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Lessons From My Father On Business Ethics

As children growing up in Topeka, Kansas, my brother and I cut out entrepreneurial teeth on our used golf ball business.

Our little house backed up to the Shawnee Country Club, and a lot of the golfers were pretty bad shots, so their balls wound up in out big back yard. This gave us a pretty huge (not to mention free) product inventory. But there were some ground rules set by the local regulatory authority – my father, himself a bit of a golfer!

The players could come into our yard to look for their balls.
We could not impede their search (sit or stand on the ball in question) or take the ball before the owner abandoned it.

Then, once abandoned, we put the ball into one of three buckets. Bucket One was for balls that were pretty pristine. Bucket Two was for balls that were in pretty good shape, but maybe a bit scuffed. Then Bucket Three was for funky balls best used around the lake. We sold them at three for a dollar, and the golfer got one ball from each bucket.

We had a lot of regular customers, and they quickly learned they could not get three balls from Bucket One for a buck - the could not take advantage of these smart kids. Jack and I split the proceeds fifty-fifty, and we earned a lot more than we could have gotten as an allowance – certainly enough to keep us in movie money. It was during this period that I first developed the sales and negotiating skills that have worked for me in real estate.

Then one day, my brother crossed the line. From the big picture window overlooking the back yard, my dad saw him snatch a golf ball as it hit the grass, then run with it into the garage. Brother got his license suspended for two weeks, and my dad made him give the ball (it was certainly a Bucket One quality golf ball) back to the guy who hit it into the yard. Oh, and he had to apologize, which was actually good for business.

When I heard about this, I was, of course, quite gleeful about, first, my pesky little brother getting into trouble, and second, that I had the golf ball business (and the profits) to myself for an entire two weeks.

And, at the same time, we both learned an important lesson about ethical short cuts, and somehow we both got the message that they were a bad idea to include in one’s life strategy. I think the Kennedy children benefited from awfully good parenting, though I did not always appreciate it while I was growing up!

Posted by Patricia Kennedy on 03/08/2008 12:09 PM

Comments (13)

13 Comments on Lessons From My Father On Business Ethics

As kids we don't realize the wisdom and guidance our parents try to give to us. Now, as a grown up, I understand a lot of what I didn't "get" before. It's great you were able to become business-minded at such a young age. Robert Kiyosaki would be proud...

03/08/2008 12:13 PM

by The Entire Team of Price & Company Professionals (Price & Company Realty)

Patricia - I loved this post. With the price of gas these days, it kinda makes me wish I lived on a golf course, just for a little gas money.

03/08/2008 12:18 PM

by Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)

Patricia, nice ThemThem to Dad. Sounds like he did a wonderful job with each of you.

Lesson learned, you can still have a "ball" and be honest about it. Grin

Duane

03/08/2008 12:38 PM

by * Rate A Home (Rate A Home)

Your post brought me back to our childhood days on the golf course. Mondays the course was closed so that was when we would drag the lake for balls on hole number 5. There was so much MUCK in the lake you would sink down three feet so as you were walking the bottom of the lake the balls were at knee height. Uck!

Anyway we would take the balls home and wash them up. Those that were not good, we got out our clubs and hit them into the woods. The good ones we would sell on the weekends, right before the tee at hole number five. I wonder how many of those balls we sold more than once!

03/08/2008 01:08 PM

by James Lockard - Realtor, Allendale, NJ (RE/MAX Properties - Saddle River)

Hi Patricia,
Sounds like you learned early the skills of salesmanship. My brother and his friends used to gather lost golf balls too and resale them. They did pretty well.

03/08/2008 02:03 PM

by Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist (Kingsbridge Realty, Inc)

Pat - I have included this post in my weekly wrapup for Family Ties. Take care!

03/08/2008 03:10 PM

by Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)

Patricia, loved this post. The lessons from your Dad and golf were such a great analogy. Thank you.

03/08/2008 04:32 PM

by Lola Audu~ Audu Real Estate~ Grand Rapids, MI Broker

It's interesting how many things we learn as children - or should learn. Goes back to all we needed to know we learned in kindergarten.

03/08/2008 08:48 PM

by Sharon Simms St Pete Florida CRS CIPS CLHMS (RE/MAX Metro)

Patricia,

I love these stories...the more I read them the more I appreciate how much influence our childhoods had on us...and those who lacked good experiences in childhood either through neglect or divorce! Thanks, Fran

03/08/2008 10:13 PM

by Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ (Patriot Land Transfer, Inc.)

Patricia - Good parenting is priceless, and your golf ball story is a great example of it!

03/09/2008 03:51 AM

by Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Peninsula)

Pat, this was a delightful post! What a wonderful way of summing up how life's lessons are what grooms us for business and in ethical practices.

03/09/2008 05:07 PM

by Carol Culkin (Century 21 - Anita Ferri Realty)

I just love the way you write! It's great your dad worked with you in both business and moral learning opportunities when you were a child!

03/10/2008 01:10 PM

by Natalie Langford, Winchester, VA Real Estate (Realty Direct of Shenandoah Valley)

Patricia - Great story! Amazing what we look back at and remember - parents are a wonderful thing!

03/11/2008 03:56 PM

by Barbara-Jo & Bill - - Florida Realty Professional - AHWD (Charles Rutenberg Realty)

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