I Need To Apologize For Something…
October 10th, 2008 | 09:47 am
I probably don't need to tell you how crazy the financial markets have been lately, or describe the frenzied and frantic behavior of regulators, politicians, and pundits. We all KNOW! CNBC's ratings have skyrocketed! People are obsessed again (like in the late ‘90's) with the stock market's second-by-second gyrations. I'm sure productivity has been plummeting in America since mid-September. In fact, I'm quite certain it has! These have been trying times for many in the past few weeks.
With that as backdrop, I want to apologize to you for some of my comments in our September newsletter (which you've either received by now or will be receiving shortly — if you haven't signed-up to get it yet, then what exactly have you been waiting for?!? Go here to join our 80,000+ monthly members and/or get to the downloadable version). Some of what I wrote back in early September is now HORRIBLY out-of-date. That's okay, I suppose, on one level: I'm not, after all, a nightly pundit on television or a daily reporter in some newspaper. I'm just a regular business owner and serial entrepreneur who calls things like I see them. Much like even the most well-meaning umpire or referee, I sometimes make a bad call. It's infrequent, I might humbly add, but it happens…
Now, nothing in this blog post is meant to suggest that I TOTALLY got things wrong — I just happen to be man-enough to admit when I'm occasionally wrong. I was a bit overly-optimistic about the health of the U.S. economy. Actually, I think it still would be healthy had we not let ourselves get a bit too carried away with our emotions lately . . . but we CLEARLY have. Pessimism cannot get you anywhere ahead.
We've had a Crisis of Leadership in this country for the past couple years (a do-nothing Congress and a not-much-better Executive branch has caused much of this), which has now given way to a full-blown Crisis of Confidence. It's kind of sad, really, how worked-up people have gotten in the past three or four weeks. Almost nothing anyone forecasts one day holds much water within just 24 hours. People are starting to be depressed about their savings, their retirement accounts, their future and their children's future.
While I might have been wrong in my forecasts last month, plenty of what I mentioned in our September newsletter still DOES hold true, and I think it's NOW time that we collectively lift our heads up again and get back to work. We can't let those on Wall Street and in Washington dictate to us how our daily lives will be lived! They've shown their incompetence again and again. They've let us down. They've lost our trust in them AGAIN . . . but it all just goes to show how insignificant they really ought to be in this New Age. We've got to get back to doing our jobs out on Main Streets everywhere; contribute in our small ways to our economy and have faith that our best days are still ahead of us.
To be continued later today . . . check back this afternoon or add my blog to your RSS feed. Go here now to do that now.
(And yes . . . despite the credit crisis and the mess on Wall Street, we're STILL lending. Call us or go to www.TheSmartChoiceLoan.com to find out more.)
October 10th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Nice encouragement!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Encouragement is nice…funding of my project would be nicer. I am ready to give up..ship the keys to the banker and call it a day. Too bad when mom and pop business's with a twenty five year track record looses everything they have worked for.. 7 days a week….
October 10th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Chris,
Good job of "manning up" but don't beat yourself up - you're hardly alone. But to your greater point, we are finding that our clients are still opening the doors, calling on customers, shipping goods, and while credit is a bit tight, they aren't throwing in the towel.
As one of my partners put it, our personal 401K balance has taken a big hit, but not our business.
We press on!
Dick
October 10th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Chris, or whoever,
you are still in complete denial like an alcoholic. The Republicanss have controlled Congress for 24 of the last 28 years and Exec branch for the last eight, and of course 12 Reagan-Bush years. this last two years Dems have been blocked thru filibuster, etc from much important legislation. Neo-Con and Free market psychology and happy-think has become a religion for you, and like most of your ilk, science and facts be damned, they are twisted to support your idealogy.
Sorry, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am
We all still have to belive that Small Business
is the future and we still need to move foward
supporting the Small busness owner.
The next disapointment from government is just
around the corner.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:42 am
chris
no apology needed for being an optimist amongst other like minded optimist business people. i subscribe to the notion that things are only as bad as you believe things are. just today i saw where there is over $3.6 trillion dollars in money that people have to invest…. the money in this country hasnt gone ANYWHERE!!! its our job to get and keep those folk spending/investing those monies with us.
thanks for being a great marketer and trailblazer, Chris….
