9 02, 2025

When Money Trumps Ethics (And Why It Shouldn’t)

2025-02-09T07:28:44-05:00

The steam rises from my coffee in lazy spirals this morning, dancing with the Florida sunlight streaming through my hotel window. The ceramic mug feels extra heavy today, weighted perhaps by the words that have been living rent-free in my head all weekend. The bitter aroma of my dark roast mingles with the lingering scent of a bitter feeling, and somewhere outside, a blue jay is having what sounds like an existential crisis. Welcome to the club.

The Knot in My Chest

I take a sip and let the warmth spread through my chest, hoping it might dissolve the knot that’s been sitting there since Friday. You see, I just witnessed something that would make even Machiavelli wince — a masterclass in how to turn a big gain into a much bigger loss.

The Dating Game Gone Wrong

Picture this: You’re dating someone for a year. You’ve met the parents, picked out curtains together, and are about to sign a lease. Then suddenly, they call someone else, not you, to have them tell you that they’ve found someone richer and prettier. Oh, and good luck with those curtains! That’s essentially what happened in my business world this week, and let me tell you, it’s just as classy as it sounds.

A Dance of Trust and Betrayal

Without getting into uncomfortable details or mentioning names, my team and I have been dancing with some professionals for over a year who were going to do a big project for us. Late last year they did a remarkable project for us that made a game-changing difference in our business. Unlike so many others in their field, these people were different — they were ultra-high-ethics, they played no games, they didn’t even act overly eager. They even told us no on previous projects when they felt they couldn’t deliver excellence. We appreciated that, because usually someone in their position would be telling us what we wanted to hear just to get our business. 

Finally, a Plan!

Soon after, they made a proposal and got us excited about what they could do for us, something they were sure would revolutionize part of our business. We had been working toward this goal all year, and because of that, we had not spoken with or even considered others offering similar services. I met with my executive team, we burned dozens of hours carefully considering their proposal, and, deciding to do it, we shifted budget dollars elsewhere to move forward. We only suggested a slight change that would give them more income. 

Hello, You’ve Been Dumped

Then came Thursday. The head of this company called one of my colleagues to announce they’d landed a $2 million client and decided not to go forward with the project they had bid on. Suddenly our substantial project and the year we had invested meant nothing. They didn’t even have the decency to tell me personally, though I had approached them after a friend’s recommendation. Worse, we lost a year of preparation for this moment, and another year of getting someone else hired and up to speed. 

The Sourdough Theory of Business

Here’s the thing about business relationships — they’re like sourdough starter. You can’t just whip them up overnight with some instant yeast and hope for the best. They need time, attention, and consistent feeding. When you throw away a year of careful cultivation for a quick buck, you’re not just losing one relationship — you’re sending ripples through the entire business community.

The Real Mathematics of Loss

Let’s break down the real cost of their $2 million “win”:

  1. Reputational damage that will echo through professional networks faster than gossip at a small-town diner
  2. A burned bridge that could’ve led to multiple future opportunities exceeding that amount
  3. The complete erosion of trust that took a year to build
  4. A lesson in “what not to do” that will likely be shared in countless business school case studies
  5. Loss of friendships and future years doing business together
  6. Having to live with themselves knowing they’ve officially crossed the line

The Million-Dollar Sandwich

The irony here is richer than my coffee with MCT oil – in chasing $2 million, they’ve potentially cost themselves multiples of that in future opportunities and reputational damage. It’s like selling your soul for a sandwich, only to realize you could’ve had a lifetime supply of gourmet meals if you’d just waited a bit longer. I had already recommended them to a CEO friend with more than $2 million to spend. I’ll be rescinding my recommendation. 

Dad’s Wisdom

My father gave me solid advice as a young man: You need to know your limitations and what lines you’re not willing to cross, way before you ever face those decisions, because when the time comes, emotion clouds your clarity. He always said integrity is all you have, and once it’s lost, you start pushing the limits a little more, and then a little more, and before long you end up in jail. It’s about setting the line and never crossing it.

The Trust Equation

And here’s the real kicker — the mathematics of trust. Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets. Each positive interaction adds a tiny drop to the reservoir of goodwill. But one significant breach? That’s a firehose of damage that can destroy years of relationship-building in minutes. If they came back today with a change of heart, I wouldn’t do business with them ever again.

