A Father's Day Multi-faceted Throwback

Dad over the years - 1) The little kid in the front 2) Basic training in WWII 3) Dad and I taking a shot at Meyer lemons after my Aunt told us how sweet they were 4) He loved onion rings 5) Mom/Dad - award-winning Halloween costumes in 2012

​by Skip Cohen
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It's Throwback Thursday, and this weekend is Father's Day...so it's a multi-faceted blog post. 

The portrait of my Dad and me on the right, which I've shared before, was captured in a booth at PPA National at least twenty-five years ago by Don Blair. I cherish the portrait, but there are a couple of additional points it makes. First, you don't need a fancy studio if you understand lighting and posing! Second, memories captured by old friends are definitely the best.

"Big Daddy" Blair and I wrote our first book together in the 90s. It was a kick to do, and it remains relevant as a guide for outstanding portraiture.

One of the highlights over the years was Dad coming to conventions with me. And when he and Don got together, the laughs were non-stop. They both served in the military in WWII...and I'm convinced the war might have ended earlier if not for these two knuckleheads! (And the way I'm using the word knuckleheads is filled with love, respect, and the biggest smile!) 

There's rarely a week that goes by that something doesn't come up that makes me think of Don. And when Gary (Don's son) and I get together, even on a phone call, there's an ongoing contest to see who can imitate Big Daddy's best "Hey, hey, hey, my man!"

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Dad and Don Blair - 1998?

Skip and Gary Blair 2010

Since Father's Day is Sunday, this is also about my Dad. He was my best buddy. Although he passed away over ten years ago, that doesn't diminish the appreciation and love I have for everything he taught me. I used to say there weren't many guys my age who still had their parents around, let alone liked them! 

He also possessed an amazing level of integrity, still conducting business on a handshake right up until his passing at 93. I convinced him to write the post below, which I share once a year. It makes a great point - stop worrying about everybody else's business and stay focused on your own.

Wishing all the dads out there a terrific weekend and a chance to simply kick back and relax. And to Dad and "Big Daddy" - I picture the two of you hanging out together and watching over all your "chicks and grand-chicks," as Don used to say.

​Happy Father's Day everybody!

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by Ralph Cohen

Yesterday was my 88th birthday.  I have been happily retired for many years, and unemployed for at least 15 of those. Now, out of the blue, comes our son, Skip, threatening me with employment! The pay he considers adequate is $.02 per word. So gathering together, my 50+ years in business experience, I thought this would be a good time to put my two cents in.

I am not a plagiarist, but I must quote my father who spent the last months of his life writing advice to his children:

“Conduct your business in an upright manner and remember, the most important thing in one’s life is to be honest with one’s self. Maintain the high standard and dignity that your business requires. Do not go into deals hastily and be visible in your business as much of the time as is possible.  If you take time to play, do it away from your business, because your livelihood needs all the attention you can give to it.”

Early on, I concluded that the best testimonials came from my many friendly competitors.  We didn’t really compete with each other, in the true sense. True, we were in the same field of endeavor, but we all knew we were there to help each other. Happily, the “tough competition” fell by the wayside.  

I remember giving Skip driving lessons and I told him, “Watch the left front fender…..the rest will take care of itself!” I’ve found this is really true of everything in life.

An old axiom says “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.”  That is all part of reputation-building. I found that, sadly, in the field of real estate, truth is hard to come by for many. In our case, it was a major building block in the reputation which we enjoyed, and helped us to thwart the competition.

Goodwill is all of the above, plus a lot of caring for your clients as well as your competitors.  If life is a give-and-take situation, giving is the more important of the two.  The taking will come with time and be far more appreciative.  Just remember - you heard it here!  

​Ralph Cohen, Founder and Creator of Skip Cohen!
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