“First, know your number before anyone asks. My son knew what he was worth before he walked into that room before they started the final negotiations. You need that same clarity on your management fees, your commissions, or your own salary.”

“Holding income is extremely important when acquiring any development site. If an existing tenant is covering a meaningful portion of your interest and holding costs while you work through planning, you’re under far less pressure to develop the site immediately”

“The poach test. Write down the five people a funded competitor would call first. That's number one. Next to each name is task two, right? The last time someone told them where their career is going in your firm. Number three. Write down which five clients would follow each of them out the door.”

“He persuaded a guy who owned a shoe shop … to let Virgin use it rent-free … there were cushions, headphones, free tea … you could sit there listening to music for hours without any pressure to buy”

“You have to test your backups under pressure with the clock running.”