[Matt Landau]

My mother is a brain scientist who has earned an incredible array of accolades over the last few decades. Becoming a scientist wasn't common for women in her generation so (with the help of great mentors) she chose to blaze her own trail.

My father was a shopkeeper whose family business served as a keystone to the community of Princeton, New Jersey his entire adult life (he has since retired and the shop closed). Becoming a community leader wasn't a requirement of the job, but for my dad it was the natural and most enjoyable way.

I definitely see my parents in the person I am and the kind of work I do today.

***

How about that for a business introduction?!?! Without even explaining what I do for a living, the impact of the introduction is greater because it's personal and it resonates. Maybe your parent was a teacher or a shopkeeper, maybe you are blazing a trail or leading a community! It's truly limited edition (or one-of-a-kind) communication!

EXERCISE

In a sentence or two, share who had the most impact on your life growing up and what about them is reflected in your work?

Note: There's no need to actually explain your business -- in fact, leaving that part out opens up a world of intrigue!

Who wants to go first?!

 

[BrendaS]

My older sister was always the goodie two shoes of the family. Super smart, rule follower and “such a nice girl”. I can hear my elementary teachers to this day! I had no choice but to be the rebel since I couldn’t compete.

She has always had my back and my best interests in mind and really encouraged me to do what I love and here we are!

 

[SScurlock]

She has always had my back and my best interests in mind and really encouraged me to do what I love and here we are!

It is great that your sister was supportive and encouraging. Sometimes the favorite is not.

My mother was self-taught in many things. She could, and did, draw blueprints that were used for building homes, she became a master stone mason, and one of President Lyndon B. Johnson's favorite artists.

Mama instilled in me that I could do anything I wanted to do, and whatever that was, to be the best.

 

[JillS]

My mother was a brilliant and very humble woman. When we were young she worked part time in a typing pool for the State politicians. The more senior ones all had the own private secretaries but would still often come to get my mother to write letters as she was incredibly eloquent. When we were a little older she applied for a full time position as the executive secretary to the CEO of BP ( British Petroleum) one of the largest companies in Australia. One of her references was from Barry Jones, an extremely well known Australian politician. Barry received a call from the CEO stating that my mother had forged a reference from him, he stated that nobody could ever get a reference that good. Barry responded that if he didn't hire her immediately he was an absolute fool. This hard working, brilliant women is the perfect role model for me as I navigate running my own business.

 

[Lauren Madewell]

My dad has had the most impact on my life growing up because I saw how open and willing he was when it came to apologizing, compromising, discussing rather than arguing and showing respect to everyone, absolutely everyone, even the homeless citizens who approached him for money. I also always respected and appreciated how open he was/is with his affection and appreciation for his family, friends and employees. Throughout my entire childhood and til this day, I see the respect he has among his people for simply being kind, good and open-minded. Love him!

 

[Adam Norko]

My Grandfather retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years of service, including the Island Hopping Campaign in WWII and the Korean War. He moved on from the Marines to retire from his 2nd career as a high school guidance counselor. He raised four successful kids and spent 65+ years in a loving marriage.

He was active from sun up to sun down. We couldn't go into public without people stopping us to say hi. When asked, he always responded that he was "Great!" He would say things like, "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." He always greeted me with a strong hug and large smile.

My Grandfather and I never talked about his beliefs, his work ethic, or what he loved. He didn't need to - I saw it in every action.

I work every day on my business, myself, and my family to be like Pete.

 

[Bruce]

My father was a successful businessman who owned a manufacturing company based in Manhattan (really!) and taught me about running a business. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, but she was also the most incredible hostess I've ever known. My family life was full of elaborate dinner parties of all sorts. She is the one who taught me the power of hospitality!

 

[JillS]

My older sister was always the goodie two shoes of the family. Super smart, rule follower and “such a nice girl”. I can hear my elementary teachers to this day! I had no choice but to be the rebel since I couldn’t compete.

She has always had my back and my best interests in mind and really encouraged me to do what I love and here we are!

I love this Brenda. My sister was the naughty one

My older sister was always the goodie two shoes of the family. Super smart, rule follower and “such a nice girl”. I can hear my elementary teachers to this day! I had no choice but to be the rebel since I couldn’t compete.

She has always had my back and my best interests in mind and really encouraged me to do what I love and here we are!

I love this Brenda except I had the opposite problem. My older sister was really naughty and I was embarrassingly well behaved.

