“If a man starts a business with the sole idea of making money, he is likely to fail.”
Joyce Clyde Hall. In 1899, when his father left home, he was a little child. At the age of 8, he started working to support his mother and siblings. By the age of 14, he had only saved $540. He thought and decided to buy and sell illustrated postcards. At the age of 17, he founded his first company. In 1910, with only two boxes of postcards, he moved to Kansas. When the shop he opened at the age of 24 burned down, he lost all his assets. He did not give up, started over, and laid the foundations of the “Hallmark Cards” company, which has grown to a size of $4 billion today, with 2,400 stores and 16,000 employees. After retiring in 1966, he dedicated the rest of his life to the development and growth of the city of Kansas.
The success of Cylde Hall’s small life story, I believe, is hidden in the sentence he said at the beginning of the article. Especially when we evaluate it from the perspective of Laleli and Lasiad, I think there are five important similarities. The first is about the focus on life not being solely about making money, with money being a tool for living but not the purpose. We, as the only non-governmental organization in our region, Lasiad, have been able to shoulder this heavy burden of Laleli through the social projects and services we have been carrying out for years and reach out to the farthest corners of the world through this ancient association. Our association, which unites us all around the same goal, is guiding us by filling an important gap with the social responsibility projects it has undertaken. The second point is the life stories full of ups and downs, just like Cylde Hall’s, of the tradesmen and industrialists living in Laleli. Doesn’t our persistent child resemble that young boy whose shop burned down, facing the wars, constantly changing markets, customs issues, exchange rates, and political crises? How many times have we started over in life! Not losing hope and being able to look hopefully into the future, despite everything, is, in my opinion, the main philosophy of Laleli. The third similarity is that, just like Cylde Hall, starting life at a very young age and taking on the heavy responsibilities of life early on are not foreign words to us. Even though we come from different social classes, I am sure that everyone in Laleli has sometimes sad but mostly pleasant memories of these streets and sidewalks. In this sense, it is an indisputable fact that we all owe a debt of gratitude to Laleli. The fourth similarity is the economic power and size that the business founded by that little boy reached, just like Laleli, a small, quiet, and decent family neighborhood turning into one of the world’s significant fashion centers. In my opinion, Laleli’s greatest value is its name, image, and brand value. From this perspective, protecting and improving this value should be the main duty of all members of Laleli. The last similarity is the commitment of Cylde Hall, who paid off his debt of loyalty to the city where he made a living by dedicating the rest of his life to serving that city. While we live and earn in Laleli, if we can really contribute something to this region and can somehow offset the burden of debt on us, we can do this through Lasiad. In this regard, I express my deepest respect and gratitude to all the dear friends who have contributed to our association from its establishment to the present day. It is fortunate that we have such a strong and reputable association, and it is fortunate that we have valuable friends like you who always support us.
As you know, the General Assembly of the Istanbul Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters’ Association (IHKIB) took place this month. The efforts we have been carrying out in line with our vision and strategic goals have yielded results, and three of our friends from our region were elected to the management levels of this umbrella organization with your support. While wishing success to our friends in their new duties, I express my infinite thanks to all the members and fellow travelers who participated in the general assembly and supported us, motivating us as always. We will continue our efforts relentlessly to fulfill our duties and to make the loud voice of Laleli heard on every platform. As long as we receive sincere and genuine support from you, who share the same purpose and put the interests of our region above their individual interests, there is no doubt that the progress and rise of Laleli will continue. The unique brotherhood, unity, and solidarity spirit within us is undoubtedly the power that keeps us strong and alive.
In the local elections held in March, I congratulate our valuable mayor Mr. Mustafa Demir on his re-election as the Mayor of Fatih Municipality for his success in the election. I hope that our cooperation, which has provided us with numerous services to our region, will continue to increase in this new period. I always felt his sincere and warm support, and I believe that we will continue to feel it in this new process. Finally, despite the political and economic crises in neighboring countries, we are going through difficult times, I wish you hopeful, profitable, and healthy days.
Giyasettin Eyyüpkoca.
