HOWARD TULLMAN JOINS LISA DENT ON WGN RADIO TO TALK ABOUT INC. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: FINISH WHAT YOU START

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE 

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

 

CAUGHT IN THE COOKIE JAR WITH HIS TRAITOR AND CO-CONSPIRATOR WIFE CHOMPING DOWN ON THE GOODIES

 

NEW INC. MAGAZINE COLUMN BY HOWARD TULLMAN

 

The Game is Won by People Who Absolutely Have to Get Things Done.

Finishing. Whether it's a crossword puzzle or a new product launch, the ability to commit to and finish a task is a critical skill for startups. Here are four keys to completion. 

 

BY HOWARD TULLMAN, GENERAL MANAGING PARTNER, G2T3V AND CHICAGO HIGH TECH INVESTORS@HOWARDTULLMAN1

 

Not too long ago, I was walking on a newly completed strip of asphalt, and I spotted a dime laying on the ground. Old habits die hard, and I quickly stooped to pick it up and found that the coin was stuck firmly in the black gook and wouldn't budge. I took out my keys and tried to dig around the edges of the coin, but I clearly had the wrong tools for the task. I thought for a moment that this was some prankster's idea of a joke like the old wallet on a string ploy or Lucy whisking away the football from Charlie Brown just before the kick, but sometimes tar is just tar. In any case, I went home and, like any good entrepreneur, stewed on the problem for a while, grabbed a screwdriver, mallet, and an awl from my basement, and headed back to the scene of the crime. That dime is now mine.

You wouldn't be surprised to learn that certain family members concluded that I was totally out of my gord - but the only really important question is whether this undertaking at that moment was the highest and best use of my time. Some version of this exact question is what every new business builder and entrepreneur should be asking themselves multiple times a day: "Is what I'm doing or about to do moving the business forward and closer to our goals?" It's so very easy these days to get distracted and lose your way and your direction. Time is scarce, resources are limited, and, if your attention is scattered, your chances of success are far less.

But that doesn't mean that even the smallest undertaking can't be important and meaningful in the long run. Finishing what you start is one great example.

It's not like I couldn't spare 15 minutes in my day, but was rescuing this dime really something that needed to be done?  And please ignore the reality that, in the WFH world, the spousal list of chores is infinite, inchoate, and always lurking - so there are always other demands competing for your time. What's critical about the decision to get the job done isn't its importance or size or even ultimate monetary or other value. What's crucial is developing, strengthening, and flexing from time to time the underlying behavior (or obsessiveness if you prefer) that drives so many successful people. The need to get things done.

The most successful people I know make sure that they try their best to finish whatever it is that they started. Unfinished tasks, large or small, don't disappear; they linger, fester, and suck away energy, focus, and enthusiasm. If you're lucky and work at it, you develop a mantra, a style, and a lifelong habit - like a dog with a bone that won't let things go.  Everyone comes to appreciate that you don't settle, quit in the middle, or do much of anything in a halfway or half-hearted manner.  The level of intensity with which you approach any and every challenge rarely differs from one task or project to another unless you no longer care about what you're doing.

And if you're very fortunate, that drive and commitment will carry over into whatever it is that you do for a living. Entrepreneurs especially know that in building a business you can be proud of, there's never really a finish line. And don't think for a moment that people don't notice or that it's not contagious. The strongest leaders lead by example, and they sweat all the details - large and small - to make sure the job gets done completely and done right. We don't go home when the whistle blows; we leave when there's nothing left to be done. We stop when we're finished.

Of course, we all know that not everything works out perfectly -- or at all. It's always a race to see how big you can get before you get bad.  You need to learn how to let things go because not everything can be fixed, finished, or saved. Knowing how to stop an ill-fated or fruitless venture and how to do it fairly for all concerned is another critical skill set which takes years to master. It makes life down the line a lot easier to set realistic milestones and several checkpoints, benchmarks, and drop-dead dates before you commit everyone to stick to the plan and the schedule.

But there are still some things you can do to set yourself up for the highest probability of consistent success and to help you avoid biting off more than anyone can chew. Here are the four main cautions I try to always keep in mind.

(1)   Look carefully--really carefully-- before you leap.

It's great to be enthusiastic and to say "Yes" to as many projects and tasks as possible, but the "ready, fire, aim" approach is guaranteed to cause you more heartache than happiness. Make sure you understand the scope and scale of each commitment before you jump into it - everything in life generally costs more and takes longer than we hope or expect, and startups are no different. You don't want to test the depth of the puddle with both feet.

(2)   Make sure you're taking your team with you.

The true leader is the one who gets followed - whole-heartedly and with enthusiasm. If you're spending too much time trying to talk your team into the journey, convincing them of its wisdom, or pulling them along beside you, there's a good chance that you need to take a second look and catch your breath before charging ahead. Nothing good gets done if you're working on it all by yourself.

