Seth Kramer, President
Seth Kramer keeps business in line by personally overseeing as much of it as he can.
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What one factor is most important to success?
Passion for your business. You have to love what you do. Loving what you do is 95 percent, and the next thing is perseverance. Loving what you do and perseverance. Not taking no for an answer.
What do you look for in an employee?
I look for an individual who doesn’t look at the clock. Someone who takes on her responsibility as if it was her or his own company. Self-motivated.
What’s the best way to save money?
If you’re signing the check, reviewing where the checks are going, you [can] see where the money is going and you can see if we’re spending a little too much money on this, not enough on that. You’ve got to be involved, that’s number one. And you have to look at the bottom line.
What’s the best way to spend money?
There are ways you can spend money and still save money, like establishing a good 401(k) program. Then you’re spending the money, but you’re also getting all the tax breaks.
What’s your greatest pleasure?
My children. You know, if you’re a hands-on owner of a company, and you’re working six days a week, you really don’t have that much free time. I try to spend as much time as possible with the family when I’m not working. It goes by very fast.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
I pray. Just, you know, by saying thank you. I’ve been very blessed with good things, everybody is healthy and happy. Any success after that is gravy.
How do you deal with stress?
I have to be honest-in terms of the kids, my wife handles the day to day with them. So kids don’t bring me any stress at all. From a work standpoint, I like to get a massage. I get back pain, so massage therapy is always nice.
What one lesson do you hope to pass on to your children?
That if you’re passionate enough, and work hard enough, there’s nothing you can’t obtain. Nothing comes easy, but if you’re motivated and you persevere and you’re mentally strong-as well as physically strong-then success will come.
How do you bounce back from adversity?
Every day has walls that have to be broken down. If the wall is coming down today, I have to work harder, and smarter, tomorrow. So every time there’s a no, or the deal doesn’t get done, then I’m that much closer to getting this deal done, or another deal done, tomorrow. It’s a no today, but I’m going to work harder and smarter, and I’ve got to turn that no into a yes. Or I go on to the next deal that’s bigger, more profitable. It goes back to my whole theme-perseverance.
Anyone can quit when they reach adversity. The true winners are the guys that keep getting knocked down, knocked down, but continue to get up. It’s the last time you get up that good things will happen.
What’s your favorite thing about Queens?
The ethnic diversity. You’ve got the West Indians in parts of Richmond Hill, the Italians in Ozone Park and Howard Beach, the Jews in Kew Gardens. Very diverse ethnic communities. I like that, I enjoy that.
Seth Kramer is President of Cambridge Home Capital. As a firm believer in the hands-on management style, Kramer says he doesn’t rely on numbers from his own accountant and comptroller. Outside of work, Kramer says he tries to monopolize his free time by spending it with his wife and their three children.
