Donald Madia

We thought it would be an exciting opportunity to give our staff members an entire week off after the New Year, which we thought would be a slower time of the year. Never again, it took us two months to catch up.

Here are a few that stand out for me. James Minogue-"Always be yourself." My cousin Louis shared with me his two bits of business advice-"always try to get the longest lease possible because the longer the lease the stronger the financial foundation." From my partners: Paul Kahan–"Never rest on your laurels." Rick Diarmit–"Everyone is welcome." Terry Alexander–"No one person is bigger than the whole."

At the end of the day, to be successful, you have to compromise.

Some lasted a week, some lasted three months. I’ve learned that you need to love your work in order to be happy in life. I love making people happy.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." And Robert Browning: "A man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for."

I didn’t get into this business to make money, that wasn’t the motivating factor. What motivates me is my love for this business. From putting together the real estate deal straight through to design and build out, and steps of service and finally, welcoming each guest into our home. I borrowed that tagline from Michael Jordan,when he first got drafted and moved to Chicago. He was starting to make his mark as a great basketball player and they started to put limitations on him. Corporate made him stop playing pickup games on the streets of Chicago, so he put a clause in his contract and called it the "love of the game" clause, allowing him to play basketball on any lot or street corner in the United States.