Senior Vice President, Business Services at LICBDC
Miner says a person’s success comes from relying on individual strengths.
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What one factor is most important to success?
There’s no single factor. Many people are successful in business through their skills, hard work, intuitive understanding of a market, or good luck. It’s more important to reexamine how we define success, especially in the business context. Even if someone makes a fortune or becomes a celebrity, we should ask how they affect the people and community around them.
Also, we are biased in favor of large impacts, so a dedicated elected official is seen as more successful than an excellent public school teacher, which devalues unique but more modest contributions. If we understand that there are many ways and degrees by which individuals can be successful, we see that people are successful when they manifest their unique abilities, and use them to benefit the larger community.
What do you look for in an employee?
Enthusiasm, a good work ethic, the desire to pitch in and help both the team and the customer.
What’s the best way to save money?
Avoid frivolous or unnecessary expenses, live within your means, and be very cautious of buying on credit.
What’s the best way to spend money?
To pay for continuing education, which should be a lifelong process.
What’s your greatest pleasure?
To strive for and accomplish worthy challenges.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Turn on “Air America Radio.”
How do you deal with stress?
Exercise, go for a walk, or simply do something different for a while. Computers respond well to being turned off and on, and people also benefit from a reset.
What one lesson do you hope to pass on to your children?
Whether we realize it or not, human society depends on a healthy environment, and on not overusing the limited natural resources upon which we depend. We must make the way we live and do business environmentally sustainable, if we want to avoid consequences, such as those we’re starting to see in terms of global warming. We need to do a lot better.
How do you bounce back from adversity?
Just get back up, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
What’s your favorite thing about Queens?
Experiencing the diversity of Queens can be a daily reminder of the larger, remarkably diverse world we live in.
As a Vice President for Long Island City’s Business Development Corporation (LICBDC), Dan Miner helps businesses network, relocate and expand their economic opportunities in LIC. The area has already attracted MetLife and Citicorp, which built one skyscraper and has announced plans to build a second office there. LICBDC also helps small businesses identify and secure tax incentives from the city and grants to help them expand.
Miner and the LICBDC also helped create the area’s first Business Improvement District, where MetLife, Citicorp and Silvercup Studios agreed to pay approximately 60 percent of the self-imposed taxes that will fund additional sanitation, security and promotional services for the area’s dozens of business.
In his spare time, Miner has been spotted at community meetings in Jackson Heights, where he lives. He is also involved with energy conservation projects and is the organizer for NYC Peak Oil Group Meet Up Group.
