American Exceptionalism – Page 5

April 28, 2018

Categories

Paranoia

I’ve written before about Shark Tank, the television show that features business owners who make presentations to wealthy investors who are referred to as “sharks.” Each of the sharks is an experienced entrepreneur who became wealthy by successfully starting and growing multiple businesses.

April 7, 2018

Categories

An April Fool’s Game

In honor of April Fool’s Day, which was on Easter Sunday this year, I thought it would be fun to play a simple April Fool’s game. Maybe I can fool you with a quote. I’m going to give you the quote and then see if you can guess the name of the person who made the statement that I quoted.

March 3, 2018

Categories

Think and Grow….

Last year was the 80th anniversary of the publication of the book, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. The book, which was originally published in 1937, has never gone out of print. In other words, at any time during the past 80 years, a person could walk into a bookstore or, in recent years, go on the internet and purchase the book. Very few books have ever succeeded in remaining in print for 80 years.

February 24, 2018

Categories

I’ll Believe It When I See It

Last week, I wrote about one of the challenges that I have as a lawyer, which is the failure of many of my clients to understand the nature and extent of the work I do for them. Much of what I do as an attorney is hidden from my clients.

February 17, 2018

Categories

The Challenge of Being in a Service Business

Last month, on January 21, 2018, I celebrated the 35th anniversary of the opening my law practice. I graduated from law school in May 1982, and received my license to practice law in November 1982. Two months later, on January 21, 1983, I rented an office from an established Peoria attorney.

February 3, 2018

Categories

A Dream & The Greatest Showman

I recently joined my wife and some of our children at a local theater to see the movie, The Greatest Showman. The movie is a musical about the life of P.T. Barnum. It begins when Barnum is a boy. He is the son of a poor tailor who does work for a wealthy man. The man looks down on Barnum and his father, because of their lower-class status.

January 6, 2018

Categories

Something Married Couples Face After Years of Marriage

Last week, I had an appointment with a man — I’ll call him Jim — who hired me eight months ago to represent him on a personal injury case. As usual, Jim brought his wife with him to the appointment. I’ve met with Jim and his wife on four occasions over the past eight months. Jim was injured when a large truck disregarded a stop sign and collided with his vehicle in the middle of an intersection. Because of his injuries, Jim has not been able to return to work. He’s been without an income for eight months.

October 29, 2017

Categories

A Reason to Be Scared

It’s Halloween season, and one of the reasons we should be scared is because seven out of 10 Americans are so broke they don’t have enough money saved to cover a $1,000 emergency. These Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They know that if they ever experience a short-term layoff or a medical crisis, they will be in big financial trouble. I meet people all the time in my law practice who are living this way. Most of them are decent, honest individuals who are dedicated to their families.

July 15, 2017

Categories

Lessons From An Immigrant Entrepreneur

You may have heard of Gary Vaynerchuk. He was born in the Soviet Union in 1975, and his parents immigrated to the United States in 1978. Gary’s nine-member family started out in a studio apartment in New York and later moved to New Jersey. After arriving in New Jersey, Vaynerchuk’s father, Sasha, purchased a local liquor store.