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# Aristos Global

World leader in construction & development consulting, risk mitigation

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## Posts

- [The Sands Of Time](https://aristosglobal.com/the-sands-of-time/) - Insights “Let’s trust only that which we can see, plainly, with our own eyes.” Seneca, On Anger “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” Erasmus “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein What I Learned This Week
- [Betrayal](https://aristosglobal.com/betrayal/) - Insights “The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it.” — Paul Graham “Remember, if you never do anything differently, you’ll reduce your chances of enjoying lucky accidents.” ― Rory Sutherland “A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times,
- [Think Like A Poet](https://aristosglobal.com/think-like-a-poet/) - Insights “I keep on making what I can’t do yet in order to learn to be able to do it.” - Vincent van Gogh “If you want a man to keep his head when the crisis comes you must give him some training before it comes.” - Seneca, Letter XVIII “The professional endures adversity…He reminds
- [Leading...yourself](https://aristosglobal.com/leading-yourself/) - Insights “In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about business.” - Marcus Aurelius, Mediations, 8.51 “If an American is to amount to anything he must rely upon himself, and not upon the State;
- [Always Forward](https://aristosglobal.com/always-forward/) - Insights If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or
- [Obsess over the Basics](https://aristosglobal.com/obsess-over-the-basics/) - 3 Insights “Adversity often leads people to depend more on one another” - Sebastian Junger, Tribe “Arete is the way that you do stuff. It’s the quality of your action in the present moment. Arete is a process. It’s translated as virtue, but that’s a bad translation. It would be better to translate it more
- [Preparations for Treason](https://aristosglobal.com/preparations-for-treason/) - 3 Insights “In both everyday and military events, your mind should not change in the least, but should be broad and straightforward, neither drawn too tight nor allowed to slacken even a little.” - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings “When asked what form of training was most practised at Sparta, he said: ‘understanding
- [A Philosophy of Life](https://aristosglobal.com/a-philosophy-of-life/) - 3 Insights “The crowd admires common foolishness and places no stock in excellent counsel.” - Baltasar Gracian “Success in any undertaking comes of patient, unremitting effort. You cannot have it, unless you resolutely concentrate your energies upon your work; and resolutely refuse to be diverted by other subjects, no matter how important or interesting. When
- [Practical Virtues](https://aristosglobal.com/practical-virtues/) - 3 Insights “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” - George Bernard Shaw “No one is free who is not master of himself.” - Pythagoras “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one
- [Martial Excellence](https://aristosglobal.com/martial-excellence/) - 3 Insights “The pankratiast's body should be robust like the boxer's and supple like the wrestler's.” - Philostratus, Gymnastikos “Do you get up early? I do regularly, it’s good to make a habit of it. It’s precious and already very dear to me, that early morning twilight.” - Vincent Van Gogh “Seekers of wisdom first
- [Nothing like Easy](https://aristosglobal.com/nothing-like-easy/) - 3 Insights “I doubt whether modern man experiences more distress than his ancestors. It’s not that people suffer more stress today. It’s just that they think they do.” - Hans Selye “Normal is an illusion. What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly.” - overheard in a British Café….reportedly “Besides, it is
- [Sacrifice & Crusades](https://aristosglobal.com/sacrifice-crusades/) - 3 Insights “Power is not something that is acquired, seized or shared, something that one holds on to or allows to slip away. Power is exercised from innumerable points in the interplay of non egalitarian and mobile relations.” — Michel Foucault “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And
- [Lead Like a Roman, Parent Like a Pro](https://aristosglobal.com/lead-like-a-roman-parent-like-a-pro/) - 3 Insights “True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written, in writing what deserves to be read, and in so living as to make the world happier and better for our living in it.” — Pliny the Elder “Leaders who allow themselves to be governed by reason will allow themselves to in turn govern
- [The Cobra Effect](https://aristosglobal.com/the-cobra-effect/) - 3 Insights “You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.” — Thomas Sowell “A system is more than the sum of its parts, and more than a mere aggregation of relationships between parts.” — Gregory Bateson “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to
- [Stories from War & Benjamin Franklin's Early Struggles](https://aristosglobal.com/stories-from-war-benjamin-franklins-early-struggles/) - 3 Insights “The years teach much which the days never knew.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” — William James “The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a
- [Mongols, the legacy of expansion](https://aristosglobal.com/mongols-the-legacy-of-expansion/) - 3 Insights “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.” — Genghis Khan “I care not whether a man is of noble or common birth. All that I ask of him is that he be able to distinguish between good and evil.” — Sabutai “Without
- [Ostracism and Commodus](https://aristosglobal.com/ostracism-and-commodus/) - 3 Insights “The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.” — Plato “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.” — Carl Jung
- [Rhythms and Plagues](https://aristosglobal.com/rhythms-and-plagues/) - 3 Insights “Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.” — Naval Ravikant “The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” — Nassim Taleb “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see.” — Arthur
- [Propaganda in the Middle Ages](https://aristosglobal.com/propaganda-in-the-middle-ages/) - 3 Insights “Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he seldom counts his joys.” — Dostoevsky “If you only read the books everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” — Haruki Murakami “Man is an animal, and his happiness depends upon his physiology more than he likes to
- [The Illusion of Tyranny](https://aristosglobal.com/the-illusion-of-tyranny/) - 3 Insights “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” — Richard P. Feynman “On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.” — Michel de Montaigne “History is the version of past events that people have decided to
- [The Legacy of a Great Library](https://aristosglobal.com/the-legacy-of-a-great-library/) - 3 Insights “It’s undeniable how different you feel when you do all of the obvious things, like eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep” — Arianna Huffington “The investor’s chief problem - and even his worst enemy - is likely to be himself.” — Benjamin Graham “Anger is a brief fury. You must reign over your mind
- [A Few Seconds Before Happiness](https://aristosglobal.com/a-few-seconds-before-happiness/) - 3 Insights “If you understand it, you don’t need to memorize it. If you don’t understand it, you don’t want to memorize it.” — Naval Ravikant “There’s only one way and that is your way. There’s only one salvation and that is your salvation...What is to come will be created in you and from you. Hence look into yourself. Do
- [Construction Brothers Podcast: Solving Problems in Reverse](https://aristosglobal.com/construction-brothers-podcast-solving-problems-in-reverse/) - Recently, I had the opportunity to join the Construction Bros Podcast to discuss some key topics that are vital to success in the construction industry. From managing risk to fostering work-life balance, and the often-overlooked importance of soft skills, we covered a lot of ground. In this conversation, we explored everything from relationship building and
