It was back in the early 2000s when the Yankees were on fire.
I had four front row seats on the third base line, and by sitting through 30+ games a year, I became friends with someone who was either Roger Clemens' manager, agent, or a friend acting as such. He never really came out and said it.
But he approached me with an idea to open a bar with him and Roger in the Meatpacking District, which was just starting to develop at the time. We found a space with a dance floor on the top and a restaurant on the bottom. They named it Trust.
Now, here's where my unconventional thinking came into play. I had to put in a significant amount of money, let's say around $100,000.
But I remember thinking to myself, "If this place stays open for two years, I can easily eat and drink $100,000 worth of food and alcohol. So, my downside is covered."
I did the math. To consume $100,000 worth of food and drinks over two years, I would need to spend about $1,000 per week. Between entertaining friends, having dinners upstairs, and the bottle service, I knew I could hit that quota.
So, while everyone else was focused on the weekly revenue and overall business plan, I was more concerned with my personal spending. I wasn't looking at the bar's performance; I was looking at whether I hit my consumption quota!
Now, I'm not saying this is necessarily the best way to approach a business investment. But it does illustrate a different perspective. Sometimes, the value you get out of a venture isn't just about the financial return. It can be about the experiences, the connections, and the enjoyment you get along the way.
Of course, in an ideal world, you want the business to succeed on its own merits. But if you can find a way to enjoy the ride and get something out of it personally, it can make the journey a lot more fun.