 

[Gabor]

Taking our business seriously:
Teaching was a most rewarding experience; I was fortunate to meet a lot of remarkable students at the downtown Toronto university where I taught.

One of those students was Judy (not her real name), who was a bit more mature than her average peer. She had lived outside Canada for a couple years, working as a training officer for the Israel Defence Forces. She then returned home and became a star student in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at Ryerson.

Our department operated a training restaurant where students had a chance to learn the practice on the spot. We operated it as a real eatery; students cleaned, cooked, and served guests under supervision. I went in to have lunch there on the day when Judy was assigned the role of student manager. She greeted me at the entrance, showed me to my table, and chatted with me kindly for a minute as good managers do. I could not resist the temptation to tease her. I looked into her deep brown eyes and told her with a straight face, tongue firmly in cheek, “Judy, you’d better get back to watching over the service now. You know, this is not like training IDF soldiers on how to maneuver a tank in the Negev. This is serious; you’ve got a restaurant to run!”

 

[Amanda.Hoffmann]

My mother is my hero. She did what she had to do to raise three children after a difficult divorce that left her with nothing. She worked three jobs and put herself through a bachelor's and masters program to obtain a teaching degree so that she could have a job where she worked while we were in school. I remember getting up with her at 4am to go on her paper route and sit in class with her in the back listening to my tapes. She inspires me to work hard and at at the end of the day drives me more than anything else because I want to give back to her and take care of her. She deserves to be taken care of.

 

[Toby]

My dad was a self taught jazz musician who made a living touring the world with his large classical French bass. My mother who immigrated to the US from Denmark when she was 17 made ends meet by finding items at garage sales and thrift shops and selling them to collectors. While money was always tight, it came second to a creative spirit and the ability to express it.

 

[LindaS]

My father was very unique. He was in sales and very generous and taught many young men (in the 50s and 60s) how to close deals and how to sell. He did this in seminars and around our dinner table so I learned about sales my whole growing up time. My mother came into her own when I graduated from high school when my parents opened a small business. My mum was an excellent buyer and had amazing customer service skills. They both had a strong work ethic and worked until they were 75. Their entrepreneurial quest and willing to take a risk were influential.

 

[DMartinez]

When people ask where am I from, my first inclination is to respond, "Which time?"
Ever since my first spark of life I've been on the road. Conceived in Panama, born in Virginia, and raised on the road as my military dad moved us on to the next base, my concept of community has always been fluid and self-created. It was a skill Mom imparted to all of us.

Though an Army nurse by training, in reality she was more the lead officer of our familial CBs (Construction Battalion). No matter where we landed, she immediately transformed any house into our old familiar home and built connections into the community. Then when it was time to leave, she was able to break it all down and do it again.

It's a pattern I have replicated over the last 42 years of married life with my international construction engineer husband.

 

[JStevens]

My mother is a brain scientist who has earned an incredible array of accolades over the last few decades. Becoming a scientist wasn't common for women in her generation so (with the help of great mentors) she chose to blaze her own trail.

My father was a shopkeeper whose family business served as a keystone to the community of Princeton, New Jersey his entire adult life (he has since retired and the shop closed). Becoming a community leader wasn't a requirement of the job, but for my dad it was the natural and most enjoyable way.

I definitely see my parents in the person I am and the kind of work I do today.

***

How about that for a business introduction?!?! Without even explaining what I do for a living, the impact of the introduction is greater because it's personal and it resonates. Maybe your parent was a teacher or a shopkeeper, maybe you are blazing a trail or leading a community! It's truly limited edition (or one-of-a-kind) communication!

EXERCISE

In a sentence or two, share who had the most impact on your life growing up and what about them is reflected in your work?

Note: There's no need to actually explain your business -- in fact, leaving that part out opens up a world of intrigue!

Who wants to go first?!

A professional waitress and a self-taught engineer……….who is more influential? Maybe a combination of both creates a well-rounded small business professional?

From the age of 13, mom cooked and served breakfast for the farmhands before the sun came up. After a lifetime of helping others, she eventually retired from being a professional waitress for the Hyatt Hotels. She wasn’t highly educated but hard-working, proud, and wise when caring for other’s needs, and that caring and sensitive nature was a warm influence.