- [House of Medici](https://aristosglobal.com/house-of-medici/) - 3 Insights “Hypothesis: living a diverse life increases happiness because it avoids addiction due to repetitively associating rewards to the same cues.” — Luca Dellanna “Your gift is not a gift, it’a loan, a loan to do something extraordinary; it’s the paying back of that loan, squaring up with yourself and the universe, that’s the gift.” —
- [Embrace Discomfort](https://aristosglobal.com/embrace-discomfort/) - 3 Insights “We must be what we wish our children to be. They will form their characters from ours.” — John S.C. Abbott “Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will
- [The End of an Era](https://aristosglobal.com/the-end-of-an-era/) - 3 Insights “Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly: they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” — Aldous Huxley “An independent mind requires three things: knowledge, critical thinking, and discipline. It’s a vessel to be filled, a fire to be kindled, and a mountain to be conquered.” — Gurwinder Bhogal “Courage is
- [The Medieval Knight & The Crusades](https://aristosglobal.com/the-medieval-knight-and-the-crusades/) - 3 Insights “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” — C. S. Lewis “The question you should be asking isn’t, What do I want? or What are my goals? but What would excite me?” — Tim Ferriss “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”
- [How to Deal with Flattery](https://aristosglobal.com/how-to-deal-with-flattery/) - 3 Insights “Learned we may be with another man’s learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.” ― Michel de Montaigne “If you’re busy at work, odds are you will eventually be replaced by a robot.” ― Nassim Taleb “We don’t really learn anything properly until there’s a problem, until we’re in pain, until
- [A Traveler’s Perspective](https://aristosglobal.com/a-travelers-perspective/) - 3 Insights “Individuals who are focused on concerns of equity are likely to scan their environment for signs of potential injustice and to misread events as personal slights.” — Donald Meichenbaum, Stress Inoculation Training “May God keep you away from the venom of the cobra, the teeth of the tiger, and the revenge of the Afghans.” —
- [Why Not?](https://aristosglobal.com/why-not/) - 3 Insights “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable, procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” — George Washington “I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I reflect, and out of all of this, I try to form an idea into which I put as much common sense
- [In Search Of Hope](https://aristosglobal.com/in-search-of-hope/) - 3 Insights You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― William Faulkner “On friendship and marriage: The best friend will probably get the best wife, because a good marriage is based on a talent for friendship.” — Friedrich Nietzsche “Someone often meets his destiny on the very road
- [Speed vs. Strength](https://aristosglobal.com/speed-vs-strength/) - 3 Insights “I’m learning all the time. My tombstone will be my diploma.” — Eartha Kitt “When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword. Don’t recite poetry to one who’s not a poet.” — Robert Greene “Don’t leave anything for later. Later, the coffee gets cold. Later, you lose interest.Later, the day turns into night. Later, people
- [Escape Hardship & Avoid Comfort](https://aristosglobal.com/escape-hardship-and-avoid-comfort/) - 3 Insights “What you seek is seeking you.” — Rumi “Scientists have theories. Philosophers have questions. Entrepreneurs have projects. Artists have obsessions. Amateurs have ideas.” — Vizi Andrei “I walk somewhere, I run someplace, I lift something heavy, I eat something healthy, I read something good, I write something down, and only then do I take my
- [Reflection & Adventure](https://aristosglobal.com/reflection-and-adventure/) - 3 Insights “Everything in life should be done with reflection.” — John Adams “By three methods we may learn wisdom… First, by reflection, which is noblest. Second, by imitation, which is easiest. Third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” — Confucius “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” — Thomas
- [The Arena](https://aristosglobal.com/the-arena/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to
- [Actions Over Ideas](https://aristosglobal.com/actions-over-ideas/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “The study of philosophy is not that we may know what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.” -Thomas Aquinas, 13th-century theologian “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained” -Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury
- [Think Less, Work More](https://aristosglobal.com/think-less-work-more/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “The Fates guide the person who accepts them and hinder the person who resists them.” - Cleanthes “Mens sana in corpore sano (sound mind in a sound body)” “What is defeat? Nothing but
- [A Basic Standard](https://aristosglobal.com/a-basic-standard/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “The true man is revealed in difficult times.” -Epictetus “See to it that you temper yourself with one thousand days of practice, and refine yourself with ten thousand days of training. You should
- [Strong Minds](https://aristosglobal.com/strong-minds/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “A man can achieve much as long as he prepares himself daily… Know that your study will last for as long as you are breathing.” Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure “I had trained dogs and
- [Impatient Practice](https://aristosglobal.com/impatient-practice/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes All that should concern you in the early stages of your career is acquiring practical knowledge in the most efficient manner possible…The reason you require a mentor is simple: Life is short; you
- [The Prepared Warrior](https://aristosglobal.com/the-prepared-warrior/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “Devotion to the study of one’s path - first acquiring the fundamentals, and then continuing to refine your knowledge and skills - is a lifelong pursuit with no end.” - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure,
- [Exceptional And Dependable](https://aristosglobal.com/excetional-and-dependable/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “Do what you feel in your heart to be right. You’ll be criticized anyway.” Eleanor Roosevelt “In my opinion, there are two kinds of eyes: one kind simply looks at things and the
- [Pacing And Cadence](https://aristosglobal.com/pacing-and-cadence/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “It is not enough to be a hardworking person. Think: what do you work at?” -Henry David Thoreau “The quality of your leisure predicts the quality of your work.” -Vizi Andrei, The Sovereign
- [The Basics Of Direction](https://aristosglobal.com/the-basics-of-direction/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “As a matter of fact, too, work done without interest actually strains the body more than work enthusiastically performed.” - Edwin Checkley “Steep is the way to mastery.” - Eugen Herrigel “Never forget:
- [Sacrifice And Courage](https://aristosglobal.com/sacrifice-and-courage/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “Real power is not in momentary desires, but in complete calmness” - Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom “If your choices are beautiful, so too will be you.” -Epictetus “Only in the storm
- [Favorable Winds](https://aristosglobal.com/favorable-winds/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “Know the advantages and disadvantages of everything.” - Miyamoto Musashi “Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.” - Hippocrates, Precepts (tr. W. H. S. Jones,
- [Absolute Fundamentals](https://aristosglobal.com/absolute-fundamentals/) - Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “A good person dyes events with his own color…and turns whatever happens to his own benefit.” - Seneca “Don’t be afraid. You can do it. Get your mind around it. You can do
- [Sacrifice And Self-Reliance](https://aristosglobal.com/sacrifice-and-self-reliance/) - This week is America’s celebration of Independence. Anyone that knows me well knows that I am a proud American. “The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense I think a lot about self-reliance. Too often we outsource everything. In our modern world, we have
