Article in Amandala about Our Founder – the late Mr. Escander Bedran

I would like to tell you a story about a businessman, who lived in San Ignacio. His name is Escandar Bedran. It will be a short story. In fact, it will be only a glimpse into the mind of the man.

Escandar embarked on many business ventures and all of them were successful. Was he lucky? What was the secret of his success?

“No secret, at all,” said my good friend Telford Vernon, who was, also, one of Escandar’s many friends. He made friends very easily because, he had an angelic disposition and, was the soul of courtesy.

Telford told me that there were two things he observed about Escandar. He cultivated the people whose minds he respected, and he picked their brains. He had a habit of beginning a conversation asking, “Bwai, weh yu tink bout….” Then, he would give his friend the bare bones of the scheme he was contemplating. Escandar was a good listener. He already had his basic plans, now he would refine them, based on the valuable information, provided by his friend.

There was no secret to Escandar Bedran’s success. It started with his having a good mind for business. Then, he prepared himself by seeking and obtaining knowledge and information about the project. He tried to find out as much as he could about his undertaking, before he made his move.

Come to think about it, this is a good object lesson for all of us. Perhaps, some of the initiatives undertaken by those in high places would have been more effective, if there were wider consultations.