Your Values aren't a Handicap in Business, They're a Filter
I've just read this incredible piece on how your values support trust in a profound way...enjoy! I once walked out of a room and left a million pounds behind... - by Simon Squibb All because of a single bottle of Jack Daniel's. We were building Fluid at the time, the creative agency me and my wife had started from scratch in Hong Kong. At this point we were deep in Asia, growing fast, fighting for every major client we could land. This particular deal would have been the biggest in our history. $1,000,000. A life changing amount. The kind of contract that would change our business overnight. Iād been speaking with the potential client for months, and here I was sat across from him. Everything was lining up. He was happy, and so was I. We were about to sign. This was it. But then the founder pulled out a bottle of whisky and set it on the table. He wanted to toast to the partnership. I don't drink. I never have. Not at my wedding, not once in my 51 years of life. I hesitated. This was a huge deal and myself and the team had worked for months to get it over the line. But I said no. I couldnāt do it. You see. I have an addictive personality. I always have. When I get into something, I can't stop. It's the same thing that made me an entrepreneur. Total obsession, all-in, every time. Iād also watched people around me get destroyed by that same wiring pointed at the wrong thing. So when I was young I made a decision. I'd never drink. Not even a sip. Because I knew what I was. The only safe line is the one you draw before anyone offers you a drink. But he didnāt see that. And he was offended. The meeting ended and the deal died on the spot. I drove home with nothing. For months I picked at it. It sounds almost laughable, looking back, a glass of whisky, a million pounds. I could have sipped it. I could have held the glass and never let it touch my lips. I could have found a dozen ways to blur the line just enough to save the deal. But I didn't and it was something I had to live with.