Author’s note: This post is about Rama Mehra and her team. They work in the East Bay in northern California. Feel free to click that link and see who they are, and what they do. With all of the negativity in the world these days, each week I am going to highlight some of the amazing people I have met during a career of almost 20 years serving as a technologist in the real estate industry. I am also going to highlight a few things that I have learned from each of them. Are any of these people perfect? No, none of us are…but if there is one thing that I have learned, it is that each person does at least one thing REALLY well. Sometimes many things. Finding that good that is in each person and learning from it has been a fun and rewarding life experience for me.

Here is a picture of their team:

So what is your version of the American Dream? Would you chase it to a new country? Would you learn a new language to seek your fortune? Would you be flexible and yet tough enough to deal with new cultures and customs? America offers freedom. Freedom provides opportunity. Opportunity brings challenges. Challenges bring character and strength. This is what attracts the best of the best to immigrate to America. And people like Rama and Sunil coming here is EXACTLY what should be celebrated about this country.

One of the amazing things for me about working in the real estate industry have been the incredible people that I have met. I am a Family guy. I love and appreciate the talent that it takes to be a spouse and a parent. I have often fallen short, but I love the relationship that I have now with my kids as adults and wth my wife, Jen. We have 4 young adult (now) kids. When I met Rama Mehra and her husband Sunil there were a few things that almost immediately struck me about them.

First was how well they treated each other as a couple. When they immigrated to the US they had their sons and grit and determination. They came to America seeking freedom, opportunity and an environment where they could thrive. New language, culture, laws and countless obstacles to their success forged a husband and wife relationship between Rama and Sunil that you can easily see if you are around them. They have learned to let the challenges of being here in the US since 1999 strengthen them rather than tear them down. They have done a great job of building their business…and their life here.

The second observation is that they have expanded their “family” to include their team. A couple of years ago, before shutting down my consulting practice to go to work full time at The Real Estate Group, I got to watch this first hand as I worked with them. Sunil used to laughingly (he might still ) refer to Rama, Kellie, Sumana, and Bhamini, as “Charlie’s Angels”. They always referred to them when they talked to me as if they were family. And when I talked with Kellie or any of the team members, it was obvious that they felt the same.

My third observation is about the culture that they have built both in their family and in their business. Both of their sons are amazing artists (some of their team members are as well.). One son is a grammy nominated guitarist with a rock band. The other creates some of the most stunning graphic arts I have seen as well as being an amazing guitarist as well. They have successfully taught their family and team that Business is an Art and Art is a business. They celebrate excellence. I have literally watched hundreds of couples raising kids find diffuculty with that. And they seem to have pulled it off. They probably did not realize that I was studying and learning from them during the time that we were working together, but I was.

A final note. You can learn a lot about people by HOW they do business. Their team (and family) have had the benefit of watching them negotiate and communicate fiercely when needed, but also with a friendly nature and fun as well. Things that are taught as examples and modeled as positive behavior are more easily learned by the next generation. Young lions learn to hunt while hunting with older lions. They learn patience as they stalk their dreams. They learn to take advantage as opportunities present themselves. They learn teamwork. As a dad with kids at the stage where they were going out to hunt on their own, I learned a lot from them. This blog post is, in its own wierd way, a “thank you” for that.

In an “Ok, Boomer” and “Quit Whining, Millenials” world, what Rama and Sunil have brought to the world is a good thing. The world needs more of what their family and team have. It needs Charlie’s Angels, laughter, respect, and encouragement. They have remained close as a family and a team (in my humble opinion) because they celebrate each others successes, laugh at their missteps, urge each other to push forward, and build each other up when they need it.

As I hit “publish” this Saturday, they are hanging out up at Lake Tahoe, enjoying life together. Have a great weekend and thanks for your friendship and letting me learn from you.