(3)   Don't try to get to heaven overnight.

Patience isn't something normally associated with entrepreneurs, but starting out slowly and building over time gives you the power to course correct, the flexibility of alternatives and options, and the ability to recruit partners, talent, resources, and support for the new venture as time passes. You can't push a rope. Feeling too much pressure to get something done quickly generally means that you failed to scope out the project and analyze the requirements and necessary timeframes correctly before you began. In the long run, doing it right is far more important than doing it fast.

(4)   Make sure the gamble is worth the risk.

In interviewing, we don't hire the best person we see; we hire the best person we see for the job that needs to be done. It's the same idea for taking on new projects. As attractive and potentially profitable as they may be, it's always still a matter of "fit." Are the risks, the costs, the other foregone opportunities, the team's capacity and ability, and the upside of the venture all sufficient to make the undertaking worthwhile for your business. If any of the critical decision criteria are missing, it's a pass. It doesn't take a large leak to eventually sink even the sturdiest ship.

 Bottom line: Success is not about starting, it's about finishing. But starting out carefully and thoughtfully makes the whole process a lot easier, a lot less painful, and a lot more likely to succeed.

NEVER FORGET - THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD

 

NOTE FROM NEIL STEINBERG

 

Chicago voices #2: Howard Tullman on Jimmy Buffett

Howard Tullman

     I'm proud to have readers from across the spectrum — foaming MAGA maniacs and Sen. Dick Durbin,  the uneducated and the overeducated, some who have never been to Chicago and others who never leave.

     Today I'm sharing the thoughts of one of my most distinctive and voluminous correspondents, Howard Tullman, a hugely successful Chicago businessman, the guy behind the 1871 high tech incubator at the Merchandise Mart. I wrote about him six years ago when he sold part of his huge collection of contemporary art. 

     Tullman was one of the many, many readers who reacted to my critique of the somewhat tone deaf New York Times' obituary of Jimmy Buffett — the post led Charlie Meyerson's Chicago Public Media on Tuesday. I thought Howard's observations worth sharing, and hope that you do too:

     Everyone who ever worked with Jimmy Buffett, and I did, will tell you the same thing about him. Which is that they took far more away from the experience — however fleeting it may have been — than simply a love for the guy and his music. He was every bit as successful an entrepreneur as he was an entertainer, and he brought the same focus, passion, and enthusiasm to whatever he did.
     The insiders' joke was that he was about the least laid back "laid back" guy you were ever gonna meet. Whether it was music, his Margaritaville-themed businesses, charity, or politics, it was the same story — if he was in, he was in 110% and he did everything with a vengeance. Jimmy was direct, down-to-earth and deliberate in his dealings with you whether you were a peasant or a prince, although he never paid attention to those kinds of distinctions. And that openness, attitude, and approach never changed over the more than 30 years that I knew him.
     So, it's a little surprising to hear from so many people that they had no real idea that he was such a substantial businessman in addition to being a great writer and musician. I'm reluctant to add "philosopher" to the encomium because he always hated it when anyone used such "high-falutin'" terms to describe him. He was thoughtful and certainly took a great deal of pride in his craft and worked his butt off to make that happen.
     But he was also amazingly modest and always said that he was just one of the guys who got far luckier than he ever expected or deserved. And, he'd usually add that the luckiest thing in his life was his family. I know he usually meant his immediate family, but there were plenty of others in his various circles who felt that familial bond as well and knew that — if the need ever arose — he'd be there for you.
     There are dozens of lines in the lyrics that mean a great deal to millions of listeners as they applied his folksy and touching wisdom to their own lives, but very few that related to business as opposed to his mostly imagined aquatic, romantic and intoxicated lifestyle. However, if there's an entrepreneur alive whose long, lonely nights and life on the road who can't relate to Come Monday, I'd like to meet him.
     In any case, here are the three most important things that Jimmy shared with me over several projects and many years:

(1) Your work is what you do, not who you are.

     It's difficult for any new business builder to separate himself from the business — the best entrepreneurs never leave much of anything at the office at day's end — and taking things personally and to heart is critical to their eventual success. The ones who care the most win. But maintaining a healthy distance between what you do and your own identity and self-worth is crucial to your mental health.
     And when you're a celebrity, and a walking lifestyle, like Jimmy was, it's even harder sometimes to remember to separate your public "persona" from the work and the audience's response. No one's "happy-go-lucky" all the time — it's not part of the human condition. Performers face a far more immediate and regular test of their efforts every time they cut a record, perform, write something, or offer new material to the world because the world — especially these days - is a picky and nasty place. When he faced criticism, complaints, and even outright rejection or disappointment, Jimmy always took a step back and said that he could only do his best and that, as long as he did that, he could live with whatever came after. Success is fleeting, but excellence is forever. His work was a wonderful part of his life, but making a living was only a part of making a life worth living.