On the contrary, Dad was a self-taught engineer who eventually retired from Boeing in his 70s. His often annoyingly slow and laborious attention to detail drove me nuts. But that innate ability allowed him to be admired and sought after even in a sea of young, highly educated college engineer graduates.

When that DNA is blended together, what is the result? I think a sensitivity to clients’ needs while paying attention to the necessary details and, most importantly, a strong work ethic with pride in a job well done.

 

[JStevens]

My father was very unique. He was in sales and very generous and taught many young men (in the 50s and 60s) how to close deals and how to sell. He did this in seminars and around our dinner table so I learned about sales my whole growing up time. My mother came into her own when I graduated from high school when my parents opened a small business. My mum was an excellent buyer and had amazing customer service skills. They both had a strong work ethic and worked until they were 75. Their entrepreneurial quest and willing to take a risk were influential.

Linda, I get a kick out of your use of "MUM" versus my use of Mom.........It jogged my memory that you were from Canada.........it's been a while.

 

[Susanne]

I picked up a book at an airport written about Italian immigrants. who formed a community in Thunder Bay, (Northern) Ontario, Canada. Both sets of my grandparents immigrated there and raised large families. The back of the book listed founding families. I found the names of all four of my grandparents.

Times were tough between two wars and a depression. I read that no matter how little someone had, they helped someone who had less. My maternal grandparents owned a small home with a big yard. They grew tons of vegetables preserved for winter. They operated a boarding house. My grandmother cooked all their meals with food from her garden. My family was in the biz of hosting nomads 100 years before I was!

My parents married and started a very successful greenhouse business. My parents, siblings and I lived on 50 acres with a river running through it. My Dad was an inventor and could make almost anything his mind envisioned. They were always proud to be hard workers. When I read the book, only then did I learn exactly how tough they had it. I never knew.

How did this shape me? Social justice and environmental issues matter. Entrepreneurism is available to anyone. Never confuse education for intelligence. Opening up your home to strangers enriches your life. We can go further together than alone.

 

[TomG]

My mother was 30 when she had me, her 8th child. Growing up with 7 older siblings within 10 years of age shaped me as I discovered my strengths and weaknesses and learned to work with others. People skills were formed at a young age and I’m thankful to have learned through much failure the art of apologizing, asking for help and leveraging the good of the group. My brothers and sisters remain close 50 years later and we have a deep appreciation for family.

 

[StaySavvy]

There's always a tradeoff.
Do what needs to be done.
Own your future.

These are things I learned from my parents, who are neither successful business people nor college educated. They don't have many trophies to show off or a study full of framed credentials and prestige.

But they do have grit.

They worked hard not for themselves but for their kids, as the leaders of a family unit, and served a purpose greater than themselves. They made many sacrifices and showed me what it really means to "do whatever it takes." And I strive to carry these lessons into my work every day.

 

[Robin]

My Grandfather left me with profound memories of his twenties, raising a family while fighting a war to save his country, flying bombing raids as a Squadron Leader over Europe by night, and writing letters to parents who had just lost a son by day for the who didn't return (most). It has helped me appreciate the safe and protected life I have led and the opportunities I have had to explore the world that came after WWII.

 

[KarenHunt]

my parents were pretty much “absent” in my life. Two older siblings had already moved out and my brother who was three years older than I was had to take care of each other. I was six and he was 9 when I realized this would be our norm.

He was always being bad and getting in trouble while I was certainly the Miss Goodie Two Shoes. Neither position worked with my father.

I survived by looking outside of the house and conjuring up imaginary parents that I “wished” I had.

These parents were kind, loving, smart and loved us immensely. I worked hard and developed values and morals for this imaginary set of parents. They deserved a good and obedient child.

Because of these times I developed loyalty, and tenaciousness and a hard strong work ethic. All of this was in hopes of making my birth parents happy and proud.

While that never happened and they were dead before I even applied for college I was able to use the skills to become successful.

I’m not sure if that answers your question or not.

 

[Craig]

I had a teacher, Mrs MacMillan, who thought I was special and made me feel special. I was about 9 or 10 years old when she arranged for a psychologist to come to the school to test my IQ and they found I was well above the average. This actually led to a lot of pressure being put on me to be better than the other kids, particularly by my parents. Academically I was above average but never near the top. In short I felt like a failure for my whole academic life and into my career too. I suppose it was this feeling of being a failure that drove me on. Now that I've had a reasonable degree of success in my business I don't feel anymore that I have underachieved. I feel like I've made it...but it took me a while!

