14. Ian Suter - My Parents' Foster Home taught Me to See All People Equally

Ian Suter is Canadian by birth but is an extraordinarily happy man by nature. He adores his wife, creates exceptional ‘family’ and prefers to first see the best in ALL people. His work as the principal of his own real estate company, Suter Smith Cleine, is purely an extension of who he is. As he intimates in the podcast, ‘It is nothing to do with money. It is everything to do with the joy of serving people’. The question this podcast attempts to answer is ‘How did he come to see life this way’?

Well, who would you become if these were your life experiences? During his first 16 years, he shared his toys, his meals, his time with the Foster Home that his parents provided for 130 different children. Now, that’s a different childhood! They became his pseudo brothers and sisters. He tells the stories of them and what they taught him. In late teenage and early adulthood, he worked as a Chauffer, a Level ‘A’ bodyguard, a bartender and bar manager in 23 drinking establishments across 3 different countries. He learnt how to connect with people. He developed valuable contacts that enabled him to work his way into ‘the rich and famous’. He had lunch with the CEO of Disney and crossed paths with Arnold Schwarzenegger on 3 separate occasions. He had conversations with the richest men in the world, Michael Lee-Chin, Warren Buffett, and Charlie Monger. He learnt about their ego and sometimes ‘their lack of it’ that enabled them to be successful and happy at the same time. Now that’s different! He saw patterns in the way people thought, responded and lived that enabled him to learn what is truly valuable.
 

Ian Suter is the product of an extraordinary childhood, vast range of different experiences and the lessons he has gleaned from his curiosity for ALL people. He has learnt from those who drunkenly wanted their 7th martini for the evening to those whose names are in weekly magazines.

I found the last 20 minutes of this podcast to offer exceptional insights.

Tell Ian what you think. Write to him at [email protected].

Ian also explains why Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People should be a mandatory read for any child in upper secondary school. If only education would value these types of educational experiences! You will so enjoy this vibrant, fully alive and beautiful Canadian gentleman.