(2) Take your work seriously, but not yourself.

     It's easy as an entrepreneur to convince yourself that the weight of the world is on your shoulders, that everyone inside and outside of the company is depending on you, and that the work you're doing is the most pressing and important work around. And it's sadly too short a step for too many people to translate that actual and awesome responsibility into the belief that your shit doesn't stink. An entrepreneur needs plenty of self-confidence, but that power and passion needs to be tempered from time to time with some self-awareness as well.
     Jimmy could always laugh at himself. He'd sometimes catch himself pressing a little too hard, lecturing out loud, or even pontificating and — full stop — he'd just shut up and shake his head and say: "Where'd I go wrong?" or "Who is this guy anyway?" He knew he could get caught up in the work and in the moment and he would never compromise the take or the music or the project. But he'd often take himself to task, take a short break and a mental reset, and then come back - a little sheepishly – and hit things twice as hard.
     He knew that, from time to time, the person most likely to get in the way of moving things forward was Jimmy Buffett and he always kept an eye out for times when he thought he was getting too full of himself or ahead of the game.

(3) Never expect to get what you give — not everyone's heart's as big as yours.

     I'm not sure that Jimmy ever got enough credit for his charitable work — not just the music appearances at all the big-deal group events over the years — but the gestures and the sleeves-rolled-up time he devoted quietly to a number of causes, people, and charities that were personally near and dear to his heart. But — not surprisingly — not everyone else in these ventures lived up to their end of the bargain, delivered on their promises, or even showed up when they said they would. What was completely amazing to me was how he never let these disappointments get him down, interfere with what he needed to do, or even break his belief that most of the people out there were solid citizens, well-intentioned, generous, and willing to help others in need. It would have been so easy to get angry, to hold a grudge, or to say, along with the Who, "we won't get fooled again" and walk away. But he never did. He didn't measure, he didn't compete, he didn't lose his faith, and he never stopped giving back. He did everything he could, never expected anything in return, and never tried to impose his contributions and commitments on others.
     There's never a best way to say goodbye or to close a piece like this, but I'm sure that Jimmy wouldn't mind if I take a line from Now and Forever which Carole King wrote in 1992: "We had a moment that will last, beyond a dream, beyond a lifetime." We'll be together, now and forever.

Posted by Neil Steinberg at 12:00 AM 

Chicago's unqualified and inexperienced mayor missing in action

 

Mayor is missing in action on crime

How sad is it that we now live in a city torn and convulsed by rampant and brazen street criminals who drive stolen cars and know the police will be ordered not to chase them and whose behavior is justified, excused and encouraged by a mayor who is reluctant to show his face and aggressively speak out — simply and directly — about these thugs and gangsters.

We see Brandon Johnson at every concert, ballgame and event, but never at a press conference following regular weekends of robberies, carjackings and vandalism, where he could be asked about his inaction, ineptitude and indifference to the way our way of life in the city is being corrupted and destroyed by “kids” just having fun.

Every opportunity the largely invisible mayor has to make bold and convincing statements about taking any kind of effective action on the crime issue is weakened and emasculated by weasel words, excuses, justifications and blame shifting.

What kind of city will be left when every plan, trip, entertainment or shopping excursion, or simple dog walk to the park in any neighborhood will need to consider and account for the crime and the risks of masked and armed bands of thieves rampaging through our streets?

How quickly our lives have changed under this new mayor who proudly professes that nothing has surprised him about the city in his first 100 days. Only a fool would think he had mastered and understood the challenges and complexity of a city of this size and former greatness in a matter of months. This attitude and admission simply confirm the grave error we made in electing someone with no business experience and no management history.

Howard A. Tullman, Lincoln Park

 

LOOP NORTH NEWS - JIMMY BUFFETT

 