 

[TimJohnson]

My parents are superheroes.

Well, that's the way I visualized them growing up. Both of my parents grew up in a very small town in rural Virginia with a population of about 250 residents. As a matter of fact, they grew up across the street from one another and were best friends. How's that for a love story?

I think that the reason I saw them as superheroes in my mind is because they didn't allow the small town mindset that seems to hinder so many in the area we're from to dissuade them from striving to accomplish the goals and dreams they had.

Mom does it all. Doctorates degree, employed by NASA for 30+ years, Pastor, School board member, and college professor. She even managed to find a way to raise two pretty spectacular children!

Dad was no slouch either. A military life followed up by manager for Pepsi, and the man is an artist. Whether its drawing, painting, or photography, the man just has "it" (Whatever "it" is).

With role models like these guiding and shaping you on a daily basis, you can't help but to pick up on things. Resilience. Adaptability. A strong work ethic. But there's one thing that both of these superheroes taught me that stands above the rest: A refusal to be complacent.

 

[margotschmorak]

Growing up, the girls in my grade influenced me tremendously - but not always in the most positive way. It made me realize how I think differently and how not everyone loves taking risks. I was weird and nerdy from Day 1 - and that just wasn't cool. I was a Jewish Chinese girl in Minneapolis, Minnesota (at the time, a very, very white community) who loved math and relished test-taking and competition. I skipped a grade in elementary school and was woefully underprepared socially. From early on, I always felt like an outsider.

It was my parents who empowered to take chances. With their support, I nurtured a seeker sensibility when it comes to live, travel, and friends. Even today I love taking big risks and going on adventures - whether it is on the flying trapeze (my latest fun thing to do) or auditioning for a high-level singing group. I wouldn't be here if my mom and dad didn't give me that strong sense of agency.

 

[DMartinez]

my parents were pretty much “absent” in my life. Two older siblings had already moved out and my brother who was three years older than I was had to take care of each other. I was six and he was 9 when I realized this would be our norm.

He was always being bad and getting in trouble while I was certainly the Miss Goodie Two Shoes. Neither position worked with my father.

I survived by looking outside of the house and conjuring up imaginary parents that I “wished” I had.

These parents were kind, loving, smart and loved us immensely. I worked hard and developed values and morals for this imaginary set of parents. They deserved a good and obedient child.

Because of these times I developed loyalty, and tenaciousness and a hard strong work ethic. All of this was in hopes of making my birth parents happy and proud.

While that never happened and they were dead before I even applied for college I was able to use the skills to become successful.

I’m not sure if that answers your question or not.

When people ask where am I from, my first inclination is to respond, "Which time?"
Ever since my first spark of life I've been on the road. Conceived in Panama, born in Virginia, and raised on the road as my military dad moved us on to the next base, my concept of community has always been fluid and self-created. It was a skill Mom imparted to all of us.

Though an Army nurse by training, in reality she was more the lead officer of our familial CBs (Construction Battalion). No matter where we landed, she immediately transformed any house into our old familiar home and built connections into the community. Then when it was time to leave, she was able to break it all down and do it again.

It's a pattern I have replicated over the last 42 years of married life with my international construction engineer husband.

Thanks for the prompt and inspiration to rethink my About Us page!
Our current guest informed us about our coffee grinder not working - then adds:

"We wondered if you had other houses and how long you've been renting. We've stayed in a dozen places over the years and this is the nicest. We much appreciated the house, kudos for the well appointed kitchen."

I sent her my thanks and appreciation with the link to my newly updated page.

 

[Jeff_I]

My father was born in Teheran, Iran in a relatively wealthy family. When he almost 10, he was forced to flee to the US with the rest of my family to escape religious persecution. The government took everything, except for a few small antique rugs they were able to sneak away with. He came to America with nothing, and spoke no english - and became a successful businessman. To this day he approaches everything in this country, and in life, with a healthy dose of skepticism for social constructs.

Growing up asking "why?" is what has allowed me to think outside the box and disrupt the norm.

 

[JFaxman]

My parents vacationed at lakefront cottages our whole life. They dreamed of retiring to one they owned. Finally they found a great lot - ONLY none would have said it was a great lot it was so overgrown and the cottage was old and basic. But they could see potential. They and we kids (young then) worked hard to help fix it up. They got their wish and retired there.