Your Integrity Score

When you’re building a business — or any relationship, for that matter — remember that your reputation is like a credit score. Every action either builds it up or tears it down. And just like with credit scores, it takes years to build a good one but only one bad decision to tank it. No amount of business is worth the loss of your reputation.

The View from the Top

Next time you’re tempted by a shiny new opportunity that requires stepping on existing relationships, remember: The view from the top is spectacular, but the climb is a lot harder when you’ve cut down all your ropes. We spent a year building trust and a moment tearing it down.

Old School Thinking

Maybe I’m old school in a brave new world where integrity no longer matters. I too was once a younger, more aggressive businessperson who would have been excited about a big new customer. But even then I knew the right way to handle my commitments. Someone’s mother did not teach these kids the Golden Rule.

Ouch!

Sadly, I feel like a man kicked in the gut, with the air knocked from me. Of all the people I’ve done business with, I never would have expected it from these people. I’ll chalk this up to their inexperience, and hopefully they’ll learn from their ethical lapse and never do it again, because one day that big client will leave them. Lord knows I’ve made stupid mistakes that ended up biting me in the butt long-term. All I can do is forgive them, forget them, pick myself up, dust off, and move forward. After all, part of my job is dealing with problems. Hopefully I’m not creating them.

Stay caffeinated, my friends.

Eric Rhoads

P.S. Despite all that, I did get a smile on my face when I thought about where I was waking up. Last night I checked into a hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, where I’m hosting my new Winter Escape artist retreat all this week. It’s sunny, warm, and glorious, and we’ll be painting together for a week. It doesn’t get better than this. I’m looking forward to making lots of new friends. That will instantly take the sting of disappointment away.

Though this event sold out weeks ago, my spring retreat in the Adirondack Mountains is in June, and we have a few seats left. You can learn more at PaintAdirondacks.com.

My Fall Color Week retreat will be held in September in Door County, Wisconsin, the Cape Cod of the Midwest, known for brilliance of color. We’ve got some seats left for that as well. FallColorWeek.com

Be My Valentine

With Valentine’s Day coming up this week, know that the Plein Air Convention early-bird rate expires that day, February 14. This is a good time to secure your seat. PleinAirConvention.com 

When Money Trumps Ethics (And Why It Shouldn’t)2025-02-09T07:28:44-05:00
2 02, 2025

Breaking Free from Groundhog Day

2025-02-02T06:37:11-05:00

The raptors are putting on quite a show this morning, diving from the Australian pines into the water with surgical precision. Nature’s own fishing exhibition, complete with squeaking commentary from above. As I sit here watching this display of survival (and breakfast), I can’t help but think about today being Groundhog Day — that peculiar tradition where we let a rodent meteorologist in Pennsylvania determine our seasonal fate.

Politicizing Groundhogs

You know, some folks are now protesting the whole Groundhog Day ceremony as animal cruelty. Soon we’ll be trying to protect the small fish from the big fish, and the big fish from the whales. (I spotted two white whales off our coast this week — talk about a reminder of nature’s magnificent food chain!) Sometimes I wonder if we’re overthinking things that “just are.”

Groundhog Day, the Movie

Speaking of Groundhog Day, I’ve been feeling a bit like Bill Murray lately — minus the charm and comic timing. Wake up, work, meetings, same dinner rotation, same TV shows, same bed. Rinse, repeat, yawn. It’s what I call the “comfortable rut syndrome.” I both love and hate routine. It’s like that old friend who’s great to have around but sometimes you wish would go home already.

Wild Adventure

My wife and I once made this grand pact to move every 10 years to keep life fresh. “We’ll be adventurers!” we declared. Well, wouldn’t you know it, we’ve now stayed put longer than we swore we would. The irony isn’t lost on me — we’ve become comfortable in our discomfort with staying still. With kids graduating college and the prospect of grandchildren on the horizon (no pressure, kids!), maybe stability isn’t such a bad thing. Though I suspect we’ll still be those slightly crazy grandparents who pop up on FaceTime from random corners of the globe.

Gypsy Me

I blame my “gypsy spirit” on my dad. He once told me, “I stayed in one place too long. Don’t make that mistake.” But here’s the thing — I want it all. The stability of deep-rooted friendships AND the thrill of constant adventure. In my perfect world, I’d have a different house for every month. A villa in Italy, a cabin in New Zealand, maybe one of those luxury cruise liner condos. (Is it obvious I’ve spent too much time browsing real estate listings?) But I’d rather not pay for the upkeep and taxes. I’m guessing even Bill Gates and his 300 houses are regretting some of that upkeep. At least I can scratch this itch with my annual behind-the-scenes art and plein air trips.

