My Friend Mark

This was published Monday in my daily newsletter The Daily Retail Experience.

One of the biggest fans of The Daily Retail Experience has also been an important contributor to it for a long time. One of my best friends, Mark Sander, never ran a store but he had an uncanny eye for specialty retail.

You've often read a Daily that began "a friend and I were talking."  So often the "friend" referred to Mark.  He called me all the time to tell me about his most recent shopping experience or to share with me something a business was doing that he thought was either incredibly smart or really stupid.  I respected Mark's opinion since I always knew I was getting a discerning customer's perspective, not that of a fellow retailer.

Our families have vacationed together for years and many of those philosophical conversations Mark and I had on the beach or over morning coffee on the deck eventually found their way to the Daily.  He was quick to call me about a particular Daily he liked or to debate a point I had made.  You've never met Mark but if you're a reader of The Daily I guarantee he's had some influence on you.

It is with deep and profound sadness I tell you that Mark died on Friday.  His wife and three daughters, along with his extended family and countless friends, are heartbroken.  I'm not sharing this with you to depress you, or because I think that sharing my grief will somehow help me through this. . .although I'm sure it can't hurt.

I'm writing because I want to celebrate a few of the lessons Mark shared with me and, ultimately, with you.

Mark was always optimistic.  If I told him that one of my seminars didn't go as well as I hoped he would tell me that he was sure it was better than I thought. If there was ever a time I wasn't busy as I wanted to be, Mark would tell me that things would soon be better. Through his actions, Mark reminded me that leaders are always optimistic about the future.  Mark's optimism was always balanced by a realistic outlook on business and on life.  He wasn't Pollyanna, he was positive.  Something we all need, now more than ever.

We often talked about the importance of balancing work and life.  Like me, Mark worked a lot of hours. But he would sometimes remind me why we worked all those hours.  I remember one morning over coffee he told me that how much money he made wasn't the important thing.  What mattered is that the money he earned could provide a better life for his family. 

Most of all, Mark taught me about the importance of friendship.  Sometimes I just want to stay focused on my business and block everything else out.  Invariably, when I was in that kind of mood the phone would ring and it was Mark. More often than not he wasn't calling for any particular reason and I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I wanted to get him off the phone so I could get back to work. But after the call I would realize that we both had a lot to say, we just hadn't planned what we would talk about.

I'm sad that I won't ever be able to pick up the phone and talk with Mark again, or have our conversations on the deck or the beach.  But I do know that wherever he is he's smiling that he made today's Daily Retail Experience. 

Thanks, Mark.  I'm going to miss you.   

Comments

[Mike Buckley]

Doug,

You have my sympathy. It's hard when we start losing friends who are close to our own age.

Peace,

Mike