“You’re Only as Good as Your New Collection”

The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola—the man behind The Godfather—faced bankruptcy after the box-office failure of his latest film, Megalopolis. Coppola, who was born in 1939 and is now 85 years old, invested millions of his own money into the project, even borrowing funds to make his vision a reality. When the film didn’t succeed commercially, he was forced to sell personal assets—including his private watch collection, an island in Belize, and other holdings—to pay off his debts.

It reminded me of two principles I learned many years ago, before I entered the mortgage industry in 1983. Back then, I was vice president of a women’s high-fashion company, and there were two major rules everyone in the business understood:

1. If you want to make a million dollars, you have to invest two.
2. You are only as good as your new collection.

Those principles apply far beyond the fashion world. Take Sylvester Stallone, for example. After years of fame and success, he went through nearly a decade without major work. But in his 60s, he found new roles and a new chapter in his career. He, too, proved that you’re only as good as your next project—your next “collection.”

The same truth applies to our own industry. In the mortgage business, the last few years have been dry. Many of us have survived only by investing our own resources and staying the course. Now, finally, the market is beginning to open up again, and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

As we advance in age and experience, it’s natural to ask questions—about investments, about the future, about what tomorrow will bring. But I’ve learned to hold on to one simple rule in life: Enjoy today. Be grateful for what is given.

As I like to say: “You’re as good as you are, because this is who you are.”

Enjoy it—and if you’d like to talk more, give me a call: (415) 225-7920