How to Look Rich

[landover]

It is beneficial to look rich in some countries. Example, if one is in an accident, quality of care depends on how is one's perceived richness, also treatment by member of public varies depending upon looks.

 

[grasshopper]

Must be the recent shine I gave my Birkenstocks?

Ha

"The smile on my face isn't from the shine on my shoes"

 

[FUEGO]

I thought about this thread today. I walked into a meeting (I'm still working) a minute or two late to see a packed room and only 1 open seat so I take it. During a break in the meeting I'm trying to get to know the other people in the room so I strike up a conversation with the guy to my right. I start asking him who he works for, what size is the company, what do they do etc. Shooting the breeze about these type of meetings and why they are important, relevant, valuable, etc. I didn't get a chance to ask him what his role was at his employer.

After he walked away I asked a buddy what was this guy's role? "Uhhh, Bob owns the company." Lol. Sure enough the guy is the sole owner of a $100+ million company that has a 9 figure contract with us right now (the subject contract of the meeting).

I learned that the rich dress like the rest of us (with clean, pressed clothes and new looking shoes), but he looked well groomed, had a simple watch (that looked new), iphone, and ipad. And when he introduced himself during the ice breaker segment, he said he enjoyed boating, particularly sailing. Modesty is a virtue of the wealthy - he called it boating and sailing, not yachting which is what I hear he actually does... They want to sound normal just like the rest of us mere middling wealthy.

 

[Nords]

After he walked away I asked a buddy what was this guy's role? "Uhhh, Bob owns the company." Lol. Sure enough the guy is the sole owner of a $100+ million company that has a 9 figure contract with us right now (the subject contract of the meeting).

Was Bob impressed with how well your company studied up on his company for the meeting?

Nine-figure contracts should earn a 24"x36" portrait of the owner on an easel in the lobby.

When I was on sea duty, our sentries were expected to recognize various VIPs in person-- the admiral, a few commodores, a few commanding officers. They still had to prove their identity with their ID card but the sentry was expected to be able to greet them by name.

Of course it was a little difficult to reconcile their official photo with the guy standing in front of you wearing civvies and a two-day beard.

A friend of mine was telling tales of retired flag officers he's worked with. When ADM Hayward retired from CNO to Hawaii, he took a job in a local company. When his phone rang, he answered it as "Tom Hayward". He opened his own mail. He sent his own faxes. He made a fresh pot of coffee when he took the last cup. Someone eventually asked him why he behaved that way (instead of like a stereotypical retired flag officer) and he said "This seemed like a good chance to reinvent myself as someone who does his fair share of the work like everyone else." If you didn't recognize the face or the name then you'd have no idea what he used to do for a living.

We have two other retired four-stars living here with similar reputations. One of them is Tom Fargo (who I've briefly meet) and the other is Zap Zlatoper (who I only know by reputation). Real human beings, something you don't often find in a flag officer.

A fourth four-star retiree (I'm not naming names this time) went to work for a similar local company. He "required" a reserved parking spot, a company car with a gas credit card, an admin assistant, and all the other exec perks. He never answered a phone or touched a fax machine or opened an envelope, let alone risked a paper cut. This freed him up to spend more time thinking executive thoughts and making executive decisions. His business decisions cost the company $500K in expenses without generating additional revenue, and a year later it was decided that he should re-retire.

 

[brewer12345]

Funny, Nords.

I work in a VERY secure building. One day, the head of our organization was visiting us here in the sticks. He did not have his ID, the guards did not recognize him, and they would not let him in. I think it was heading for the big man being lead away in handcuffs when someone thought to call a local exec who verified the big guy's identity and defused the situation.

 

[rescueme]

I have to settle for the JC Penney or Kohl's versions.....

Funny you said that. Got mine at Kohl's last week (we'll be on Maui on the 23rd )...

 

[FUEGO]

Was Bob impressed with how well your company studied up on his company for the meeting?

Nine-figure contracts should earn a 24"x36" portrait of the owner on an easel in the lobby.

It was a meeting to get to know each other, discuss how our relationship will work, communications processes, etc. Mission accomplished.

The funny thing is that this guy still thinks about things like I do. My buddy was trying to invite himself to Bob's yacht or villa or something in the Caribbean, but expressed concern over the cost of flights. Bob said nonchalantly "Fly out of Big City Airport, direct flights aren't even $400". Still cost conscious. I guess it takes attention to costs to run a business (successfully).