I learned this from my mother – play to win.
My mother is now 93 years old. She lives by herself in a nice house in Miami. She keeps busy all day long, staying sharp physically and intellectually. My mother is still playing to win. I’ve never seen my mother play not to lose.
I remember distinctly the day I realized that my mother was a person with vision that would take our family beyond our immediate circumstances. One day, while I was in college, my mother (Mami) and father (Papi) and I were out in our front yard raking leaves. Papi, who was accountant for General Foods, said that he had seen a new housing development a few miles away. Those houses were better, he said, because they had central air and a garage, and our house had neither. Papi then suggested, “Why don’t we sell this house, and move into one of those?” This was courageous on his part, because we had emigrated from Cuba only six years before, and we already owned our home. Mami, however, showed her vision, her eternal optimism. She responded: “We should keep this house, rent it out and raise enough cash for a down payment for the new house, so we have two!” Papi said, “How do we do that?” Mami said: “You’re the accountant, figure it out…” Papi did just that; he put together sufficient capital to purchase the better home, and kept our first house as a rental property. Once you do it the first time, just repeat the formula. Mami and Papi built up a beautiful nest egg of rental properties.
When they decided to retire to Miami, my parents found the home they wanted in Coral Gables, which to me is the most beautiful of all neighborhoods. Papi used to recount with glee that when he was ready to go to settlement on their retirement property, the real estate agent asked Papi: “Mr. Martínez, how will you finance your new home?” Papi replied, “I’ll write you a check.” The agent: “Yes, I know, that’s for the down payment. But have you secured a mortgage?” Papi, who had only been a cost accountant working a clerical job, replied: “No, I’m going to write you a check.” The agent, incredulous: “Mr. Martínez, just what is it that you do?”
In sports car racing we say: “Don’t look at the wall. If you look at the wall, you’ll hit it.” Stated more positively, place your eyes where you want to be on the track, and your hands will drive you there. Taking a page from my mother’s racing log book, I have expanded my business and opened an office in Miami, because I’m looking at where I want to be – that is, I’m looking at the opportunities found in Miami, a growing economy, a community of optimists led by many Hispanic executives from all over the Americas.
I’m not bound by current circumstances. I’m playing to win.