- [The Rhythm Of Consistency](https://aristosglobal.com/the-rhythm-of-consistency/) - Michael here! What do these cities have in common? -Irving, TX -Fort Myers, FL -Cape Coral, FL -Naples, FL -Kissimmee, FL -Orlando,FL -St. Augustine, FL -Jacksonville, FL -Phoenix, AZ -Glendale, AZ Seemingly random, yet all connected. These are the places I have been this week. I travel a lot. I’m writing this newsletter after finally
- [The Nature of Time](https://aristosglobal.com/the-nature-of-time/) - On the road yet again. This time writing from the wilderness of Tennessee. Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on. 3 Quotes “Measure wisdom in risks taken, exposure to challenges, not years. A young wolf is wiser than an old dog.” -Vizi
- [The Focus Of Loyalty](https://aristosglobal.com/the-focus-of-loyalty/) - This week I managed to log 3,282+ miles in the air and 196+ miles in the car. The craziest part is I didn't even leave the United States. While it can be challenging, that amount of time on the road can be useful to reflect, to think, to regroup if you let it. On the
- [Tough Times And Tough People](https://aristosglobal.com/tough-times-and-tough-people/) - As a dad, I think a lot about the example that I set for my kids. Not just in what I tell them, but also in what I do. To be a great dad and a great husband, I believe you need to: Be present Be loving Be focused Be calm Be kind. It is
- [Building Relationships and Building Value: The Impact of Soft Skills in Real Estate](https://aristosglobal.com/building-relationships-and-building-value/) - Capital expenditures are typically the larger expenses required to keep a property in good condition over time. When investing in commercial real estate, it's essential to have a solid understanding of capital expenditures (CapEx).
- [The Discipline Of Faith](https://aristosglobal.com/the-discipline-of-faith/) - “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank Over 80 years ago, troops from eight different countries stormed the beaches of Normandy to turn the tide of World War II. The Operation became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Over
- [A Classic Perspective](https://aristosglobal.com/a-classic-perspective/) - “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.” - Abraham Lincoln It feels like many industries nowadays are undergoing major structural change – higher interest rates have changed the real estate world for owners and borrowers. Artificial intelligence continues to leave a mark on many industries
- [To Know Victory, Practice Well](https://aristosglobal.com/to-know-victory-practice-well/) - “Work is the necessary condition of happiness. First, favorite and free work; secondly, the physical work which arouses your appetite and afterward gives you tranquil and sound sleep.” - Leo Tolstoy Some say that if you really enjoy what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. I love solving problems. I love sweating. I love
- [Inertia And Consistency](https://aristosglobal.com/inertia-and-consistency/) - Nothing works unless we work. You may have heard of the phrase “nothing changes if nothing changes.” Every morning I take vitamins, creatine, and a greens supplement to try to make my body stronger and less susceptible to aging. However, if I don’t work, none of these supplements will do the job. To get the
- [Who Are You?](https://aristosglobal.com/who-are-you/) - As long as I can remember, my professional life has felt like an adventure. I love exploring. I have always loved being outdoors. I love change. I love trying new things. I love hearing that something can’t be done. Bruce Lee started practicing martial arts when he was 13. He moved to the United States
- [We All Have A Choice](https://aristosglobal.com/we-all-have-a-choice/) - A choice is defined as an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. Cornell Researchers estimated that the average adult makes 226.7 decisions about food per day. It has been reported that humans nowadays make thousands of choices a day. Learning to make tough choices is not a
- [Discipline Over Excuses](https://aristosglobal.com/discipline-over-excuses/) - Running is one of the few simple disciplines that I have practiced for over half of my life. My work, my life, and my mind are all better when I run consistently and frequently. I actually feel better the more I run. Hottest part of the day, I want to run. Coldest day of the
- [Finding Order In Chaos](https://aristosglobal.com/finding-order-in-chaos/) - Around midnight, on December 16, chaos erupted in Toulon, France. It was 1793. Napoleon Bonaparte led an untrained and undisciplined force to try to end the Siege of Toulon. For over three months the British Royal Navy controlled the harbor with not only their warships but also their occupation of several forts that overlooked the
- [Fear, Haste, And Narrowness Of Mind](https://aristosglobal.com/fear-haste-and-narrowness-of-mind/) - Life is about living. It can be easy to feel distracted and disconnected in today’s world. We can become stuck in our own head. We become fixated on narrow ideas or narrow perspectives. Seneca reminds us in his letter, “On groundless fears,” “There are more things … likely to frighten us than there are to
- [The Detergent Of Loyalty](https://aristosglobal.com/the-detergent-of-loyalty/) - In ancient Japan, men who became the armed guards of the aristocracy were known as samurai, or “attendants.” Later when the samurai seized power from the aristocracy, they needed to distinguish themselves from the “attendant” label. They began to call themselves bushi, or “warriors” or “knights.” Hundreds of years of war hardened these knights and
- [Mottos And More](https://aristosglobal.com/mottos-and-more/) - In his work On Sparta, Plutarch writes about Agesilaus, King of Sparta from 400 to 360 BC. He reports that when someone asked why Sparta lacked fortification walls, the king replied: “Cities shouldn’t be fortified with stones or timbers but with the valour of their inhabitants.” Valor, Courage, and Discipline are just a few of
- [Marion, Missions, and Mottos](https://aristosglobal.com/marion-missions-and-mottos/) - The British Special Boat Service (SBS) motto of "By Strength and Guile” highlights the importance of physical training and mental toughness. When in combat, and in life, your body and mind should be strong yet sharp. Francis Marion is a man that most Americans might not know. He used his strength and his guile to harass the British
- [Time, Your Enemy Or Your Ally](https://aristosglobal.com/time-your-enemy-or-your-ally/) - Benjamin Franklin was born an Englishman, but died 84 years later as an American. He had 16 siblings. His dad had 7 children with his first wife and 10 children with his second wife. Franklin was his dad’s youngest son and the 15th child. Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin worked as a writer, scientist, inventor,
- [Perspective](https://aristosglobal.com/perspective/) - “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.” One evening in 1914, a raging fire broke out at Thomas Edison’s New Jersey factory. His research and development laboratory burned throughout the night. The fire itself was made worse from the many chemicals in the buildings from his
- [The Character Of A Lifetime](https://aristosglobal.com/the-character-of-a-lifetime/) - Benjamin Franklin wrote his autobiography throughout the last 19 years of his life from 1771 to 1790. The long lost manuscript was found by John Bigelow in France in 1867, a full 77 years after Franklin’s death. What is more interesting is that he only wrote about his life up until 1758. Prior to authoring
- [Sacrifice](https://aristosglobal.com/sacrifice/) - “A man cannot do everything; but this cannot be an excuse for doing bad things.” -Henry David Thoreau At the age of 17, Benjamin Franklin decided he no longer wanted to live in Boston. He needed to escape the prospects of taking over his brother’s debts at his print shop in town. The life of
- [Perspective From The Field](https://aristosglobal.com/perspective-from-the-field/) - "As a military man, I think you'll have a special interest in this. Frederick the Great never went on a campaign without a copy of this handbook in his kit." -Phil Rhinelander A Stanford philosophy professor and WWII Navy veteran, Phil Rhinelander, introduced James Stockdale to the world of philosophy, and most importantly to Epictetus.
