Welcome to SmartsMatter

“What I lack in smarts, I make up for in work…and given how hard I have to work, I must not be that smart!”–Greg hague

Kash’s Big Bargain Barn

In 1947 he was selling bibles door-to-door, proclaiming himself “World Champion Bible Salesman.” When challenged, he proved it by selling 170 Good Books in just

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Chubby Is Proud

My dad started a real estate firm in Cincinnati, Ohio when I was very young. Over the next 30 years he built it up to seven

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Jingle Jangle Rule

When I first got started in real estate, I worked for my father’s firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. One night Dad (nicknamed Chubby), and I were brainstorming

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Happy Birthday Tex!

If you’ve ever traveled by motorcycle, you know stopping for gas can be time consuming. Dismount, take off your helmet and gloves, unzip your riding pants,

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Try Bartering

Kyle McDonald wanted a house, but he had little savings and no job. He remembered a game from his childhood called Bigger and Better. The goal

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If You Want To Innovate

I am a fan of Shark Tank, and particularly the outspoken, maverick entrepreneur and billionaire, Mark Cuban. He went from zero net worth to the

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Make Your Own Rules

I have a sticky note on my bathroom mirror. It’s the first thing I see each morning… “I will not let tradition cage my ambition.” Several

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Is It Really Your Life?

Did you ever have something incidental become monumental? It happened to me, thanks to my son. One single sentence. Just nine words. When I first heard it,

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17 Camels

A long time ago in a far away land there was a father with three sons. When he fell ill, he knew it was time to

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The Only One I Got

Grandpa was a house painter, painting thousands of houses throughout his career.  He was a happy, outgoing man who made friends easily. It was easy to see

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Love Is An Act

When my mother became terminally ill, it sent a shockwave through the family. My father was devastated. He made the decision to stop working at our

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No Plan B

About ten years ago I had the honor to interview legendary race car driver, Mario Andretti. It was for a story in my book, How Fathers Change

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