Monday, April 16, 2012

At the end of the day, GTFM!

I have the great pleasure of having Frank Reale for a friend.  Frank, or "Big Frank" as he's been called, used to frequent the horse racing tracks in Colorado.  He notice a liniment which worked wonders on the horses and hired a chemist to formulate it for human use.  On short notice at the patent office he had to come up with a name and ended up calling it Rub A535!  Needless to say this was a great commercial success and he eventually sold the product rights to a large company.

If you could hear Frank's voice in your head, as I can, the story would be even richer for you.  He's been likened to the Godfather; a big, Italian, soft spoken man with an intimidating height and breadth!  As you have guessed he is a wonderful man with a soft heart.  He was and is, however, a no nonsense businessman who expects results and performance.  One of the best things he shared with me about his business endeavours was that he signed off his letters to his lawyers this way.  GTFM, Frank

"What?  What does that mean, Frank?"

Pardon his "French" but GTFM means "Get the f**king money!"

At the end of the chase in real estate that's what you want your Realtor to handle for you!  The best negotiators are charming negotiators!  That I happen to be fun to work with is simply a bonus to you.  As a buyer or seller I understand that it doesn't matter to you so much what I charge, how experienced or knowledgeable I am as long as the value I provide is worth it and that the net result to you exceeds what you'd otherwise realize working with a budget model!

Realtors are not created equal!  You need one that excels and is known to be a top rate, top service, top negotiating sort of a gal!  I understand your interest....GTFM!  10-4!

And, thank you, Frank!  Your story always makes me smile!

1 comment:

Poems and stories beth mccarthy marks said...

Nice blog, Beth. You write well and I enjoy reading them. Yes, I was quite instrumental in Frank's development of Flex-all as it is called in the United States. Here's the story. Frank had a partner who was a horse trainer at the track. He discovered this wonderful remedy which they used on horses. Frank began telling me about it, so I became as one of his early guinea pigs, using the lotion on my knees when playing racquetball. Frank and I met with my good friend, Jack, an attorney, who gave Frank some direction about a patent. In the early days, I think Flex-all was mixed with iodine, which left a stain on your skin. Now, it is a very refined product using Aloe Vera. Frank had a friend, a trainer, with the Denver Nuggets professional basketball team, who began using the product on himself and the players. Frank and I went to a game in which we entered the Denver locker room and talked to the players who, in general, were enthusiastic about the product. Later, Frank and I went to a Phoenix game, joined by two prospective investors, who eventually bought major interest. They were aware that I was a psychologist who knew Frank well and, when Frank excused himself to go to the restroom, they interrogated me as to Frank's character. I, of course, spoke the truth, telling them that Frank was a man of integrity. Later, when I asked Frank, what kind of a deal he had made, he answered, (Answer edited due to colourful language...but it went well!) That was more than 25 years ago, so Frank's contract has run out, yet it made him a great deal of money. This e-mail is a bit like the famous newscaster who said, "…..and now, the rest of the story."

Love,

Grant