“…things aren’t just always going to come to you. Sure, sometimes you step in dog shit, but that’s rare. You’ve got to take the bull by the horns and make something happen. Sometimes you have to find a way.”
Author Archives: diggercartwright
Monday motivation: Never accept being treated like crap
“You’re like the rental car they picked up at the Detroit airport,” Sebastian continued. “They don’t give a shit because they haven’t really invested shit. They’ll drive you hard, tear you up, abuse you, and get as
much mileage as they can. As long as you let them treat you like a rented mule, they will continue to do so.”
“But don’t you have to suck it up sometimes? Just take the whipping?”Robbie said. “Don’t you have to in order to keep the peace and keep a good client.”
Sebastian gave him a look of concern. “Never accept being treated like crap,” he admonished. “This is business, and these guys are professionals. Trust me, if that’s how they treat people, they’re not the good guys you think they are, and you don’t need to be involved with them.”
Thursday Thoughts: Perserverance
“Let me give you another example,” Sebastian said, smiling. “Let me put it in terms of golf. A lot of good golfers play in the U.S. Open, right?”
“Of course.”
“All right. At the start of the tournament, everyone has the same shot. How many times have you seen someone really shoot a good round on the first day, only to blow their five—or six-shot lead the second one? You could be ten shots out of first place and have a dozen guys in front of you, but if you just grind along, stay focused, and give it your best, you may just wind up winning. The guys in front of you are gonna make some mistakes, maybe back up some, so if you’re still grinding along, doing your thing, the next thing you know, you might be holding the trophy or a big fat check.” Continue reading
Wednesday Wisdom: Don’t be afraid to piss people off
“The business just isn’t where you want it to be right now?” Sebastian asked a rhetorical question since the answer was already obvious. “It won’t be if you just sit back and wait for these guys to pay and for other clients to just show up. You’ve got to get it where you want it to be. You’ve got to make it happen. You’ve gotta start cracking the whip with these slow-paying clients. Don’t be afraid of pissing people off, Robbie. You can’t let people take advantage of you or waste your time. Use your time on other initiatives that will actually produce some paying clients.”
Monday Motivation: Perserverance
“Nothing worthwhile happens overnight, Robbie,” Sebastian explained. “You have to stick with it. Starting a professional service firm is difficult. Just because you’re in a white-collar financial firm doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easier sell or startup than a blue-collar company. Let me
give you a good example. Think of good ol’ Jake, who runs the janitorial service in your office building. He didn’t just start with six vans and a clean-up crew of eight in each. He started with two guys, a pick-up truck, and a bottle of bleach. They did a good job with their first client, and that person told a friend about them. The next week, they had two jobs, and the week after that, they had three. It’s a matter of people getting to know your name. You’ve gotta establish yourself by earning their trust. That’s all the more important in a business where you’re dealing with financial information. It’s all about staying in the game! Keep your head in the game and keep grinding, and you just never know when something
is going to really pop.”
If I Were President: No more illegal immigrants
I would do my best to secure our borders!
Award-Winning Mystery Novelist Digger Cartwright Endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States in 2016
Orlando, FL & Miami, FL July 15, 2016—The office of Digger Cartwright issued the following statement in support of Donald Trump for President of the United States in 2016. Mr. Cartwright’s office originally released the statement at the Independence Day champagne summit organized by the independent think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe: Continue reading
Thursday Thoughts: Always Give people a way out
“What’s his way out?” Sebastian asked thoughtfully.
“Excuse me?” Robbie said. “His way out? I don’t know that he has one. I mean, if you’re talking breach of contract—”
Sebastian shook his head. “That’s not what I mean,” he explained. “What is his way out of the situation with the money and your resignation? Robbie, people will take advantage of you when and where they can. There’s no doubt about that. Everybody wants something for nothing, and people are always trying to get away with as much as they can. But this is no playground. It’s business, and in business, there are
bullies who will push you around so they can get their way, or else they’ll step right on your head to boost themselves up to the next rung of the ladder.” Sebastian nodded thoughtfully before continuing, as if he were even teaching himself a thing or two. “You can’t let Sean get away with treating you like crap and get away without paying you something for your efforts.”
Robbie looked at Sebastian curiously, sensing he was about to elaborate. “All right, go on. I’m listening.”
“Bullies are emotional,” Sebastian explained. “The best way to react to them is with calm, reasonable logic. You haven’t even addressed him face to face about this yet. You both know the situation and have
avoided talking about it because it’s uncomfortable. The first step is to communicate. Get a dialog going. Feel him out and see what his reaction is. There’s a chance you can work something out. If not, you can always use the resignation as a last resort. But if you let him ignore the situation, the tension between you two is going to grow like a cancer. It won’t be healthy for your business relationship or for either of you personally.”
Robbie nodded; Sebastian had made perfect sense, like always. “But what if the bully has you backed into a corner, Sebastian? What if I try all of that, and he still doesn’t come through?”
“Again, Robbie, you have to out-reason him,” Sebastian continued. “You can’t get emotional or fight dirty or lower yourself to his level. Always leave the bully an out. You must make the alternatives sound as if they are his brilliant solutions. If you back an angry animal into a corner, his defenses will be on red alert. Leaving him an out is a good way to make sure he saves face.
New pictures From My Recent Travels: Part 6
Monday Motivation: Sebastian’s Bar Rules
“I was having a business lunch once, early on in my career in Atlanta, back when I was still a little wet behind the ears. It was a boss-employee kind of thing—casual, but we still had to mind our manners, ya know?”
“Yeah. Go on.”
“Well, my boss and I ate lunch, and I took cues from him about what to order. He had a beer, so I ordered one as well. Since I figured he was gonna be picking up the tab, I took it easy and just got ordered a draft domestic and a light meal. We had a few bites and a few drinks and a little talk, and everything went fine. He picked up the check, and even though I offered to pay my share, he wouldn’t have it. I offered to at least pay the tip, and he got a little offended, so I shrugged and put away my
wallet.”
“Well, he sounds like a pretty selfless guy,” Robbie said.
“Not really,” Sebastian said, pausing to reflect on the event that had taken place two decades prior, one that had left a lasting impression on him. “I couldn’t believe the tip he laid down,” he explained with a touch of disapproval. “A buck on a forty-dollar tab. That girl had really busted her butt for us, so it pissed me off. But really, there was nothing I could say. I mean, that was my boss, and I didn’t want to offend him. We got up and left the table, but halfway to the door, I lied and said I’d dropped my keys or something, then flew back to the table. I was just laying a five-dollar bill down to add to his pathetic excuse for a tip when the waitress showed up. She saw me and came over to me. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but she said, ‘Sir, you don’t know how much I appreciate this. My gas tank is nearly empty, and the rent is late. Every dollar will really help today, and you just help put me over the top.’ I grumbled something nice and congratulated her and walked away.”
“You just walked away? Just like that?”
“Well, what was I supposed to say to that? But anyway, it’s always stayed with me. It was just five bucks to me, and I’d just gotten a free lunch, so why would I care? But that measly few dollars meant gas money to her. You just don’t ever know how much of a difference a few bucks can make for somebody, and I’ve never forgotten that.”
Digger Cartwright 