How A 9-Word Contract

Generated Over $1.7 million.

​

When you’re in the cockpit jumpseat of a private jet, flying into Las Vegas at night, the city looks like a treasure chest full of sparkling emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and gold has spilled onto the desert below.

​

And this wasn’t the first time I’d seen this view.

​

But on this particularly calm and clear night, with the lights of the Las Vegas Strip below and the full moon in the sky above, I started to reflected on just how I got see this view in the first place.

​

It all started with a verbal 9-word contract that has generated over $1.7 million in fees and compensation.

​

This contract has taken me all over the US and the world; Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, Venice, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, and Macau.

​

I’ve worked with and influenced the designs of architects, interior designers, and industrial designers.

​

I’ve dined with millionaires. And on one occasion I had dinner with a billionaire.

​

I’ve flown as a guest on a private Boeing 737, a Gulfstream G5, and a Bombardier Challenger 600 – all more than once.

​

I'm their guest because I take what I do very seriously, and I know that what my clients ask me to do is very important to them.

​

I appreciate that my clients trust me to deliver, and I do.

 

The contract is a simple one, but it is very strong.

​

I first entered into this contract with a man who has now been my friend for almost 20 years.  Together we’ve worked on a wide variety of projects, some private and some for the public.  But over the years, no matter the project, the our contract has remained the same.

​

And whether or not I’m working with my friend, or for someone else, in my mind the contract doesn't change.

​

I’ve had people tell me that’s its not much of a contract – and I always tell them, “It may not seem like much, but in reality, it’s everything.”

​

And I'm sharing this story, not to impress you, but to let you know that - while I do sign contracts - my word is my bond.

​

The contract my friend proposed all those years ago – which I agreed to – has guided my commitments for years.

 

The contract is simply this…

​

"Be on time. Do what you say you will."

​

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *