These last three weeks have been 
uncommonly busy for me!
First a series of meetings here in town...me, who doesn't do meetings any longer. Then an out of town meeting with regulators. Next, an out of town three day wedding trip including a wedding party golf tournament. Finally, a rush back to Houston to jump on a plane for the a la mode convention in Las Vegas. Our return was early yesterday morning. Today I'm beginning to get my Circadian Rythm back in order. Maybe tomorrow will feel normal.
All of the events were very useful to me and our business. Not just from the business objectives to be achieved at each, but from a broader perspective; the observations of the larger stage that our business operates upon, and that larger stage's impact on our business.
Meetings with a new business partner
The first week was spent largely with John Ross, the former adminstrative head of the Appraisal Institute. What a wonderful individual. Rancher roots in Wyoming. The ranch still operated by his family. Folks from the land are always wise in ways others are not. The purpose of that week was a get acquainted session, with me and with my Bright Horses. I'd known John for years with infrequent email conversations. Now I and my Bright Horses know him personally, and he knows us. Nothing like a back yard cook out over beer and scotch to reach mutual personal understandings.
Regulator Presentation
That week ended with a presentation to the Texas Appraiser Licensing Board Investigator Staff to inform them of our business plans and to receive their input. The drive to Austin with the Senior Bright Horse was revealing. Half the trip was spent discussing the cases of suspected fraud that Acorn is seeing as a result of Client review work. A messy situation. Our presentation to the Investigators eventually diverted into a discussion of how our work might be used by them to assist them in the growing task they have to properly and efficiently address the appraisal complaint and fraud issues now and in the future.
Then the wedding
The last of the Bright Horses marrying into a really wonderful family. Abb now has four sisters in addition to a wife, and every one of them will change and impact Abb in some way; he with only a male sybling before. Very few of the business folks at that wedding left without Acorn's business cards. I must have given out a hundred or more. Not likely any of those folks will have a need for our services, they being located several hundred miles north of our normal market, but you just can't predict how relationships beget other opportunities. Most of our staff attended that wedding. I wonder how many business cards were handed out by them?
Finally the a la mode convention
My wife and I attended. My first experience with the a la mode convention.
Senior Bright Horse insisted that we stay at the Wynn, several miles from the convention, but he wanted us to experience the top hotel in Vegas. His skill with Orbitz quickly came up with a package that was surprisingly close to the convention package, so we relented. I'm glad we did. Another business experience and lesson. The Wynn opened last year and has been the destination spot ever since. We saw why. Beautiful archetiture, very tasteful. Rooms with wonderful amenitities and views of that city. An international buffet style resturant that would rival the niche restuarants in each of the many cuisines featured.
Continued below . . .
All of that was first class and impressive to this old geezer. But by far the most impressive feature of that remarkable business was the staff. At all levels they were the most friendly, the most concientious, attentive to the smallest detail. Each had a genuine interest in the guest, and a pride in their job and the organization they were a part of.
For example, early one morning I was walking in the casino area, bound for the coffee shop. Elsie and I had remarked several times about the quality and beauty of the carpets throughout. How were they able to keep them so beautiful with so much traffic each day? That morning I encountered a staff member. His job was inspecting that carpet with a spray bottle of carpet cleaner and a tiny hand brush. I watched him perform his duties, very meticulus in inspecting each square inch, stopping to clean areas that seemed to be clean and spotless. But not clean enough for him! I introduced myself and we chatted for a while.
George had been with the hotel since it opened. Those carpets were his pride and the guests were his joy. I asked where his supervisor was, as it was a quiet morning and clearly no one else was around. No supervisor he replied. None needed. George took pride in his job and needed no supervision. Contrast that with the work crews I see on the roads in Texas. Often more people are standing around over seeing the workers than there are workers.
Think there is a business lesson there? I do.
The convention itself was a good experience. Meeting folks personally who I have communicated with for years over the internet. Most important to me and this Runt Rant corner of the internet was having folks stop me after glancing at my name tag and thanking me for writing here and on the WinTotal Users Group forum. Very heatwarming to hear comments like that, yet very sobering. If that experience was a fair sample, there are many folks, more than I ever thought possible, who read my thoughts, enjoy them for what they are, and pick up occassional "acorns" for use in their businesses. If that is the case, I'm grateful and aware of my responsibility to be honest and straightforward in my meager offerings in both venues.
Another point that I gleaned from those discussions was that my digressions into the personal and family topics are also appreciated. I have wondered about that....old geezers tend to lose touch with the world of the younger, and I'm always conscious of not wasting other's time. But it seems that those detours provide a rounding out of the readers view of this geezer and the business that we operate. If so, great!
Little of my time was spent in training sessions. I attended some and found them useful, especially useful for those with hands on daily responsibilities. My time was spent mostly in the great hall, visiting with those folks who came by, or whom I approached. I mostly asked questions and listened to the answers. That experience was a reminder of all that is intriguing about the Appraisal Profession. Such a rich tapestry of people, business models, and markets they serve! And all with one common core; an interest in serving their community and their clients in the most honest and ethical manner possible. A perfect snapshot of the American Business Ideal, one of the things that makes our country proud and strong.
I visited with many folks just starting out, less than five years in business. I visited with many older and long time appraisers. Most were one and two person businesses, a few larger. So many different business models! Many had been through several models, changing and modifying their businesses to fit their personal lives as those circumstances changed. I know of few business professions that afford that luxury to the owners...the ability to modify the business to fit their personal preferences. What a wonderful profession we have chosen!
As I look back over the last three weeks, I see many lessons learned and affirmed. Sure there are problems in the markets. Some going through a current decline, some experiencing fraud and other negatives. But the folks I've visited with over the past three weeks range from new appraisers to new business owners to large corporations to state and national regulatory groups. All of those folks I met impressed me as bright, enthusiastic, eager to meet today's challenges, and supremely confident in their ability to succeed in their role, and proud to be a part of the industry.
Not unlike the Wynn Hotel staff. Is this a great country or what?
The author is the owner of Acorn Appraisal Associates, a 21 year old firm offering a wide range of quality appraisal services to the Financial and Business Communities in the greater Houston SMSA
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