Mourning a Loss, Celebrating Life Lessons!

In Loving Memory of Howard Coleite

I write today’s newsletter with a heavy heart. My Grandfather, Howard Coleite, passed away on Friday, December 1st. I feel such a wave of emotions. My Grandpa Howie played so many roles in my life:

• Family patriarch

• Loving supporter

• First business mentor

• Gracious community leader

• Source of comedic inspiration

• Long-time recipient of my barbering skills

Growing up, my first job was working at my Grandpa’s car wash. I started out at seven years old. I worked up front. I would vacuum cars and prepare them to go through the tunnel. As I grew older, and demonstrated responsibility, I was promoted to work in the back with the real action. I was responsible for drying cars, cleaning windows, and applying Armor All to tires. The best part? I got to drive the car out of the tunnel. And yes, I got to pocket the tips I made.

I worked that first job seven to 17, and I built an incredible foundation for working hard. But what’s more, I learned a lot about the nature of life and what makes some people successful and some people struggle. To honor my Grandfather, I decided to share a list of the top life lessons I learned from our time together.

1. It never hurts to ask: Grandpa owned Deluxe Car Wash in Waukegan, IL. Long before that, he made a successful career as a salesman. He would often say “it never hurts to ask.” He said this when we were lost and he was not too proud to ask for directions. His words also mean to be brave enough to ask for what you want in life. The core of his message was we never get what we need if we remain silent. He would often say, “closed mouths don’t get fed.”
   

2. The importance of family: Grandpa spent as much time as possible with his children and grandchildren. Family functions were a joyous time! But he also cared about other people’s families. He intentionally hired men who were behind on paying their child support so he could have their wages sent to their children. He believed everyone should do right by their children, and he would help other people’s kids when they needed it too!
   

3. Treat everyone with respect: Grandpa taught me to treat every customer as if they were the mayor. “Don’t judge any of these people, you never know who tips well.” It was masked in a joke, but the truth was to give everyone the same level of respect, regardless of what my preconceived notions may be. He also warned against taking advantage of people. Don’t be greedy. “The hog gets slaughtered while the pig gets fat.”

4. Make hay while the sun is shining: The car wash industry is heavily dependent on the weather’s cooperation. Grandpa would always pray for sun because people would want to go outside and be seen in a clean car. His prayers alone could not control the weather, so he insisted on working every day the weather permitted. This taught me to take advantage of an opportunity while it exists because you never know when the rain is around the corner.

5. A rainy day is a great time for the movies: It wasn’t all sunny days! I remember one rainy day in the summer the car wash had to close. Instead of pouting over the rain, Grandpa took me and another youngster for a trip to lunch and the movies. There is a time for work and a time for rest. When I launched Ruben Digital, Grandpa Howie would say, “all work and no play makes Nate a dull boy.” When I find myself all-consumed with work, I know it is time to create space for my hobbies.
   

6. Know your numbers: Grandpa loved people, but he also loved numbers. He always wanted to know exactly how many cars they washed, how late they stayed open, and how many candy bars they sold in the c-store. As I built my business, he would always ask me how sales were. How was this month compared to last month? Are you growing? It reminded my that the core of all businesses is the ability to keep selling! And if we respect all our customers, treating each of them like the favorite, we would have no trouble at all with retention. Boy was he right!

I can go on for days recounting the life lessons my Grandfather taught me. Experiencing this loss at 30 reminds be how fortunate I was to know him for so long. If you knew my Grandfather, I’m sure you will miss is warm smile, quick one-liners, and loving embrace. He’s a man who truly cared about the people in his life. He suffered from many health ailments in his final years, and I take solace in the fact that he is no longer suffering.

We celebrate him Thursday, 12/7/23 at 2:00p at Westlawn Cemetery.

Address: 7801 W. Montrose Ave., Norridge, IL 60706

There will be a livestream as well. Our family will host a Shiva immediately after. Please send me an email for the address.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, the Parkinson's Foundation, the Jewish National Fund, or your favorite cause.

Introducing Prosperity Planning Live Q&A

In our last edition, I attended the 8 Figure Agency Live event with our incredible partners. Starting December 13th, I will be hosting a Live Q&A show for 8F Members and the Much Love Community. Our aim is to help entrepreneurs make smarter business and personal financial planning decisions.

The goal of Prosperity Planning is to transcend the "What" of your financial plan and focus on the "Why" that drives your personal life mission. Our collaboration will provide the basis for creating a unique "How" for living your dream without the bias or limitation of any one service provider.

The first episode will stream live on Wednesday, December 13th at 11am CST on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I plan to incorporate the many lessons I’ve learned from my late Grandfather as the building blocks for my personal journey of business ownership, risk management, and long-term investing.

Whether you are currently a season veteran business owner, a new startup, or simply contemplating a path of entrepreneurship, I highly encourage you to drop by. If you’d like to call in and ask a question live on the show, send me an email, and I’ll send you a special guest link!

Latest Podcast Episodes

November has been a busy month for content creation! When I was in Los Angeles, I did a two-for-one special with Cole Connor. Just prior, I had a life-changing conversation with Andrea Enright. To date, her episode has generated the most “IRL” conversation I’ve had about one of my guests.

Celebrating Client Expansion

Our client, Third Coast Commodities, has a new facility! At a time when companies across the country are downsizing, it is inspiring to see continued investment and a commitment to job creation.

Over the next few years, Third Coast aims to create more than 50 jobs for new employees in this facility. The expansion promises to bring various job opportunities to the community, from operational roles to logistics coordinators.

Upcoming Events

Executive Council Network member DivInc is hosting their Social Impact Accelerator Demo Day! ​Startups led by BIPOC and women founders leveraging emerging technologies within the decentralized web and web3 to address issues of inequity in sectors including but not limited to healthcare, education, housing, accessibility for those with a disability, and racial injustice.

If you are in Houston and want to stop by, or staying home and want to join the livestream, this promises to be an informative and engaging event!

Jewish National Fund-USA stands with the people of Israel and is on-the-ground answering immediate needs. Come together with community members and fellow Zionists for our annual Breakfast for Israel. Stand shoulder-to-shoulder and cast a light into the darkness to combat the recent atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel.

Your presence and support send a strong message of solidarity with the people of Israel and demonstrates the fortitude of the Jewish Nation to the world. N8 Ventures is a sponsor and I am a table captain. Come attend as my guest!

Appreciating Art

If you’ve read “The Artist’s Way”, you know the power of taking time out of the routine for an “Artist Date”. If not, I highly recommend reading and following direction from the book. My good friend Ynez and I took time to vibe out with artist Robert Lewis Clark at the Kulture Museum. I made a friend, gleaned some inspiration, and even picked up a new piece for my home gallery. Expect to see it soon on the MuchLove Studio!