I learned form Ferchill was not a direct one, but a lesson that we all picked up on. Be yourself. He wasn’t politically correct, but I believe people respect that. People respect a man who will shoot from the hip and not feel like he has to pretense himself in order to do so. I think of people in my own sphere who I don’t have a great deal of respect for. Those are people who feel as though they need to say the right things and do the right things, rather than being the right thing. All and all, I guess the lesson learned form John is to let who you are speak for itself. People can love you or hate you, but if ingrained in you is the propensity to do the right thing, it will show in all the work that you do.
Categories: Business Wisdom · Dan Izzo
