“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.”
-African Proverb
The landscape of American business has always been somewhat unpredictable. Studies show that 90 percent of small businesses in the U.S. fold within their first three to five years. For budding realtors, the picture isn't much rosier, with a failure rate hovering between 85-90 percent. Insurance agents, too, face steep challenges.
In typical years, these figures are daunting enough. But factor in the hurdles of launching a business during a recession or a realtor embarking on their career amidst a housing downturn, and the odds become even more formidable.
So, when was Teems and Teems Realty & Insurance established? 1988 – just a year after the most severe stock market crash since 1929 and during the onset of a five-year housing slump intertwined with the early 90s recession. To put it in perspective, this era was arguably the most challenging since WWII to start a business, let alone a real estate and insurance business. How bad was the business climate? Fifty-two percent of the companies on that year's Fortune 500 list either vanished or dropped off the rankings in the decades since. With these challenges, merely keeping the lights on and doors open for 35 years is an achievement. But the Teems brothers did more than just stay afloat; they prospered and rose to prominence to become stalwarts in the business community of northwest Georgia.
Their success wasn't handed to them through inherited wealth or unmerited favor. The brothers come from a part of the state where opportunities were often elusive and overshadowed by generational economic challenges. But against these odds, they charted their success story.
Their journey isn’t rooted in a magic formula, a fleeting trend, or gimmicky marketing fluff you might hear in the latest TED talk. It’s anchored in enduring values and principles: honesty, resilience, humility, tenacity, consistency, and an unwavering dedication to fostering genuine relationships and treating people right.
Perhaps the sole advantage they had was their birthright – being born in the United States, a land where dreams, with grit and determination, can take flight. And soar the Terms' did, embodying the quintessential American Dream. Proof that the unique American creed to achieve it is not dead yet.
Throughout their 35-year journey, they've carved a lasting legacy, helping to mold the communities of northwest Georgia. For the countless lives you've touched, inspired, and uplifted along the way, northwest Georgia salutes you
Elliot Pierce