This year marks a major milestone for CORE– our 10 year anniversary. While we eagerly look forward to the future, we’d be remiss not to reflect on the past. In this series, CORE Founder and CEO Shaun Osher shares his insights on how the industry and CORE have evolved from 2005 to today, and everything in between.
If I were to share everything I’ve learned since CORE was created, I could write an entire book. So today I am sharing 5 really important lessons I’ve learned over the past 10 years.
1) The value of an incredible assistant:
My assistant Rachel is my unsung hero. Her job primarily consists of making my life easier, which in turn makes me more productive, which results in the company being more successful. She is our linchpin. We’ve worked hard together to build a system that works seamlessly. Definitely well worth the effort and time invested.
2) Family first:
Our time is finite, and our most valuable asset. There are never enough hours in the day, and it’s easy to get distracted in this business. I have learned to schedule my time with my family as a priority and not as an afterthought, because at the end of the day it is my family that gives me unconditional objectivity about everything that really matters most.
3) Partners matter:
I consider myself extremely lucky to have my partners (but I will also give myself some credit for making the strategic choices about who I associate myself and my business with). I am an extension of my partners as much as they are an extension of me and the importance of that association can’t be stressed enough. There is no substitute for having a teammate by your side who has an aligned vision and set of values.
4) Culture over commission:
It’s easy to be tempted by a marquee player who will bring a quick commission through the door. It takes longer to build a lasting culture which is embodied in the DNA of every person who is a part of the team.
5) Take care of yourself:
The happier and healthier you are, the easier it is to perform at your best. Getting burnt out is easy, and helps nobody. I continue to strive for that balance where I do enough of the things that make me mentally happy and physically healthy, and therefore more productive. I’ve made it a priority to exercise enough, meditate as often as I can, and play my sax at every available opportunity.