Serving the Loop and Near North neighborhoods of downtown Chicago

Three things my friend Jimmy Buffett taught me about life and business Buffett was as talented an entrepreneur as he was a musician, author, sailor, and aviator. He never forgot about keeping successes and failures in perspective. By Howard Tullman 6-Sep-23 – Everyone who ever worked with Jimmy Buffett, and I did, will tell you the same thing about him. Which is that they took far more away from the experience – however fleeting it may have been – than simply a love for the guy and his music. He was every bit as successful an entrepreneur as he was an entertainer, and he brought the same focus, passion, and enthusiasm to whatever he did. The insiders’ joke was that he was about the least “laid-back” guy you were ever gonna meet. Whether it was music, his Margaritaville-themed businesses, charity, or politics, it was the same story – if he was in, he was in 110 percent, and he did everything with a vengeance. Jimmy was direct, down-to-earth, and deliberate in his dealings with you whether you were a peasant or a prince, although he never paid attention to those kinds of distinctions. And that openness, attitude, and approach never changed over the more than 30 years that I knew him. So, it’s a little surprising to hear from so many people that they had no real idea that he was such a substantial businessman in addition to being a great writer and musician. I’m reluctant to add “philosopher” to the encomium because he always hated it when anyone used such highfalutin terms to describe him. He was thoughtful and certainly took a great deal of pride in his craft and worked his butt off to make that happen. But he was also amazingly modest and always said that he was just one of the guys who got far luckier than he ever expected or deserved. And, he’d usually add that the luckiest thing in his life was his family. I know he usually meant his immediate family, but there were plenty of others in his various circles who felt that familial bond as well and knew that – if the need ever arose – he’d be there for you. There are dozens of lines in the lyrics that mean a great deal to millions of listeners as they applied his folksy and touching wisdom to their own lives, but very few that related to business as opposed to his mostly imagined aquatic, romantic, and intoxicated lifestyle. However, if there’s an entrepreneur alive whose long, lonely nights and life on the road doesn’t resemble Come Monday, I’d like to meet him or her. In any case, here are the three most important things that Jimmy shared with me over several projects and many years. jimmybuffett.com 1 Your work is what you do, not who you are. It’s difficult for any new business builder to separate himself from the business – the best entrepreneurs never leave much of anything at the office at day’s end – and taking things personally and to heart is critical to their eventual success. The ones who care the most win. But maintaining a healthy distance between what you do and your own identity and self-worth is crucial to your mental health. And when you’re a celebrity – and a walking lifestyle like Jimmy was – it’s even harder sometimes to remember to separate your public “persona” from the work and the audience’s response. No one’s happy-go-lucky all the time – it’s not part of the human condition. Performers face a far more immediate and regular test of their efforts every time they cut a record, perform, write something, or offer new material to the world because the world – especially these days – is a picky and nasty place. When he faced criticism, complaints, and even outright rejection or disappointment, Jimmy always took a step back and said that he could only do his best and that, as long as he did that, he could live with whatever came after. Success is fleeting, but excellence is forever. His work was a wonderful part of his life, but making a living was only a part of making a life worth living. 2 Take your work seriously, but not yourself. It’s easy as an entrepreneur to convince yourself that the weight of the world is on your shoulders, that everyone inside and outside of the company depends on you, and that the work you’re doing is the most pressing and important work around. And it’s sadly too short a step for too many people to translate that actual and awesome responsibility into the belief that your shit doesn’t stink. An entrepreneur needs plenty of self-confidence, but that power and passion need to be tempered from time to time with some self-awareness as well. Jimmy could always laugh at himself. He’d sometimes catch himself pressing a little too hard, lecturing out loud, or even pontificating, and – full stop – he’d just shut up and shake his head and say: “Where’d I go wrong?” or “Who is this guy anyway?” He knew he could get caught up in the work and in the moment, and he would never compromise the take or the music or the project. But he’d often take himself to task, take a short break and a mental reset, and then come back – a little sheepishly – and hit things twice as hard. He knew that, from time to time, the person most likely to get in the way of moving things forward was Jimmy Buffett, and he always kept an eye out for times when he thought he was getting too full of himself or ahead of the game. 3 Never expect to get what you give. Not everyone’s heart is as big as yours. I’m not sure that Jimmy ever got enough credit for his charitable work – not just the music appearances at all the big-deal group events over the years – but the gestures and the sleeves-rolled-up time he devoted quietly to a number of causes, people, and charities that were personally near and dear to his heart. But, unsurprisingly, not everyone else in these ventures lived up to their end of the bargain, delivered on their promises, or even showed up when they said they would. What was completely amazing to me was how he never let these disappointments get him down, interfere with what he needed to do, or even break his belief that most of the people out there were solid citizens, well-intentioned, generous, and willing to help others in need. It would have been so easy to get angry, to hold a grudge, or to say, along with The Who, “We won’t get fooled again,” and walk away. But he never did. He didn’t measure, he didn’t compete, he didn’t lose his faith, and he never stopped giving back. He did everything he could, never expected anything in return, and never tried to impose his contributions and commitments on others. There’s never a best way to say goodbye or to close a piece like this, but I’m sure that Jimmy wouldn’t mind if I take a line from Now and Forever, which Carole King wrote in 1992: We had a moment, just one moment That will last beyond a dream, beyond a lifetime We are the lucky ones Some people never get to do all we got to do Now and forever, I will always think of you Howard Tullman is General Managing Partner for G2T3V, LLC – Investors in Disruptive Innovators, and for Chicago High Tech Investors, LLC. He is also the author of Words of Wisdom: A 60-year compilation.

HIS LAWYER SAYS HE "FORGOT" TO REPORT ALL HIS PERSONAL BANKING ACCOUNTS - JUST AN OVERSIGHT BY A CROOKED "BOUGHT-AND-PAID-FOR" CRIMINAL