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Business ethics are key!
Back when I started working in my teens my Father owned a successful winery, we had a similar bottling line to the one above, I used to work on the end of the line stacking boxes onto the pallet. He always used to remind me “business ethics are key!”
Sometimes we would bottle 650+ cases a day! It was good for my biceps and my health of course!
Lurgashall Winery was an epic place to live and grow up!
Lurgashall Winery
When I was 6 years old my Dad set up Lurgashall winery (on top of my Mum’s vegetable garden). He moved a 16C barn from 14 miles away and put it up on top of the big cellar that had been dug where her garden had been.
He decided to employ people, he didn’t want to create an entire automated experience with just machinery and product and a person with a glove on the end of a pole to pick up the bottles when they had fallen over!
Instead, we had handmade products, they were the best on the market, we used to export our Mead, Rose Petal wine and others to Japan, Sweden the USA and even Canada, we used to sell our Liqueurs, Meads and Fruit Wines to the Historic Royal Palaces, English Heritage and many others around the UK for 25 years.
I learned a lot about business when working with my Dad; he is now 86 and happily retired. There is one story that I found particularly memorable and very relevant to this weeks meaningful conversations with clients!
This is not the story about the corruption of the NY council official, the apprenticeship scheme and the Gangsters who helped to fix this ‘Little Problem!’ That one I am saving for another time!
This story is for all the price shoppers out there, all you negotiators out there.
When working for his Father’s company- Flush Metal Corporation, Long Island, NY. He learnt many valuable lessons in business ethics and this one is an important one.
They employed over 100 people at the factory and my Grandfather, Nathan Schooler donated over A Million USD to charity throughout his life, so ethics were hugely important to him!
My Father was buying metal branded rulers at Christmas for gifts, the salesman came in to visit him in his ‘fancy’ new office and told him the price of the rulers.
My Dad said “Hmmm I am not sure about the price, can you do them for 50c cheaper?”
The salesman – turned to him and said “How dare you, you little pip squeak, I have a family to feed! This does not mean anything to your business, but to me, it is the food from my table!”
My Dad learned from this lesson that business ethics are key! He always negotiated fairly along the supply chain, despite the continued pressures in his business.
Isn’t it funny how sometimes the most difficult times and the most painful lessons in life create the best results and shape who we are as individuals for the better!
Business ethics are key to a successful and a happy life!
Over the years I have been blessed to have had some great experiences and some obviously not so great ones. Ethics in business are key and unfortunately some people don’t seem to get this. Greed in many forms prevails and this is something that eventually comes out. Business ethics are key to how you live your life not how you show your face. Actions speak volumes and business ethics are a fundamental part of who you are and not just one side to your personality.
My father and the people I work with and have worked with in the past (some good and some not so much). They have all taught me many lessons. Especially my Father Professor Jerome P Schooler and business ethics are key to a happy life, after all you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror. And walk down the street without being scared of bumping into someone who perhaps you have done wrong.
Checkout these other Lurgashall Winery Blogs:
Lurgashall Winery Shop: The Funny Story of When I Asked Titch and Sheila to Plant a Herb Garden
Lurgashall Winery History – Secrets 30 Years In The Making
I would be interested in your experiences with business ethics being key to your success as I will be running a series of podcasts around success in business and would be delighted to discuss a potential interview.
Originally this appeared as a Facebook Note.