- [How To Think About Health](https://aristosglobal.com/how-to-think-about-health/) - Pericles was a great statesman of his time and reportedly a friend of Socrates. He believed that Athenians were able to do anything better than anyone else. Ancient Athens, a self-disciplined society, balanced their discipline with the pursuit of intellectual freedom. Socrates himself pursued intellectual freedom by being an “examiner” of men. He exhibited incredible
- [The Quality Of Experience](https://aristosglobal.com/the-quality-of-experience/) - “Do not despair. Do not be disappointed if you see that you cannot accomplish all the good which you would like to accomplish. If you fall, try to stand up; try to overcome the obstacle before you. Get to the heart of the matter, to the essence of things.” - Marcus Aurelius Baron Friedrich Wilhelm
- [The Risk Of Doing Nothing](https://aristosglobal.com/the-risk-of-doing-nothing/) - The Overmountain Men were from settlements west of, or "over" the Appalachian Mountains. In the 1700’s, these mountains were the boundary dividing the thirteen American colonies and the western frontier. The Overmountain area included parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. At the start of the revolutionary war, the Overmountain Men were reluctant to fight
- [Discipline And Preparation](https://aristosglobal.com/discipline-and-preparation/) - "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." - George Washington Starting any project or major undertaking involves risk. Discipline and preparation are two key factors to mitigate any risk with any plan. On April 19, 1775, a small militia took on great risk by standing up to
- [Contingencies For War And For Work](https://aristosglobal.com/contingencies-for-war-and-for-work/) - In 216 BC, Hannibal invaded Italy during the Second Punic War as part of Carthage's strategy to challenge the growing power of Rome. In the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), Carthage had suffered a humiliating defeat, which resulted in the loss of its territories in Sicily and Sardinia to Rome. Hannibal wanted to avenge this
- [Rules for Living](https://aristosglobal.com/rules-for-living/) - In life, uncertain times and adversity are sure to find you. But in adversity, there is opportunity. Great thinkers throughout history have shown us the power of adversity and how it can make us better humans. “Misfortune is virtue's opportunity.” - Seneca In order to overcome misfortune, it helps to have rules to live by.
- [Rhythm Of Things](https://aristosglobal.com/rhythm-of-things/) - “Speed in the martial arts is not the True Way.” - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings Too often in our modern world, we rush from one activity to the next. But Musahsi, like many warriors, understood that there was a rhythm of things. He understood that as the seasons change so should we.
- [Trust In Action](https://aristosglobal.com/trust-in-action/) - In ancient Greece and most importantly politics, Solon realized how hard it was to please everyone. “In great affairs you cannot please all parties.” - Solon Regardless of the difficulty, he tried to establish laws that Athenians could work together to follow. But trust is not blindly given. It is earned. It is earned through
- [Perspective And Impressions](https://aristosglobal.com/perspective-and-impressions/) - Genghis Khan understood the value of perspective. “He warned them that “if you can’t swallow your pride, you can’t lead.” He admonished them never to think of themselves as the strongest or smartest. Even the highest mountains had animals that step on it, he warned.” - Jack Weatherly, Genghis Khan and the Making of the
- [Narrowness Of Mind](https://aristosglobal.com/narrowness-of-mind/) - “In my martial art, we dislike such one-sidedness and narrowness of mind. You should investigate this thoroughly.” - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings, The Wind Chapter The essence of due diligence is assessing risk. In acquisitions, true professionals enter the diligence phase with the mindset of discovering blindspots, of testing their assumptions, of
- [The Unstable Flux Of Time](https://aristosglobal.com/the-unstable-flux-of-time/) - Real estate acquisitions all have one common denominator - the unstable flux of time. Over two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius realized that time was fleeting. “Time is a river, a violent current of events, glimpsed once and already carried past us, and another follows and is gone.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.43 As time
- [A Relentless Mentality](https://aristosglobal.com/a-relentless-mentality/) - “Rest at the end. Not in the middle” - Kobe Bryant Elite athletes are all at the top of their game when it comes to physical conditioning. Bryant played 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 5 NBA Championships. He was arguably one of the best players to ever play professional basketball. Most importantly
- [Practice Till Death](https://aristosglobal.com/practice-till-death/) - 死ぬまで練習 (Shinu made renshū) A short phrase in Japanese that means Practice Till Death. In Sparta, training as a young warrior began at the age of 7 and service in the armed forces continued until most fighting men reached the age of 70. Plutarch describes King Aegislaus and his attitude toward the warriors in the culture:
- [Observation Versus Seeing](https://aristosglobal.com/observation-versus-seeing/) - According to Plutarch, Alexander was just a boy when his dad King Philip had bought the horse, now known as Bucephalus. One day, Alexander noticed that no one was able to ride the horse. He seemed wild, dancing about, unable to be tamed. King Philip was ready to get rid of the horse altogether. Alexander
- [Consistency And Company](https://aristosglobal.com/consistency-and-company/) - In the fifth century in an effort to educate his son, Johannes Stobaeus compiled excerpts, stories, and quotes attributable to Epictetus. What is most amazing is that hundreds of years after his death, Epictetus was positively influencing a man and his son. The separation of time, distance, cultures or languages cannot prevent timeless wisdom from
- [A Quarter At A Time](https://aristosglobal.com/a-quarter-at-a-time/) - Benjamin Franklin was a man who understood the value of getting better each day. He called it: “The means of improvement by constant study…” Imagine how much better you could become with the mindset of improving yourself through constant study. Information is everywhere in our modern age. What does not change with time? Consistency. Hard
