Ranjay Gulati
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
So when I was a teenager, my mother was a successful fashion designer.
She was doing very well.
She bought a piece of land.
A real estate developer was desperately trying to get this land from her.
And one day he sends somebody to speak to her.
I'm a teenager.
He wants to come in for five minutes.
My mother agrees to meet him.
I bring him in.
She's in the living room.
He sits down across from her and he says, ma'am, I need to buy your land.
And she says, well, I'm really sorry.
I've told you before, I don't want to sell it.
I want to keep it for myself.
He takes out a blank check and a piece of paper says, ma'am, please, you write the number.
She says, it doesn't matter.
I don't need the money.
I just don't want to sell my land.
I'm going to build a farmhouse over there.
He then gets a little more belligerent and says, ma'am, I can't leave without your signature.