Leo had always been the quiet one. In a room full of people, he’d hover at the edges, sipping soda and nodding politely when spoken to. He wasn’t unkind, just unsure. One day, after another lunch alone at work, he googled: “How to be liked.” He expected tricks: likable phrases, confidence hacks, or something magical. Instead, he found something simpler: Listen more than you talk. Remember names. Ask questions. Be kind without expecting anything back. It sounded … boring. No secret formula? How to Be Liked
Still, Leo decided to try it. The next morning, when he bumped into Maria from accounting, he said, “Hey, how was your weekend?”
People started greeting him first. He got invited to coffee breaks. One day, when a colleague left their charger at home, Leo lent his without hesitation. “You’re always so helpful,” she said.
She looked surprised but smiled. “My kid had a soccer game. We lost, but he scored his first goal.”
Instead of nodding and walking off, Leo asked more. “Is he into sports?” The conversation lasted three minutes. But the next day, Maria waved first.
Funny thing was, Leo didn’t feel like he was trying hard anymore to be liked. He wasn’t faking anything. He’d just stopped being afraid of connection.
At lunch, Leo noticed Sam sitting alone. Normally, he’d pass by, not wanting to intrude. This time, he asked, “Mind if I join you?”
Weeks later, at the office party, someone raised a toast and said, “To Leo, the guy who actually makes this place feel human.” Leo smiled, surprised. He hadn’t changed who he was. He’d just let others see him and made sure to really see them, too. He learned to ask questions and listen. It wasn’t difficult, but it changed his world. He realized then: Being liked isn’t about being flashy or funny or popular. It’s about being genuinely present . About caring. And for the first time, Leo didn’t feel like the quiet one in the corner. He felt like he belonged.
Sam blinked, then smiled. “Sure.” Leo listened. He learned Sam loved photography. He didn’t try to impress him or talk about himself. He just asked questions, listened, and laughed when something was funny. It became a habit. He remembered people’s names. Paid attention. Held the door. Shared snacks. When someone had a bad day, he didn’t offer advice. He just listened.
–Terry Monroe
Slowly, something shifted.
they will not be able to get the financial return they promised their investors and will quickly be out of business because their investors will make them sell off the business and give them their money back. They have to be stingy with how much money they can pay for a business. The regional buyer is someone who is already in the business, knows the costs and expenses of operating the business, is determined to get a good deal, and tries not to pay more than what it would cost to build a new store. They are limited in how much they can spend or how large a purchase they can afford by the money they can borrow or get from cash flow. The generational buyer is one who has been around the industry for over two generations, knows the business inside and out, and has a long-term plan for the business. One of the interesting things about a generational buyer is that it can be privately owned by a family or owned by a financial company. The reason it can be owned by both a family and a financial company is because of their vision of the convenience ... continued from Cover
store industry. They believe the convenience store business is going to be around for a long time; therefore, it is okay to pay what may seem to be overpaying for an asset because they know they are never going to sell the store (maybe rebuild it sometime), but they know the store will continue to generate a profit for many years to come. Each buyer has different operating procedures, motives, and goals for buying. As a result, they have different overheads and different standards for what is acceptable or not acceptable in terms of income and expenses or profits and losses. They also each have their own idea of what they think a convenience store is worth.
As the consolidation of the convenience store industry continues, it behooves one to know what kind of buyer may be knocking at their door.
–Terry Monroe
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