Last week, after 41 years working together, Jim Watkins and I closed our last deal. We closed our first deal together in 1984. In 2020, I wrote a tribute to Jim and the true mentor he has been (you can read it here).
Today, I’m reflecting on both that first deal, this last deal, and how our far relationship has come since we started working together. In that first deal, I was a complete idiot and almost killed it completely. Only Jim’s skills made it happen. And this last deal comprises a land sale with a client we have shared for 25 years.
Jim is still making a difference in the world, just not in Commercial real estate. He had a wonderful career and we are having lunch next week to celebrate. I have a more important reason; I, once again, want to tell him THANK YOU. Jim, you helped make my career AND my life. I wanted to share the below poem that is appropriate here. If there’s any wisdom I would pass on from my relationship with Jim, it would be this:
— Find mentors. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find one as good as Jim.
— Learn from them.
— Tell them thank you…over and over again.
It took me a long time to understand mentor relationships are all about the journey. What a fantastic career, Jim. Well done.
Sunrise at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro – September 2014
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Lee & Associates Bonus Dinner – January 2023
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The Fantastic Life Rule #11:
Don’t Waste Time
Forty-one years has gone by in a flash. We are gifted a finite amount of time with the people we care about. Spend it wisely, learning, growing, and showing your appreciation.
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