Steve D. Valentine took a sabbatical for rehab and told his clients and investors directly. When he returned, his honesty opened deeper conversations with an investor who also knows recovery through AA, and led to a refinancing deal on a sober-living property that worked for both of them.
Sabbatical. That was actually what we told most of our clients and investors when I went to rehab. And after rehab, after we got to work and fixed some things and went back and had some hard conversations with people to tell them what had gone on, the hard part about that was I didn't want people to worry financially. We had things under control and we had built it up that way. It's one of the big things of working hard and never giving up is making sure that you create some, some safety nets. And we were able to do that when I went to rehab. But the cool part was just the fact that the sabbatical led to a lot of great conversations. And that great conversation with one of our bigger investors that I've known for a really long time, in fact, it's a generational inheritance of this investor from my dad. And we've been investing and doing private money for years. And I've acquired a couple of sober living properties. Yesterday, I made a proposal to a couple of my investors who've known each other for a long time. One of them referred each other. And so I'm looking to refinance our sober living farm. So I sent it to them with a proposed preferred rate, with some increased cash flow and what the intent and the goal was and sharing with them, this is an investment, a return on life and a return on money. And, you know, this is the proposal. I would love to chat with you guys about it. The cool part about one of these investors that he's been in AA for like 13 years, and this is kind of near and dear to his heart. And I had no idea until I sat down to lunch and cried my eyes out and Shared with them what a mess I had made of my life. As you know, they're investing millions of dollars with me on a regular basis. That's a vulnerable conversation, but you realize that we had both not been talking about it. And now that we are talking about it, and because I was vulnerable about it, it creates a different type of investment and a different type of conversation for us. So understand that your story carries weight with your clients when you're willing to be vulnerable, when you're willing to have those conversations, and that creates connection.
It’s Not What Your House Is Worth; It’s What It Can Do for You (Pause, Identify, Respond)
