CFD 534 – Ron Coury On The Incredible Story of Tenacity and the American Dream

May 6th, 2019

Ron Coury is a former casino dealer and a realtor, as well as a partner in restaurants and gaming bars, major graphics and glass companies, and several automobile dealerships. He is a board member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation and bestselling author of Tenacity: A Vegas Businessman Survives Brooklyn, the Marines, Corruption, and Cancer to Achieve the American Dream: A True Life Story.

Podcast Highlights

● Who is Ron Coury?

When Ron was 12 years old he went to your average small school in Brooklyn and his parents gave him a wooden shoe shine box for Christmas. Not only did it held him avoid being punished in school for not having shined shoes, but Ron also started shining shoes for $0.10 before school. His experience making money when he was young led him to the belief that he was niche finder and when you find a niche you can do better than others, you should take a shot at it.

Ron was drafted to fight in the Vietnam war after he dropped one of his college classes, he was trained for war but never deployed. That’s how he ended up in Las Vegas, he was trained in the area and really enjoyed the city so he never went back to New York.

One of the major concerns Ron always had when he was young was what would happen if he couldn’t work due to cancer, which happened to run in his family. This led him to look for ways to earn money and be in business for himself. After 4 years in the casino, he became a realtor during the day while maintaining his dealer job at night, and this allowed him to accumulate enough money to buy his first tavern.

● Asking The Right Questions

Ron lost his dad to cancer as well as his dad’s three brothers and sister, which led him to the thought that “how do I make money if one day I can’t work anymore?” and building a business was the logical conclusion.

● Tenacity and Overcoming Obstacles

Everyone encounters obstacles in business and life. The Marine corps gave Ron the tenacity to not accept defeat easily. When he encountered an obstacle, Ron looked at it as a challenge to overcome. Even death threats were dealt with in a straightforward way.

Each business that Ron started allowed him to see the need for other businesses. Being an observational entrepreneur has been key. Ron saw a need and then figured out how to fill it.

Time management and hiring the right people has been critical to Ron’s success. He made enough time in his life to get all the important things done by being very intentional.

Don’t be a self-defeatist. Many people don’t pursue their dream because they can’t do it. You can’t hit the baseball if you don’t swing the bat. Not having the money isn’t a reason to not do something, there is always a way.

● What was your overarching goal?

For many people, the goal is some amount of wealth or net worth, for Ron that was never a consideration. He was always looking for new challenges to stay interested which is why his businesses were so diversified. The challenge to build something new and do it well.

● Making Mistakes

You are going to make mistakes, that’s unavoidable. You can’t just let them get the best of you. Not every venture Ron began was a success. Even when one of his businesses failed, Ron didn’t let that dissuade him from starting his next business.

Reference: Tenacity: A Vegas Businessman Survives Brooklyn, the Marines, Corruption, and Cancer to Achieve the American Dream: A True Life Story, Ron Coury

● Ron’s Takeaway

Live your life by certain guidelines. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. If you have an idea, don’t hesitate to show it to people and bring on partners that can help and that you trust. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake, mistakes don’t mean you fail. You adapt and improvise, and believe that failure is not an option.

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