The Paradox

Just yesterday, I was commiserating with a friend who’s six years my senior. We’re both still pulling 60-hour weeks, making 20-year plans, and inventing new things. We’re relevant and vibrant! And … occasionally bored out of our minds. It’s that strange paradox of loving what you do while simultaneously feeling like you could do it in your sleep.

The Speed of Time

Time is playing tricks on me lately. I’ll occasionally think something happened three years ago, only to realize two decades have passed. (Who keeps accelerating the calendar when I’m not looking?) Looking forward, I realize the next 20 years could bring monumental changes. The question is: Are we going to let life happen to us, or are we going to grab the steering wheel?

Here’s what I’m asking myself, and maybe you should too:

What can I do to reinvent myself?

What can I do to reignite my passion?

What have I always wanted to do but never got around to?

What sacrifices am I willing to make to reach new heights?

What would be fun, but I’m afraid to try?

In what ways am I allowing people to “should on me” telling me “you should or shouldn’t do this at your age.”

If I’m sending confusing signals, imagine what it’s like inside my head, knowing I love what I do, love the people I do it with, and yet knowing there’s more I can do if I only push myself.

Maya Angelou once said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” But I’d add that boredom is creativity’s kryptonite — it sneaks up when we’re not paying attention, making even the extraordinary feel routine.

“The great enemy of creativity is the comfort of the familiar,” said Frank Herbert. He was on to something there. Every time we choose the known over the unknown, we’re letting another adventure slip away. Comfort is a friend and an enemy.

But my favorite perspective comes from Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” So here I am, choosing to step into the arena every day, refusing to let routine be my master. It’s tempting to settle into life’s comfortable recliner, remote in hand, watching our days drift by on cruise control, and allowing social media to methodically suck our brain from our skull. And while there’s nothing wrong with finding peace in stillness, I wonder if sometimes we mistake comfort for contentment. Life is like a vast ocean — we can either drift with the currents, letting them carry us wherever they may, or we can hoist our sails, chart our course, and steer toward new horizons. I’m choosing to be the captain of my ship.

I don’t want to just wake up one day wishing I had lived more deeply. I want to be challenged and uncomfortable so I can feel the sting of life reminding me that I’m truly alive. I want to step out, explore new challenges, and push myself out of my comfort zone, pushing my limits physically and mentally because from what I can tell, this thing we call life has an expiration date, and I intend to make the most of it.

What about you?

Eric Rhoads

P.S. Speaking of controlling the game — have you heard about the Plein Air Convention? It’s the perfect way to break out of your routine and ignite your artistic passion even if you’ve never tried painting before. We’re offering an incredible early-bird rate until Valentine’s Day, after which prices will increase. Don’t miss our three pre-convention workshops that will transform your approach to outdoor painting. Scott Christensen, one of the top landscape masters; Joseph Zbukvic, the world’s leading watercolor painter; and our Basics Course with Carrie Curran and friends, for newbies. This is where the magic happens, but it only happens when you show up!

P.P.S. And for those of you who love working with acrylics, Acrylic Live is coming up! It’s going to be an amazing opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business and push your creative boundaries. Because of a big “anti solvent” movement, lots of people are switching to, or exploring, acrylic painting. www.AcrylicLive.com

P.P.P.S. Looking for an immersive art experience? Our retreats are always fun and always fill up fast! While my February 9 Winter Art Escape is sold out (proof that these experiences are in high demand!), we still have a few precious spots left for my June retreat in the stunning Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. And don’t even get me started about our Fall Color Week in Door County — imagine capturing the stunning autumn palette in one of Wisconsin’s most picturesque locations. The vibrant reds and golds reflected in the water, the charming harbors, the historic lighthouses … it’s a painter’s paradise! Don’t wait too long, though — these retreats have a way of filling up just when you’ve finally made up your mind! Reserve your spot now and join us for what promises to be an unforgettable artistic adventure. And if I get bored doing them, oh, well. I’ll be off to something new and you’ll have missed out on some legendary painting events. 🙂

Breaking Free from Groundhog Day2025-02-02T06:37:11-05:00