A New Year’s Message From Bacon Commercial Real Estate

Business goal setting and New Year’s resolutions can be tough. Both require some extra introspection, and that’s typically easier when everything is going just right. New Year’s resolutions are usually personal, while business goal setting is clearly about business. But let’s face it – business and personal life (especially in the field of commercial real estate) are intertwined. I am a big believer that you need to maintain balance – and find fulfillment – in areas outside of the business.

This could not be more clear after surviving 2020.

Years ago, I would find fulfillment playing golf. I went to the driving range constantly, I watched the golf channel daily, and I found solace from domestic turmoil playing golf. But for the amount of golf I played, I sucked. I maintained a “vanity handicap” which is the opposite of being a sandbagger. It is also very expensive.

One day my swing resembled the offspring of a mechanical bull and a log-splitter. They say, “A bad day on the golf course beats working.” Well this particular day, I would have rather been an untrained trapeze artist.  As the round progressed, things got worse. Around the 10th hole, I snap-hooked a wedge out of bounds, and my temper got the best of me – I nearly broke my toe when I slammed my wedge onto my foot (intended target was the ground.)

I guess you could say, I hit rock bottom. I was hiding golf from my wife, and I was neglecting work and kids. Well, they say that “when one door closes another door opens.” It was at this moment I decided to play guitar again. Am I any better at guitar than golf? Probably just a tad, but the beauty is that with guitar, it’s free, and it is forgiving. Golf is not forgiving – until you learn to forgive yourself.

At a Rotary lunch a few years back, the guest speaker said something that has resonated since. The key takeaway was, manage your expectations. This simple shift changed everything. There has been plenty of disappointment along the way, but shifting expectations eliminated my greatest critic. The Rotary speaker also talked about balance, one of the most overstated, but under-implemented mantras.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2021. Bacon Commercial Real Estate  has diversified from primarily office leasing to include selling some multi-family development sites, consulting and we even decided to throw in an industrial sale or two.

During 2020, more than ever, I repeated  this mantra at least once a day,  “Don’t worry about the commission, focus on the relationship.” Fulfilling relationships last a lifetime. Commissions pay the bills and create tax consequences.   Here is to a balanced and successful 2021! If you are thinking about renewing or re-negotiating your lease – or perhaps you want to buy or sell, please call Tom at Bacon Commercial Real Estate at 916-761-1202.

Happy New Year!