Hey guys, I have a pleasant surprise for you. Over the week, I had to take a trip to Dubai and guess who I met while waiting at the airport lounge? Denis Barrett. Little to say, I was thrilled to see and have a conversation with him. And the best part of the encounter was that he granted me an interview while we were waiting at the lounge. Read all out the interview here.
Me: Who do you consider to have the biggest influence in your life?
Denis: For me, my family has played the biggest role in my life. Simply put without my family I am nothing. I also have some amazing friends that we have been together for years now. They have supported me through thick and thin till now. I know that they will offer their support no matter what happens.
On a professional level, it is a bit straightforward and easier to answer that question. Kelly Fisher, a master Auctioneer is my good friend and mentor. Over the years, he has remained a true friend through the tough and difficult times. He introduced me to Mr Dominic Syntin, whom I consider to be the most influential person I ever met. Unfortunately, he was taken from us by the cold hands of death in a tragic shooting accident last year. Dominic was a complete gentleman, his vision, mission and style of management are so astounding that I personally rank him as the best CEO I have met in the world. From nothing, he grew his business to be one of the most influential companies in the Philippines. That made he and his brothers a major player in the Japanese used truck market, they could move the market with their decisions. They also created thousands of jobs for people; he jokingly used to refer to them as the “UAI and Foton families.”
One thing I loved and admire about him is his love for his family and work-family. He had a mesmerising dedication and commitment to the people around him and a genuine pride for his country that was inspiring and motivational. His brother Rommel continues with the good work and he is keeping the tradition alive.
Derek keys and his brothers in Euro Auctions have taught me a couple of things as well. From nothing, they built an auction business to rival that of any other auction company in the world.
On the real estate and property front, I will like to keep my biggest influence private, if you don’t mind.
Me: We don’t mind at all, it’s not like we can mind. Laughs…
What are the things you consider your biggest regrets?
Oh, my biggest regret… that’s hard. Let me see… I have to say that I regret not choosing love over ambition when I met the right girl years ago. At that time, I was in a mess; I had issues with banks. I didn’t want to get into the relationship at that time because I thought that might affect me and make my relationship toxic so I had to let go. I probably should have gone ahead with the relationship, I regret that now.
I regret not spending enough time with Dominic before he died. I also neglected family and some good friendships after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Look back now, some of these things were my fault but the conditions were out of my control. But that doesn’t make me feel any good about it.
Me: Oh, wow… So, how will you advise someone in your position?
Ah, that’s a big question to answer. My heart and head are saying different things. From my heart, I want to say fight the system. From my head, I would tell you to look closely at any situation you find yourself and evaluate all the sides of the equation. Fighting the system will give you a pyrrhic victory but the loss may become too much to bear in the long run.
Always re-evaluate your situation. Know your end goal, do whatever it takes and go for it. Cut your loss short on a project but never give up on your goal.
When the going gets rough and tough, continue to focus on your personal development. One thing is for sure and certain, the National Auctioneers Association in America saved me after the 2008 crash. I network and got opportunities through the NAA, I attended my first Auctioneers conference in 2009. I always attend the conference every year no matter the cost because of the networking, education, support and advice that the NAA family gives me.
Me: Thank you for the advice. What is the next step for you from here?
No difference, life continues… Nothing has changed, I intend to work harder at what I have been doing and I will continue to do what I love. I may look into expanding my business in the future.
Find Denis Barrett on Linkedin