It takes a village here, too
Caribbean Life, JULY 9-15, 2021 23
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Everything you know, you
learned from Mom.
And Dad. And Grandma,
Grandpa, six cousins, three playmates,
a neighbor, 31 teachers, a
coach somewhere along the line,
your spouse, and a kid or two.
And if you’re smart, you’ll keep
your eyes open because everybody
has something to teach
you. As you’ll see in “No One
Succeeds Alone” by Robert Reffkin,
that’s the best way to get
ahead.
Almost from the moment he
was born, Robert Reffkin was
encouraged to succeed: at bedtime,
rather than wishing her
son “Sweet dreams,” Reffkin’s
mother told him to “have big
dreams.”
That wasn’t easy for him,
though.
Reffkin’s Black father abandoned
his family when Reffkin
was young, his mother was a
Jewish immigrant from Israel,
and this mixed lineage caused
Reffkin to feel “out of place my
entire life,” he says. Even his
maternal grandparents spurned
him but none of these things
negatively affected Reffkin. He
used them as inspiration to do
better.
He was a small businessman
in high school, first selling
products on the bus to school,
then launching a DJing business
shortly after that. When it came
time to apply for college, he used
his successes and things he’d
learned to strive for his dream
college, despite that a counselor
told him not to bother. His
curiosity was strong; what he
absorbed helped build his businesses,
including Compass, a
real estate technology company.
To succeed, says Reffkin,
ignore haters, naysayers, and
rules that are meant to be bent.
Be supportive of others, children,
in particular. Thank those
who support you, including your
Mom, because “None of us got
where we are on our own.” Keep
in mind that “The real rules
of the game are never written
down.” To get help, be helpful.
Don’t be afraid to emulate the
people you admire, or to try to
copy their methods for success.
And finally, do what Reffkin did
with this book: “Turn your story
into a beautiful narrative that
inspires others.”
The saying is this: There is
no I in Team. There is in “WIN,”
though, and that’s what you get
when you read “No One Succeeds
Alone.”
For the entrepreneur who
doesn’t know where to start,
author Robert Reffkin offers so
much advice that you may feel
overwhelmed: there is something
to remember, highlighted
and easy to find, just about every
couple pages. These things fit
seamlessly into this book, more
in the way that a header for a
biography might, which subtly
makes the story-lessons stand
out better amid the chatter here.
Indeed, Reffkin indulges in a
small amount of righteous humble
bragging, but he also shares
enough stumbles to make his
story relevant; this biographical
aspect will appeal to a wide variety
of readers, including C-Suiters,
whether they’re looking for
business advice or not.
If your office is filling up again
and your staff is now returning,
this book might be a great way
to ease back into the swing of
things. For business-folks and
staff, “No One Succeeds Alone”
might underscore everything
you know.
“No One Succeeds Alone:
Learn Everything You Can
from Everyone You Can” by
Robert Reffkin
c.2021, Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt
$27.00 / higher in Canada
230 pages
Book cover of “No One Suceeds Alone” by Robert Reffkin.
By Nelson A. King
HBO Max has rolled out in
39 territories in Latin America
and the Caribbean, marking
the streaming platform’s first
launch outside of the United
States, and kicking off its global
expansion, according to Media
Play News.
It said that Max has made
a commitment to produce 100
local originals in Latin American
over the next two years, in
addition to offering subscribers
access to its catalog of brands
and programming.
With this launch, subscribers
of the HBO Max ad-free plan in
the U.S. will be able to access
the platform while traveling
throughout any of these 39
newly supported territories,
Media Play said.
“With today’s launch, we are
introducing our global platform
and providing a brand new
user experience to millions of
fans across Latin America and
the Caribbean,” said Johannes
Larcher, head of HBO Max International,
in a statement.
To celebrate the launch,
Media Play said Max is offering
new subs through July 31, a 50
percent discount on the $14.99
regular monthly plan for as long
as they maintain their subscription
without interruption.
Max is available for subscription
at HBOMax.com, via participating
digital stores and through
various distribution partners
in the region, said Media Play,
adding that it’s accessible from
supported smartphones, tablets,
smart TVs and compatible
streaming devices.
The standard plan offers families
access to three simultaneous
users, five personalized
profiles, content downloads (up
to 30 titles), video in high-definition
and some titles in HD and
4K, on all compatible devices,
Media Play said.
It said the mobile plan offers
access to the same content
catalog, but is designed for an
individual experience with content
downloads (up to five titles)
enjoyable in standard-definition
on compatible smartphones and
tablets.
HBO Max rolls out in the Caribbean
/HBOMax.com