Billionaire entrepreneur John Catsimatidis Sr. is sharing his best kept secrets to success. In a new book, Catsimatidis reveals how instincts and common-sense business lessons helped him build an empire. Catsimatidis owns a chain of New York supermarkets, hosts a radio talk show, and is also a real estate developer. His company is currently developing 400 Central in St. Petersburg–anticipated to be the tallest condominium tower on the Gulf Coast.
Catsimatidis recently held a book signing at the St. Petersburg Museum of History where he signed copies of his autobiography How Far Do You Want to Go?: Lessons from a Common-Sense Billionaire. His book details his upbringing and the many lessons he learned along the way.
If you missed the book signing and are wondering if you would enjoy reading the book, here’s a sample. A little “bite-size version” encapsulating the best advice Catsimatidis has for people who want to succeed. He calls it his own personal cheat sheet for what and that readers can “Feel free to borrow, steal, embellish, or ignore.”
Common-Sense Business Lessons
- You can’t win if you’re too afraid of losing.
- Know your products, your customers, and your vendors better than they know themselves—and treat them all like family.
- Hire people who know more than you do, and inspire them to do their jobs
- People do what you inspect, not what you expect.
- Mentors are hugely valuable—but take only the best from each of them.
- Always be seeking the next opportunity.
- Own the real estate.
- Great success comes with great effort—outwork everyone.
- Take reasonable risks—somewhere between reasonable and risky.
- The right time to negotiate is when the other person needs the deal.
- Seek allies in unexpected places, and dream up mutually beneficial ideas.
- Time is the most precious commodity—use every second purposefully.
- Failure is not an option—ever.
- Help others at every opportunity. You’ll benefit as much as they do.
- Dedicate everything to the people you love the most.
- Have fun.