- [Tango Mike Mike](https://aristosglobal.com/tango-mike-mike/) - Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez was known as Tango Mike Mike to his military buddies, who used the call sign for “That Mean Mexican.” In May of 1968 Roy volunteered to rescue several soldiers that were pinned down by the enemy in the jungles of Cambodia. Despite being hit several times by gunshots, grenades,
- [Plutarch And Perspective](https://aristosglobal.com/plutarch-and-perspective/) - Ancient Spartans were known for their self-discipline, moderation and simple way of life. According to Plutarch, Lycurgus was credited with establishing the military-focused reforms of Sparta. He was known as the Lawgiver. But first he needed perspective. He set out to Crete in order to study the forms of government from men of the highest
- [Marcus and Mortality](https://aristosglobal.com/marcus-and-mortality/) - “Not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you. Death overshadows you. While you’re alive and able - be good.” - Marcus Aurelius In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt failed to win a third term as President of the United States. Term limits were not introduced until 1947. After his defeat from December 1913
- [Mindset Matters](https://aristosglobal.com/mindset-matters/) - In 479 BC, the Persians invaded Greece for a second time. According to Plutarch, the Battle of Platea was a united front of several Greek states against over 300,000 Persians. Aristides was the commander of the Athenian hoplites, a force known for its victory at the Battle of Marathon, roughly 10 years earlier. At
- [Virtue In Action](https://aristosglobal.com/virtue-in-action/) - On January 31, 1784, Benjamin Vaughan wrote a letter to Benjamin Franklin who was 78 years old at the time: “Your history is so remarkable, that if you do not give it, somebody else will certainly give it…your biography will not merely teach self-education, but the education of a wise man.” As a child, Franklin
- [Purpose In Chaos](https://aristosglobal.com/purpose-in-chaos/) - “Complete outer calmness is impossible. But when there are some calm periods, we should appreciate them and make them last longer. This is the time when useful thoughts appear; they become stronger and guide us in life.” - Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom Theodore Roosevelt was married to his wife not even four years
- [Our Faults Are Our Own](https://aristosglobal.com/our-faults-are-our-own/) - “Why oh why are human beings so hard to teach, but so easy to deceive.” - Dio Chrysostom, Greek philosopher, 2nd Century Humans have been making mistakes for thousands of years. Learning from our mistakes and those of others are key for our ability to make progress toward any purposeful pursuit. Even as parents, we
- [Common Sense Is Not Common](https://aristosglobal.com/common-sense-is-not-common/) - “Thought on the present state of American affairs. In the following pages, I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense;” These words, first published in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, and signed anonymously "by an Englishman" could easily have been written today, a decade ago or even 100 years ago. Thomas
- [People, Purpose and Philanthropy](https://aristosglobal.com/people-purpose-philanthropy/) - Andrew Carengie, an American businessman and philanthropist, was actually born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland’s historic medieval capital. A story goes that while in Scotland as a boy, he caught a mother rabbit. Soon he had an entire nest of baby rabbits following him around, but with nothing to feed them. He told the kids
- [Jujutsu, The Gentle Art](https://aristosglobal.com/jujutsu-the-gentle-art/) - Jujutsu is a martial art created by the Japanese military in the 15th century as a system for fighting in wars and real battles. Known as “Japanese Jiu-Jitsu,” the combat system focused on grappling and lethal ground fighting moves. It also included striking and dirty tactics to survive when your life was at risk. The
- [Difficult Times](https://aristosglobal.com/difficult-times/) - “The true man is revealed in difficult times.”Epictetus Human history is a continuous lesson in our ability to overcome difficult times. In Book I of his Discourses, Epictetus helps impart lessons onto his students when they struggle with thier circumstance. Almost 2,000 years later, his ideas and words still ring true. Yes, we still face
- [Character Is Everything](https://aristosglobal.com/character-is-everything/) - Soft skills matter more than hard knowledge. Yet today, we see many companies that hire based on technical understanding. Benjamin Franklin noted in his autobiography that “truth, sincerity, and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life.” How often do we break promises to others, whether intentional
- [Contempt, Calm, Virtue, and Vice](https://aristosglobal.com/contempt-calm-virtue-vice/) - There is a proverb from Afghanistan that soft lands make soft people. History continues to remind us that the easy way of life makes our future more difficult. To get the most out of our days, we need to focus on doing hard things. Plutarch captures the spirit of Sparta: Certainly when somebody asked what
- [Preparing Foundations](https://aristosglobal.com/preparing-foundations/) - “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” - John F. Kennedy It pays to think ahead. It pays to prepare for stormy weather. The point of preparation is to put in the work before you need it. You might say, “how could this happen to me?” when some storm arrives
- [Rules Of Civility](https://aristosglobal.com/rules-of-civility/) - It was 234 years ago on April 30 when George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States. The year was 1789 and the nation’s capital was in New York City. Imagine what that would be like today if UScapital were in NYC. A year later the nation’s capital relocated to Philadelphia
- [Courage, Conspiracy and Crime](https://aristosglobal.com/courage-conspiracy-and-crime/) - Early in the 1900’s, the most powerful man in the world of finance was J. Pierpont Morgan. At six feet tall and two hundred pounds, he was described with dauntless physical courage and utterly without fear. In 1916, it was reported that a man forced his way into Morgan’s house, whipped out a gun, and
- [Seeking Wisdom](https://aristosglobal.com/seeking-wisdom/) - “When someone inquired of him what children should learn, he said: ‘What they will also use when they become men.’” - Plutarch, On Sparta How often do we hear about people these days talk about Courage, Temperance, Justice, Wisdom? Imagine how better our world would be if more people lived these virtues. In his 2019
