We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eric Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Eric with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
This is probably one of the easiest questions I’ve ever been asked. My work ethic comes from my parents. Seeing them work throughout the years to give me and my younger brothers a better life really gives me the drive to keep pushing forward everyday. My parents came to America at a young age barely knowing English but managed to learn and create the lives that me and my brothers have today.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Appliances 4 Less is franchised open-box scratch and dent store located in a few states. We mainly sell LG/GE/Samsung products and are best known for fair prices when put up against brands such as home depot or Lowes. I would say what sets me apart from the other appliances 4 less stores is the language barrier. A lot of them are owned by older-generation Asian families that have done their best to learn the English language throughout their life.
I’d want the readers to know that when they come to me. They’re not being treated as a random customer that just walks in. They’re treated like family and I will do everything I can to resolve any issues that may occur in the future with their products because I want this to be successful for my family!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1: Patience – There are going to be many many MANY points in your life where you will feel lost and ready to give up. Be patient with yourself and know that Rome was not built in one day. If you need to take a day to step back and pick yourself back up, then do just that. You will thank yourself in the long run and just know that everything will be okay. You’ve made this far in life, a bump won’t stop you!
2: Communication Skills – Knowing how to talk to people is a very important skill to have for every aspect in life. Not everyone will always eye to eye but what we can do is listen, understand, and respond appropriately to each person we come across in our life.
3: People Skills – If you are not able to read someone and adapt to the type of person they are. I believe you are only limiting yourself to your small circle in life. Have you ever wondered why bartenders are so good at conversation? It is because they are constantly talking with people of all sorts of personalities every week. I used to be a bartender in college and I believe that it really helped shape my people skills for the future.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I recently started a book called The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber.
I would personally recommend this book to anyone who is going to start or has already started a small business. Not only on the fact it gives some good breakdowns on what most businesses do wrong but it’s relatable in a certain sense. When the book is relatable to someone, it becomes much easier to read.
I think the main part of the book that really hooked me was when it was telling about the story of Ray Kroc and Mcdonalds. They talked about how you DON’T want to higher employees who are TOO good at their job. It said imagine if mconalds at the start provided completely amazing service. They would have to keep that same level of service throughout its life cycle. Instead you higher people who just can do the minimum and that will be what people expect from the company.
Contact Info:
- Website: a4lathens.com
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