After spending a week in New York, you’d think I’d be smitten with NY but, you’d be wrong. It was this most recent trip to New York that reminded me why I love Cleveland so much.. For one, it’s easier to navigate through our city, you don’t have to study subway maps that resemble a plate of angel hair pasta, in order to get around. It’s cheaper, looking at rent, cost-of-living, etc.. in NY, it’s a laughable comparison of what $500K will get you here vs. there (S/O Global Cleveland). Less people = less stress.. Cleveland has space! You can park virtually anywhere here, for cheap! In addition to all that, New York stinks and is filthy. There are very few recycle bins for public use (S/O Sustainable Cleveland 2019) or otherwise, and the people are just offensively rude!

 

What has always puzzled me though, was the popular quote, “New York, if you can make it there.. You can make it anywhere.”

Honestly, New Yorkers have it terribly easy, I would’ve been rich by now if I was based in NY. You can set up shop on any corner and sell used newspaper if you wish, with all the people there, you could probably carve out a living for yourself.

   

 TRY THAT HERE.

I always admired Cleveland’s resourcefulness, resilience, hustle.. and usually  point to Steve Harvey as a shining example of the Cleveland Hustle. If you ask me, he’s not that funny.. But, he worked the stage as a stand-up comedian, took that experience and transitioned in to radio, he then became a best-selling author with his books on relationship-advice and finally parlayed that in to a day-time, Oprah-esqe tv show.

Honestly, did he have the credentials to do half of the the aforementioned?!?!!! I’m gonna go out on a limb and say OR NAH.. But, before you think I’m downing him, recognize that I am crowning him.. He saw opportunity and seized it at every occassion. He recognized when the “trap” dried up and moved to his next hustle like a real Clevelander. We don’t have the market NY has, building anything longstanding here takes time and comes with a lot of pitfalls. With that knowledge, I understand why we export so many people, because we can take that “hustle” that’s in our DNA and be wildly successful in other markets.

I visit other cities and notice at how lethargic business people are. Talk about “suffering from success.”

I am constantly reminded of what makes this city great. I just hope that we all see it in our travels and return with greater appreciation of this land we call home. #CLEVELANDOVEREVERYTHING.