- [The Lost Art Of History](https://aristosglobal.com/the-lost-art-of-history/) - Would you consider history art or science? What if I told you that history is both part art and part science? With the proliferation of information on the internet, too often we see fiction that is reported as fact. When telling the story of any history - the history of your work experience, the history
- [Making Progress](https://aristosglobal.com/making-progress/) - How often do we just exist in our day to day? How often do we just go through the motions? How often do we cite some uncontrollable outside influence on our lives? Interest rates, inflation, the economy, the weather… What if the real cause was that we lack direction? At work or even at home,
- [Influence](https://aristosglobal.com/influence/) - Leo Tolstoy was a russian writer ’s born to an aristocratic family in 1828. His most notable works include the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878). But his last major work known as A Calendar of Wisdom was written in three editions from 1904 to 1910. In 1884, he began with a
- [The Placebo Effect](https://aristosglobal.com/the-placebo-effect/) - Henry K. Beecher was a medic who served with the US Army in North Africa and Italy during World War II. The story goes that during the war, Beecher ran out of Morphine to administer to soldiers in pain. At least two versions of the story exist, if not more. In one version, Beecher knowingly
- [Fear The Unexpected](https://aristosglobal.com/fear-the-unexpected/) - When different people from different walks of life start discussing similar ideas, it just might be an idea worth paying attention to. Edward Teach was infamously known as Blackbeard during the early 18th Century, or the Golden Age of Piracy. What most people may not know is that he learned a valuable lesson from his mentor, Benjamin
- [Production V. Consumption](https://aristosglobal.com/production-v-consumption-10/) - John Ruskin was born over 200 years ago in London in 1819 to a wine merchant and stay at home mom. His parents dedicated themselves to cultivating his talents as he was their only child. He is best known as an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath. Today he might be known as a
- [Industry On The Way To Wealth](https://aristosglobal.com/industry-on-the-way-to-wealth/) - Benjamin Franklin was a prolific writer. He first published The Way to Wealth in 1758 as a preface to his Poor Richard’s Alamanack. It was a simple attempt for Franklin to summarize his thoughts on how to achieve success in business. He uses the characters Father Abraham and Poor Richard to discuss the foundations of good
- [Looking For Work](https://aristosglobal.com/looking-for-work/) - From military to sports to business, anyone that has been a part of a high performing team knows that A-players are always looking for work. “Hey boss, I’m looking for work. Where do you need me?” It is a simple phrase. The irony is that it applies as much to dangerous covert military missions as
- [Cowards](https://aristosglobal.com/cowards/) - “The difference between the courageous and the cowardly can be seen in everyday life.” Some of you might be surprised to learn that those words were written almost 400 years ago. In the 17th Century, a Confucian scholar and military scientist wrote a handbook after 500 years of military rule had already taken place in
- [Keep Strong, Keep Cool](https://aristosglobal.com/keep-strong-keep-cool/) - Think back to when you were 19 years old. What were you doing? Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart was a military historian who at the age of 19 volunteered for the British Army to serve in the Western Front of World War I. In his short frontline combat experience from 1915-1916, he suffered mulitple injuries.
- [Taking Note](https://aristosglobal.com/taking-note/) - The team at Rite in the Rain has been “defying mother nature since 1916.” Staying in business for 106 years is no joke. To last that long as an organization, you must have a bias toward action. Throughout history, great leaders and thinkers have taken notes. Leonardo da Vinci authored around 30 different scientific journals and
- ["If"](https://aristosglobal.com/if/) - Almost 2,000 years ago Plutarch put out an essay, On Talkativeness, which appeared in Volume VI of the Loeb Classical Library's edition of the Moralia, first published in 1939. In his essay, Plutarch highlighted the power of silence, the power of the written word, the power of mindset, the power of anticipation. When King Philip of
- [The Art of Sabotage](https://aristosglobal.com/the-art-of-sabotage/) - William “Wild Bill” Donovan was an American lawyer, soldier, and diplomat who directed the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. The military agency was charged with collecting foreign intelligence and carrying out counterpropaganda and covert action operations. The OSS would later turn into the CIA. In January of 1944, under his
- [Information Warfare](https://aristosglobal.com/information-warfare/) - When we think about information, especially as it pertains to history, we have to remember that history is a matter of perspective. It is about the judgment of the people who are recording the history. As a reader you must consider the source and consider the lens through which the information is being presented. “Total
- [How To Be Useful](https://aristosglobal.com/how-to-be-useful/) - According to USGA Rule 4, golfers are allowed to carry 14 clubs in their bag. Each club must be useful to the player, whether you are a pro, an amateur, or a weekend hacker. If you think about it, having more is not always better. I am pretty sure that Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy
- [RTFM](https://aristosglobal.com/rtfm/) - Mark Cuban built his first business, MicroSolutions, by mastering one basic thing. He focused on learning as much as he possibly could through reading. In his book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, he calls it RTFM. Read the Freakin’ Manual How often do you skim a lease? How often do you quickly scan
- [Anticipate What's Next](https://aristosglobal.com/anticipate-whats-next/) - Anyone that works long enough in the business world knows that mistakes happen. There will be setbacks. There will be obstacles. There will be trouble. But the real question is what are you doing to anticipate those setbacks. You might think your budget is good. You might believe your contractor’s schedule is better. But do you
- [Bias Toward Action](https://aristosglobal.com/bias-toward-action-2/) - Benjamin Franklin was a spectacular generalist. He is what today might be called a multi-hyphenate. His contributions made throughout his life included activities as a printer, journalist, inventor, scientist, statesman, diplomat and civic leader. “I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if
