This summer Ed Duncan and I were invited on a fishing trip to beautiful Nags Heads, N.C. Our host JR Roth is one of the managing partners of East Coast Entertainment and has been a friend and partner of Ed’s for the past 37 years.
Ed and JR picked me up at the airport in Raleigh, N.C., and we drove three hours to Nags Head. We arrived around 10 p.m. and found all the restaurants closed.
JR made a call to the owner of JK’s, one of the best restaurants in town, and asked him to hold his cook after hours so we could have dinner.
When we arrived, we were the only customers aside from John the owner, his bartender and cook. We had the meal of a lifetime. Fresh quail, seafood, drinks and Ed’s favorite, blueberry cobbler topped with ice cream. It was one of the best meals I have ever had.
The next morning we boarded the Rock Solid boat with our captain Aaron and fished off the coast. We had a good catch of triggerfish and a visit from a school of beautiful dolphins.
I noticed that JR seemed to know everybody by name, from the captains at the dock to the staff at the general store. He also knew the names of all the taxi drivers and staff at every restaurant/bar we visited. (If you know JR, you know there were many.)
JR talked to everyone in the room everywhere we went. I asked him, “Why?” His response was, “I love people and I make it my business to find out a little about everyone I meet.”
I realized it was his personal approach with people that helped him to be so successful. For over 35 years, JR has been selling entertainment and, if you know the entertainment business, you know how difficult it can be.
One of my teachers once told me, “People don’t care about what you know or what you’re selling until they know you.”
Spending a couple of days with JR reminded me about that and just how important relationships are. With JR, it’s not an act. He truly enjoys the people business and what you see is what you get. Maybe we can all learn a lesson from JR.
And the next time you’re in a town where all the restaurants are closed, mention JR’s name…. maybe they’ll leave the light on for you.
If you’re ever in Nags Head, check out John’s restaurant JK’s and our captain Aaron www.rocksolid.com
Dennis
