By Rufus Mudsucker (bio)

I'm a simple man. I seldom bother with much more than the facts of life and what color door hanger to order. And, like most males, I believe rent to own's most important lessons can be learned by watching "The Godfather."

Never take sides against the family
We are, as they say, all in this together. We may compete, we may try our solid best to take our competitors customers until he's reduced to a slobbering shell of his former self...but don't you dare speak ill of him. He's my friend. Which brings me to...

It's not personal, it's just business
The ability to separate personal feelings from business realities is hardly a universal talent. But without it, profitability and sanity are equally difficult to achieve, and impossible to sustain. Which leads nicely to...

Is vengeance going to bring your son back to you?
There is a saying among the chronically angry; "Don't get mad, get even." This philosophy, while making a spiffy bumper sticker, condemns you to live in the past. It blinds you to new opportunities for growth and requires a totally defensive lifestyle; always reacting to others rather than charting your own course.

I spent my whole life trying not to be careless
There are a lucky few that can be successful by pure instinct. Personally, I need a written plan with timeline to successfully open my filing cabinet. A written plan with easily identifiable and measurable goals for every position in your organization is critical to your success.

Which brings me to the final lesson...

A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man
Glancing at my watch I see that I'm writing this at 2:00 AM. Note to self: Buy flowers for Mrs. Mudsucker and schedule a Godfather marathon.

and remember..."Don't discuss business at the table."