Keep On Selling Those Hot Dogs

Okay, I know you think Karen has finally lost it, talking about hot dogs in a Real Estate article!!! As you know I always base my articles on real life situations and questions that I am asked and I tend to keep it on the positive. Many people have come to me with great concern since the Oil Spill and have become gripped in fear of their investment and their career. While this has been a daunting and challenging situation, there is every reason to keep the enthusiasm for what is right in our world instead of focusing on the negative. I had many things to write about this week but thought it a great time to remind you of one of my all time favorite stories.

There was once a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio – he had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers and of course he didn’t look at television. But he sold very good hot dogs. He put up signs on the highway telling everyone how good they were, he stood on the side of the road and cried out to all that past ‘buy a hot dog, they are the best in town’.

And people bought his hot dogs and he increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of all the extra business. He finally got his son to come and help him out with his business.

But then something happened. His son who had been well educated said . . . “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio or reading the newspapers or watching television? There’s a big recession happening right now. The current business situation is terrible in this country – we have problems with unemployment, high living costs, strikes, pollution, the influence of minorities and majorities, the rich, the poor, drugs, alcohol, capitalism and communism”.

Where upon his father thought, “Well my son’s been well educated, he reads the papers, listens to the radio and watches television, so he ought to know “.

So his father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down all his advertising signs and no longer bothered to stand by the side of the road to enthusiastically promote and sell his hot dogs . . . . and his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.

“You’re right, son,” the father said “we certainly are in the middle of a recession.”

I in no way want to downplay the magnitude of what the oil spill has meant and will mean to our environment. I have learned however that to squelch my enthusiasm or to stop doing those things that I believe in because people want to talk and focus on the negative will not bring solutions. In the course of history humankind has always found solutions and answers when they were most needed. We have also learned great lessons due to disasters and blunders. I do not see that changing.

To carry the hot dog story a little further. There are those that always find a way to succeed in spite of what is going on in the world around them. They reach deep down and find those things that work and they stay with them and know that success comes to those that are resilient. For me it has always been to be incredibly enthusiastic about my job and my community and to keep the focus on what is possible!!! We live in an incredible place, we have a great new airport, our beaches are the best, our neighbors are inviting and welcoming to all the tourist and visitors, we have PCBdaily.com that keeps us up on what matters to us, we have a bustling Pier Park, a gorgeous beach…. need I go on? We have so much to be excited about and celebrate living here on The Emerald Coast. So whatever you are selling keep doing it with boundless enthusiasm and enjoy the moment you are living in and until we meet again…. remember “The only people we need to get even with are those that have helped us” My list is getting longer and longer!!!