04 July 2014

Thoughts on Independence Day

On Tuesday, I congratulated my Canadian friends and clients on Confederation Day, Canada's Day of Independence from the British. Today we in the US are celebrating it.

It is a major Holiday, not because all supermarkets are closed, which is unusual enough, but because of the significance for this country, just as Canada Day is for our Canadian friends.

By coincidence or by design, today I also wrote a former prospective client who had acted rather unprofessionally: after a flurry of important emails from him, super-urgent phone calls – often several a day – and a property search that couldn't wait one single second, all of a sudden: nothing. No more response, no "thanks, not interested any more".

Until today, when he asked to be taken off my email list. Which of course I did, but I also added a cool-ish (but polite) comment about his unprofessional behaviour.

Silly of me? Perhaps. Did I write it to make me feel better? Nope.

But I strongly believe one shouldn't offer the other cheek: bad behavior, tolerated, breeds more bad behavior.

Luckily, my business is successful enough to allow me to pick my clients, to voice my opinion, to assert my independence.

What about you – Can you, do you, have you?

Happy Fourth to y'all,

Tobias


Fireworks over Miami Bay, shot from a bobbing sailboat. ©tckaiser