Читать книгу Psychological Analysis - Adam Sarhan - Страница 22

In order for you to properly understand the timeless concepts I discuss in this book, I give you some context by sharing some important stories with you.

I was born in New York City. My mother taught elementary school, then later ran her own logistics business, and my father, an immigrant, ran a small business selling men's suits a few blocks from Wall Street. I remember seeing “Wall Street” guys come in and buy dozens of suits, shirts, and ties, and from a young age, deep in my subconscious, I felt the allure. My parents taught me the value of education, they taught me the value of a dollar, and they instilled in me a work ethic that propelled me through college, graduate school, and into my working life.

I inherited my parent's entrepreneurial spirit, and even as a kid, I envisioned myself as a “businessman.” I loved the idea of buying and selling things, and I was intellectually fascinated with the idea of solving a problem, adding value, and making a profit. I loved using my mind to make money. While in middle school, before Costco and Sam's Club were “a thing,” I found a local source where I could buy candy at wholesale prices, and I sold the treats at school between classes. Blow Pops were my number‐one seller.

Eventually, I was forced to shut down because the “business” grew and attracted the attention of the principal, who told me that I had to stop. He called my parents, and I was terrified that I would be in big trouble. In the meeting, my parents asked him, “What did Adam do wrong?” He stumbled and couldn't find something to say (because, technically, I did not break any rules), and he finally proclaimed, “He's competing with the cafeteria!” To my surprise, after we left, instead of being in trouble, my parents said the incident offered a very important lesson about monopoly and power. “Next time,” my parents said, “don't get caught.”

For my next “business,” I sold fireworks but stopped when I realized that, in the wrong hands, they were really dangerous. I knew that if someone got hurt I would really be in big trouble. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the big timeless lesson there was always respect risk.