Time passed with all loving to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the lake. Now 4 kids had 11 grandkids who all loved the lake came to visit and love the place. More time passed They became elderly, my sister tried to move in to help and eventually bought the cottage next door! They passed away at 88yrs. after a great life, leaving a loving family and a sense of place! They left us all the cottage.

We wanted to keep the cottage BUT - taxes and upkeep were steep. We had a neighbor who double booked on VRBO (no airbnb then) and he asked if we would take the guests. ........18 years later those same guests finally stopped renting as they were now elderly.

I the youngest child bought out my siblings and learned the game of rentals right after. By BUYING a product called the VAULT from a guy named Matt Landau. With time I rented the original (owned 40 years now) my sisters, and now a neighbors and another and another .....so the story continues.

We are Still a family who uses and shares the cottage BUT I love hospitality and make my guests into friends and family, so grow and love it. We are family serving families! My hope is each guest delights in all there is to do and the lovely nature and beauty of the lake. I am blessed by a legacy of love and a sense of a place and love to share!

Below are photos, one of each cottage. The first one shows the generations, My sister -Generation 2 and, my son -Generation 3 and granddaughter of my sister -Generation 4 ! All thanks to mom and dad Generation ONE. I hope we see YOU at the lake!

 

[Matt Landau]

When that DNA is blended together, what is the result? I think a sensitivity to clients’ needs while paying attention to the necessary details and, most importantly, a strong work ethic with pride in a job well done.

Jan, I would add the self-taught element. That seems to run in the family 🙂

sense of agency

I love this phrase!

A refusal to be complacent

This is an incredible observation, Tim!

skepticism for social constructs

Love this phrase too!

Opening up your home to strangers enriches your life.

What a great "legacy" of immigrants!

 

[Matt Landau]

UPDATE

My dad just shared with me this article about his shop in the early days and boy do I know where my sense for limited edition came from! https://njbiz.com/prospering-by-running-against-the-crowd/

"This is a tale ...of a small family-owned store that found success by dumping its products as soon as they became popular. Welcome to the contrarian world of Landau”s"

 

[JPrugh]

Growing up, our family moved a couple times, so my sibs and I had to start from scratch. My parents could have provided more guidance, but perhaps they did in their own way.

For anyone who has moved from one small town to the next, it can be difficult to navigate the unwritten mores, especially socially. I learned to keep trying many, many times, nearly always bumping into things to the point that my aching head could be my norm. Being an introvert forced me dig very deep to find ways forward, often leading, to my delight, to completely unexpected outcomes. This is counterintuitive, but my successes have often revealed themselves not long after giving up on what I wanted to happen! Serendipity rocks!

After my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I got involved with the local board, even though really didn't know anything about serving on a board. Ended up on the Alzheimer's Association National Board for a few years, again scrambling up the learning curve.

Along the way, I embraced my maxim that nothing is really that difficult, because someone somewhere did it before. Embracing my inner "outlier", I've become something of a leader in this little town in Kansas, even though I don't live there.

 

[JStevens]

Jan, I would add the self-taught element. That seems to run in the family 🙂

You are so insightful, Matt. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[StaySavvy]

I had a teacher, Mrs MacMillan, who thought I was special and made me feel special. I was about 9 or 10 years old when she arranged for a psychologist to come to the school to test my IQ and they found I was well above the average. This actually led to a lot of pressure being put on me to be better than the other kids, particularly by my parents. Academically I was above average but never near the top. In short I felt like a failure for my whole academic life and into my career too. I suppose it was this feeling of being a failure that drove me on. Now that I've had a reasonable degree of success in my business I don't feel anymore that I have underachieved. I feel like I've made it...but it took me a while!

Gee... If I could pay myself $1 for every time I felt the question arise of whether or not I've 'made it' yet, I could have been retired by now!

 

[AFirmani]

From the young age of two, my family begin hosting exchange students from all over the world. My mom was a HS teacher and my father was the friendliest human you could ever meet! I also recall many students hanging at the house as well. Looking back, it was such a fun experience for a kid but also shaped my interesting in people and letting them easily become part of the family.

We have had 4 exchange students in our home, but more importantly, I am sure we are now in the hundreds of families and new friends we have hosted in our VRs. I enjoy hearing their stories and making new friends and I am sure it comes from the wonderful, open home I grew up in! I feel so lucky to have so many friends now!