Gratitude..............................

Thirty years ago David Anderson convinced me that, as a team, we could be successful selling investment and commercial real estate in Newark, Ohio.  At the time we were both selling houses for different brokerage companies, and, while doing passably well, we were both unable to see ourselves doing that sort of work for an entire career.  And so, on this date in 1982, after some modest haggling about the shape and nature of our venture, Anderson Layman Company came into being.

As business partnerships go, this one would have to be considered a success.  We are still friends.  We are still partners. We are still showing up (most days) for interesting and challenging work.  Our business has evolved over the years, partially due to personal quirks, but more often as a reflection of market conditions and responses to opportunities.

In many ways, business partnerships are like marriages.  The  richer and poorer and in sickness and in health parts certainly come into play. As do lessons learned about teamwork, trust, acceptance, forgiveness, humility, commitment, patience, perseverance, loyalty, and respect.

So David, Happy Anniversary and Thanks.......................

On leadership and confidence.....

   "The inauguration of President Reagan signaled a reaffirmation of historic American ideals.  Ronald Reagan brought to the presidency confidence in the American experience; confidence in the legitimacy and success of American institutions; confidence in the decency of the American people, and confidence in the relevance of our experience to the rest of the world.
    "That confidence has proved contagious.  Our nation's subsequent recovery in domestic and foreign affairs, the restoration of our economic and military strength, has silenced talk of inevitable American decline and reminded the world of the advantages of freedom."

-Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, excerpted from her 1984 speech
at the Republican National Convention.