- [Be Useful](https://aristosglobal.com/be-useful/) - It was December 23, 1783 in Annapolis, Maryland where General Washington surrendered his military commission to Congress. He declared, “Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action—and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission,
- [Practice The Basics](https://aristosglobal.com/practice-the-basics/) - Practice is a must in the world of athletics. If you don’t practice, you won’t win. The military knows proper training can save lives. Rehearsing a simple tactic, such as how to get into and out of vehicles, can save precious seconds when every second counts on a mission. In the business world, we often
- [Courage, Culture, and Leadership](https://aristosglobal.com/courage-culture-leadership/) - Consider the source. Agesilaus, a King of Sparta from 400 B.C. to about 360 B.C. understood the value of leading from the front. He also understood the power of words. He knew that you should always consider the source. In his work On Sparta, Plutarch documents insights from many Kings including Agesilaus. Ironically, these timeless principles
- [Employee Sabotage](https://aristosglobal.com/employee-sabotage/) - “Fools say they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by other people’s experience.” Otto Von Bismarck Learning from our own history and the collective history of those who came before us is an underappreciated skill. How often in your own history have you been sabotaged? What about the times when you sabotage yourself with
- [Contrast](https://aristosglobal.com/contrast/) - Miyamoto Musashi understood the value of contrast when he wrote: "By knowing the large, you know the small; and from the shallow, you reach the deep." Contrast helps us to learn. Contrast helps us to grow. Early in my career, I learned what not to do. Could I design and build a commercial building with
- [Office Sabotage](https://aristosglobal.com/office-sabotage/) - Quality not quantity. That is how I think about a short yet powerful field manual issued by the CIA’s predecessor in 1944. The Simple Sabotage Field Manual No. 3 was a guide for basic tactics and strategies related to sabotage. The idea was to use everyday citizens to harass and demoralize the enemy. What is
- [What Do You Want To Be](https://aristosglobal.com/what-do-you-want-to-be/) - “What do you want to be when you grow up?”“Kind” said the boy Charlie Mackesy published those words in his 2019 book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse. An amazing read for children and adults, the book has spent over 100 weeks on The Sunday Times Bestsellers List top ten. The Sunday Times
- [Supervisor Sabotage](https://aristosglobal.com/supervisor-sabotage-2/) - In 2008, the CIA declassified a Field Manual from 1944 that was used toward the end of World War II. The Simple Sabotage Field Manual No. 3 was a short guide for basic tactics and strategies related to sabotage. The idea was simple, not easy. Employ citizen saboteurs to harass and demoralize the enemy. Previously,
- [The Shortness Of Life](https://aristosglobal.com/the-shortness-of-life/) - If Seneca could only see us now. I wonder what he would say of all the predictive analysis like the future moves the Fed will make, economic growth prospects, construction pricing, labor shifts, rent rates, you name it. “Can anything be more idiotic than certain people who boast of their foresight?” - Seneca Seneca experienced many
- [Is It True?](https://aristosglobal.com/is-it-true/) - “The longer I watch current events, the more I have come to see how many of our troubles arise from the habit, on all sides, of suppressing or distorting what we know quite well is the truth, out of devotion to a cause, an ambition, or an institution; at bottom, this devotion being inspired by
- [Guerillas](https://aristosglobal.com/guerillas/) - Yu Chi Chan (Guerilla Warfare) was first published by Mas Tse-Tung in 1937. Before Mao collected his thoughts on guerilla strategy, Sun Tzu wrote about the primary essentials of any attack - speed, surprise, and deception. Mao believed that the revolutionary guerilla war passed through a series of phases. Phase I (organization, consolidation, and preservation).
- [Courage In Adversity](https://aristosglobal.com/courage-in-adversity/) - “For we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows fortitude in adversity.” Thousands of years ago, Seneca wrote about courage. We all have fears. But do we all have courage? How do we overcome our fears? By living courageously. Business can wait. The dinners, the meetings, the happy hours,
- [Understanding Capital Expenditures In Commercial Real Estate](https://aristosglobal.com/understanding-capital-expenditures-in-commercial-real-estate/) - Capital expenditures are typically the larger expenses required to keep a property in good condition over time. When investing in commercial real estate, it's essential to have a solid understanding of capital expenditures (CapEx).
- [How To Conduct A Site Visit](https://aristosglobal.com/site-visit-how-to/) - If you work in the real estate industry, odds are that you’ve participated in, if not led, a site meeting. Site meetings are often an overlooked opportunity to align your team and boost their performance. It’s a shame because if your team performs better, your project or investment is likely to perform better too. It
- [The Best Gear and Tech for Real Estate Professionals in the Field and at the Office](https://aristosglobal.com/best-gear-for-real-estate-professionals/) - As real estate professionals, the tech and gear we use help us get the job done better. That’s the case whether we’re in the field or at the office. But finding the right gear can involve a lot of trial and error. Not to mention wasted money. With 15 years in the industry and having
- [51 Questions For Acquisitions](https://aristosglobal.com/cre-dd-questions/) - It has been said that to find better answers, you need to ask better questions. Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Anyone that has worked on an acquisitions team knows that there are always tons of questions. Commercial real estate (CRE) due diligence
- [Preparedness Of Warriors](https://aristosglobal.com/preparedness-of-warriors/) - Bushido is a complex blend of philosophy and self-discipline from 16th Century Japan known as The Way of the Warrior. At the heart of Bushido was the purpose to balance civil and military aspects of life during the rise of the Samurai warrior class. In essence, how can you prepare for war, yet remain at peace.