Tyron - The Custom Dream Home Guy
www.MyDreamHomeforLess.com
October 10th, 2008 at 11:53 am
James –
Your facts are off –- you should really be careful when you respond on a public blog, especially when you tell others they are “in complete denial like an alcoholic” -– very nice by the way…seems to show your character. To correct you: Republicans have controlled Congress for only 12 of the past 28 years (1994 – 2006); they have “controlled” the Executive branch for 20 of the past 28 years; both parties share the blame here (you are truly delusional if you think only the GOP has done wrong); “Neo-con” is a buzzword that people like you throw around with not much of a clue what it could possibly mean; free market capitalism may not be perfect, but it is the best system devised as of yet and has shown itself to work time and again. A strong argument can easily be made that government intervention (the Fed"s radical reduction in interest rates a few years ago) played a major part in creating the crisis we"re now in. We need leadership and solutions, not name-calling and child-like blaming. Pessimists like you will always be part of the problem. America is inherently optimistic and always will be at its core. We will get through this Panic, be stronger for it, and you"ll continue to whine and complain because that"s the easy route, and it"s what people like you do. Indeed, I"m sorry you somehow got on our list –- we"ll promptly remove you since life is too short to deal with complete ignorance, pessimism, and do-nothings. Good luck with things.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Chris,
Great job @ the Seminole Regional Chamber, and thanks for the book suggestion….Love your extension from the "Sky is Falling" story, to include the media groundswell…..thought I'd share a quote I came across, to reiterate your point :
WHY DO SOME PROSPER?
“In this world, the OPTIMISTS have it – not because they always right, but because they are POSITIVE.
Even when they are wrong, they are positive,
and that is the way to ACHIEVEMENT:
-CORRECTION, IMPROVEMENT & SUCCESS.
Educated, eyes wide open OPTIMISM PAYS.”
-David Landes “The Wealth & Poverty of Nations:
Why some are so rich and some so poor.”
Dan O.
p.s. - Just saw Col.(Ret.) Danny R. McKnight ("Black Hawk Down") speak. Fabulous. I fully appreciate his restraint from being "politically correct", just as I admire Tim Tebow for not wanting to be considered "normal", in today's society, however, you may want to refrain from referring to "people like you" when addressing individuals …. we're not genetically generic, so let's deal with things, one issue at a time, until we all return to the inherently good values of our constitution. Fair enough?
October 10th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
we will get thru this … stay positive !!!
October 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Your reply to James was right on point. Too bad the pessimists can't be open enough to listen and then learn from their and others mistakes.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Chris,
Optimistic people like us are in the same "life boat" as the one Noah built before the big flood. No one during his time believed him either. But he held to his principles, and after the waters receded, he started the process of recovery all over again.
Most folks will live through this crisis. Most folks will find a way to get to work, to get to church, and to give thanks for what they do have. The majority of us are not cancer survivors, but in time, as this period of economy passes, we will have a better appreciation for their outlook on life.
Stay strong and keep the credit coming. Our project at COLONIAL GREENS will be built, and I'll figure out how to deliver a work center with over 500 jobs, once I find some more confident business owners to join me!
We can't quit when we are halfway there!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Chris,
You are quite correct: business will continue, despite the actions of the federal government and the media. Politicians and media personalities have a need to gain control by creating emotional crises to make their "contribution" more important.
In reality, though, they are only a burden to those who are productive. The emotions, the tirades, the long speeches, the inaccurate facts are little more than theater.
It is important those of us who are the true core of the country, and by extension, the world, continue to strive, to achieve, to create, to support, and to vote. The media and government exist for us, not us for them. It is time to take control and show them that we will not quit, we will not fold, we will not allow our businesses to fail, and we will not allow our country to collapse.
The state of our country is our concern, and our responsiblity. The decision to keep our economy healthy is ours, not the government's. Although we can always use government's cooperative assistance, it is our choice to be the strong foundation that always supports, or the paper pennant that falls apart in a storm.
Let's stay the course, and use these trying times to make ourselves stronger.
Steve Pickering
October 11th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Who in their right mind watches CNBC?
October 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
June 5, 1944 George Patton addressed his troups and in that famous speech he said.
"Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.
Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.
Every man is scared in his first battle. If he says he's not, he's a liar. Some men are cowards but they fight the same as the brave men or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men fight who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some men get over their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base."
This speech was made in the face of the beginning of the a critical step in the battle to free Europe from unquestionable evil. To me it reflects not only the eternal optimism of America as well as its essential, inalienable and relentless determination to be successful. Entrepreneurship is the essential element in the American Dream.
We may not be facing the conflagration of D-Day but we are going to face this economic battle with the same determination of our fathers and their fathers and for those of us who will win, it will indeed bring out all that is best.