The Harsh Truth

In the first 26 days of July, and that is when I stopped counting, Mr. Ex-Partner managed to not only annoy six people, he alienated them too. I know this because they all came straight to me. And to be fair, it wasn't six people, it was at least seven if you count myself. Managing a small, accidental business from 1,700 miles away isn't impossible. But it takes a lot of relationship building. It took me years to fine-tune those relationships and him less than a month to undo it all.

Conducting business of any sort in the South it isn't just about finding reliable vendors, it is about finding people who trust outsiders. There were many, many people along the way who questioned my pedigree. The obvious first question was why buy homes in Birmingham (because at the time there was a shortage of rentals in Birmingham and I could get them for less than $100,000 and still get more than 1 percent rent of the sales price in rent and that wasn't possible to do in the Arizona market)? When I managed to satisfy the passing curiosity of even the least intrusive stranger, I was then asked how was I related to the South. At first I answered with I had no ties, only to find out how far my answer took me. Once I was able to say (though it has absolutely no bearing on why I had rental homes in the South), I had family in South Carolina and my Mother-In-Law was from Texas, I was marginally accepted but still had to go through a warped vetting process I still don't quite  understand.

Additionally, to do business in the South, not only does one need to be at least a quasi-Southerner, but they must also know someone who is willing to vouch for them. Think of it as a surreal fraternity/sorority Rush Week. In fact, I once met someone on the airplane on my trip back to Phoenix who knew my then-attorney (Legal Eagle) and that person and I still stay in touch. He is a mortgage banker. I currently don't have a need for a mortgage banker in Birmingham, but I have sent business his way and he has sent renters and referrals my way. Two of my biggest sponsors to-date have been the Late Attorney Jon (whose name can still carry some influence in the right circles) and Kirby.

All of the above is to justify my frustrations with Mr. Ex-Partner. I am vetted. I am accepted. I have passed. I know people who will vouch for my character. Heck, I even know people in Birmingham who will take my money--and believe it or not, that isn't an exaggeration. Not all money is created equal in the South.  Mr. Ex-Partner on the other hand, has managed to throw away a lot of good will and attempted to drag my name down with him. I think I am ok for the most part. Those who have come to me in the first 26 days of July, have asked me about the situation and I have explained him as a once-silent and now ex-partner. That answer seems to be acceptable.

I have asked Marty a few times if I should step in and save Mr. Ex-Partner from himself, because I am watching him implode and he doesn't even know it. Marty Sunshine's answer is constant, let him find out the harsh truth for himself.