- [The Strenuous Life](https://aristosglobal.com/the-strenuous-life/) - Theodore Roosevelt was born into one of New York City’s wealthiest families on October 27, 1858. As a boy, he was scrawny, even malnourished, from a lack of appetite. He suffered frequently from colds, coughs, headaches, cramps and fevers. Doctors tried everything from electric shocks, controlled bloodletting and massages that were so intense they made
- [How to Manage Oneself](https://aristosglobal.com/managing-oneself/) - There is a fascination, or maybe a fixation, in real estate and construction on the latest tool, technology, or gadget. My eyes start to glaze over when people ask me about Gantt Charts, Project Management Software, or specific types of contracts, AIA or otherwise. Why? Because these tools skip a fundamental part of any construction
- [Why Execution Matters](https://aristosglobal.com/execution-matters/) - How do you approach hiring other teams? You can call them vendors, service providers, consulting firms, or agencies. It doesn’t really matter. There are likely a variety of organizations that provide services to you and your team. Do you consider the organization’s reputation and history? It could be a two year old company or it could
- [The Cost of Rework](https://aristosglobal.com/2017613the-cost-of-rework/) - In 2015, total commercial real estate construction ran a tab of nearly $700 billion US dollars. An estimated 14% of that was caused by rework of human error due to unskilled labor and materials defects. $98,000,000,000 That's how much is wasted every year in the US construction industry. Think about it. What could you do
- [What's Your Value Add?](https://aristosglobal.com/what-is-your-value-add/) - Much more than a risk strategy... It’s no secret that Benjamin Graham has been characterized as one of the greatest investment advisors of the 20th century with his philosophy of “value investing.” While value investing has thrived as a strategy in the securities world since 1949, in the real estate industry value add seems to
- [Review Proposals Like a Pro](https://aristosglobal.com/review-proposals-like-a-pro/) - How to find Black Swans Back when the phrase was coined, Black Swans were thought to not even exist. While most people in the finance world would attribute “black swans” to Nassim Nicholas Taleb, it’s a term that actually dates back to the 17th century. The Old World idea assumed that all swans must be
- [The contractor with the most permits in 2017 in Dallas is . . .](https://aristosglobal.com/2017-contractor-permits-dallas/) - suprising. Let's dig into the numbers Nothing says the Big D like big data. 2017 was a big year for US real estate, especially for commercial construction in Dallas. Well, it depends how you define big. We went a little crazy and drilled down into the permit records from last year. The City of Dallas
- [An Intro to Multifamily Acquisition Risks](https://aristosglobal.com/201769an-intro-to-multifamily-acquisition-risks/) - Underwriting and Due Diligence Challenges in Commercial Real Estate In the spirit of Murphy’s Law, most real estate investment firms would do well to anticipate challenges and risks when acquiring multifamily assets. The market for investment sales in 2016 was reportedly $150.3 billion, according to JLL’s research. When buying older properties, just like buying an
- [Three Ways to Simplify the TI Process](https://aristosglobal.com/three-ways-to-simplify-the-ti-process/) - Three common mistakes to avoid during tenant improvement According to the CCIM Institute, tenant improvements, or leasehold improvements, are the customized alterations a building owner makes to rental space as part of a lease agreement, in order to configure the space for the needs of that particular tenant. These include changes to walls, floors, ceilings, and lighting, among
- [How to Run a Great Acquisitions Process](https://aristosglobal.com/what-does-a-great-real-estate-acquisition-process-look-like/) - The difference between an average & excellent real estate acquisition When we enter “real estate acquisition definition” into Google, we get close to 21,000,000 results with no real clear definition. Acquisitions, M&A, and real estate investing appear much easier to define. During these transactions, the focus is to either gain control or interest in real
- [How Not to Manage an Insurance Claim](https://aristosglobal.com/how-not-to-manage-an-insurance-claim/) - After hanging up the phone with Dave, I felt like a fool. How could this happen to me? With 10-plus years of experience in real estate, you would think I could prevent something like this from happening. Why did we not ask for a material submittal? Why didn’t we request the manufacturer’s material spec and
- [Post-Disaster Tips](https://aristosglobal.com/post-disaster-tips/) - Best practices for insurance claims following a natural disaster Insurance claims can be challenging. 542,000,000. That is the number of results in Google when you search for “insurance claims” today. How do I know that insurance claims are tough? I used to investigate residential and commercial real estate damage and provide forensic assessments to insurance
- [Hit by a Hurricane?](https://aristosglobal.com/100-questions-hurricane/) - 100+ Questions to help you NOW. Hurricanes suck, unless maybe you’re a surfer... or weather reporter. Recovery and clean up afterward are even tougher. We wanted to share an a la carte list of questions that can help you, as real estate Owners and Investors. Whether you are dealing with an insurance carrier, independent adjuster,
- [Risk, liability, and unacceptable limits](https://aristosglobal.com/risk-liability/) - Can you imagine insuring a $10,000,000 asset for a maximum of only $20,000 in value? That is $9,980,000 in uninsured exposure! Consultants, especially architects, engineers, and material testing agencies try to get you to do that all the time! Why? Because they (their insurance carriers) are constantly involved in legal battles over who is at
- [Why the US construction industry has a big problem](https://aristosglobal.com/us-construction-2018/) - And what you can do about it. The construction industry in the US has a big problem, and it is not rising labor or material costs. The industry has managed to fool real estate investors and developers for the better part of 10 years. Maybe it is the blue collar, “can do” attitude. Maybe it
- [Roof warranties, too good to be true?](https://aristosglobal.com/roof-warranties/) - What your roofing contractor is not telling you Is a limited lifetime warranty real, or does it really just sound too good to be true? Have you heard of 40-year shingles actually lasting 40 years? Not me. Recently we were reviewing proposals (bids...estimates...whatever you want to call them) for some roof work at a multifamily

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- [About Us](https://aristosglobal.com/about-us/) - About Us άριστος (áh-rees-tos) Ancient Greek meaning: best, first-rate, thorough Practical solutions to mitigating constructionand development risk From the very beginning our goal has been simple – to be your most trusted advisor when it comes to mitigating construction risk across your real estate portfolio.We help investors eliminate wasteful spending and unnecessary delays during the acquisition,
- [Blog](https://aristosglobal.com/blog/) - Blog Construction Brothers Podcast: Solving Problems in Reverse Recently, I had the opportunity to join the Construction Bros Podcast to discuss some key topics that are vital to Read More » Building Relationships and Building Value: The Impact of Soft Skills in Real Estate Capital expenditures are typically the larger expenses required to keep a
- [Contact Us](https://aristosglobal.com/contact-us/) - Contact Us Get in touch. Drop us a message, so we can get the conversation started. Address 4447 N. Central Expy., Ste 110-181, Dallas TX 75205 Email Us info@aristosglobal.com Contact form What can we help you with? Aquisitions Asset Management Development SEND
- [FAQ](https://aristosglobal.com/faq/) - Frequently Asked Questions What do you do? We help real estate investors and developers save time and money. It really is that simple.During acquisitions and asset management, we evaluate past performance, mitigate risk, analyze deferred maintenance, plan and execute capital improvement programs.For new developments, we provide unmatched quality assurance to investors from conception to completion
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## Categories

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## Tags

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