Pastor, Greater Allen Cathedral Church
Flake looks for a commitment to the big picture in his employees, not just the ability to fulfill minimum job requirements
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What one factor is most important to success?
Most important to success is a sense of satisfaction that a person has done something that is important, not only to themselves, but that has had significant impact on the lives of others.
What do you look for in an employee?
I look for integrity and a sense of commitment that goes beyond whatever the definition of the job happens to be. Someone who really has a heart for the work, and believes enough in it that they’re willing to invest themselves beyond what they’ll be remunerated for.
What’s the best way to save money?
The best way to save money is to set aside a certain percentage from each paycheck, preferably ten, so that you can always have a rainy day fund or an investment fund.
What’s the best way to spend money?
The best way to spend money is on an appreciating asset. For me, that asset is real estate, because there’s a high likelihood that that real estate is going to create an equity that allows for providing stability for family and access to resources that one might need for any other thing in life. College loans, or just money to do repairs, or whatever.
What’s your greatest pleasure?
The greatest pleasure I take in life is in the young people that I’ve had an opportunity to impact, either through higher education or through the school we have here at Allen, or just in general. I love trying to plant positive seeds into the life of young people.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is pray and meditate. That’s followed by exercising.
How do you deal with stress?
I deal with stress in large measure by, one, not overreacting to anything. A great deal of exercise is about dealing with potential stress. So, I do on average somewhere around five miles a day, jogging or elipticals, and a variety of other exercises. That’s basically how I cope with it.
What one lesson do you hope to pass on to your children?
The lesson I want to pass to my children is that they can do and be anything they want in life, if they stay focused and determined, and understand that through proper execution there are very few things that you can’t do in life.
How do you bounce back from adversity ?
In my seasons of adversities in life, I’ve always bounced back by basically getting involved and engaged in enough events and activities to keep me focused away from whatever the adversity was. And to have a forgiving spirit if that adversity had been caused by other people.
What’s your favorite thing about Queens?
What I love about Queens is location. Both airports are here. And I’ve been able to see in the community growth and development in ways that have benefited the people who have been a part of the community, so that they don’t have to move out, to go to the surrounding counties. Instead, they’ve found this is a great environment to live in, and you can get almost anywhere from here.
Formerly a U.S. Congressman, Rev. Flake now heads Greater Allen Cathedral Church, which, along with its subsidiary corporations, operates with an annual budget of over $34 million. The church also owns commercial and residential developments, and operates various commercial and social service enterprises, which has placed it among the nation’s most productive religious and urban development institutions. The corporations, church administrative offices, school, and ministries comprise one of Queens’ largest private sector employers.
