Clients that became friends

I have a lot of these. People who started off as clients and then due to spending too much time with them, we became friends. My first big client was also that. He is a man who had vision but lack execution. He is no more a client but if I had not met him, I may not be what I am today (which I considered as enough to make myself proud). He has migrated to China, according to what he said the last time he came to my office after being MIA for nearly 4 years. I wish him luck and hope he does not make another blunder when he has another business eureka! moment.

If not for a client, I might not had the chance to tour Europe and even drove into and around Paris in a brand new Mercedes 500E. That client was introduced by another client when I went to Amsterdam the year before that happened. He became a friend during that tour but now he is on the run due to some unpaid bad debt. That is another long story but I know he is a good man who was involved in too many unsavory business deals. No, not criminal deals but more of trying to sell something out of nothing deals. The type you wouldn't buy but people like Maddox, the one who sell nothing to people who were willing to hear him out in the United States and now is in prison.

As the two above can be considered as 'bad' friends, I do have a few gems as friends. They have been successful way before I met them. There is this former mayor of a town. A former politician. And a still successful businessman. To name a few (not naming names, but they are prominent in their own field). They taught me a lot and I also taught them a few things. Mostly about law and technology (Twitter anyone?). Anyway, I love being in their company, when they do give me the time of the day as they have heard, seen and done it all. Their travels stories are enough to be booked or blogged, except that they don't do these things. Maybe, I will be the conduit to the blogging world for them. Which they have never known I do, yet...

These friends/clients are priceless. And hope to be their friends forever. And I think I have met one who is not that old, as you may have guessed from me saying the one I listed above as having wisdom and all. This new friend seems to be genuinely friendly, good hearted and even accomplished in his field. I think it is always good to widen your circle of friends as you grow older. You might never know whom you will meet...