Resilience, Service, and Community

2026 Summer Reflections on Resilience, Service, and Community

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

Harry Catrakilis reflects on his recent experiences while travelling with Bill Webb, a US military veteran and Director of Business Development at CKH Group. He touches on topics of service, discussions of books and aphorisms, resilience in the face of challenges, and community.

“Summer is upon us. Before long, I’ll be heading to Greece for my annual summer visit, where I’ll tend to a garden, tackle a growing list of projects, and spend time helping with some of my daughter’s real estate and hospitality ventures. Along the way, I’ll pass through New York City and have the opportunity to experience part of America’s 250th birthday celebration.

Recently, I had the fortunate experience of spending a day driving through Southeast Georgia with one of CKH’s leaders, Bill Webb, a retired U.S. Army Captain and Director of Business Development at CKH Group. I am happy that the CKH leaders treat me like an old man/grandpa (in a good way!), with respect to what I’d built at CKH and involving me in the developments of it after I’d stepped back. Bill invited me to get out of the house and accompany him on a client visit, and our conversations throughout the day left me reflecting on two things worth sharing.

The first was my appreciation for the men and women who have served in the US military. The more that I interact with the US veterans at CKH Group, the more this feeling grows. While my family has no military background, I was raised to respect those who serve. Spending time with Bill reinforced that respect. Throughout our conversations, I was reminded of the professionalism, discipline, and thoughtful leadership that military service often develops.

At one point, our discussion turned to books. Bill introduced me to the word aphorism—something I was familiar with but hadn’t had a name put to it. Aphorism is a concise statement that expresses a general truth, wise observation, or moral principle. Often witty or thought-provoking, aphorisms pack deep insights into brief, memorable phrases that frequently require interpretation to fully grasp their meaning.  He then introduced me to a book The Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

For those who know me, any discussion with Harry involves “Harry analogies” and this book, I suspect, was written for people like me who enjoy explaining the world through stories and analogies.

The concept of aphorisms has ancient roots. The word was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates.  The often-cited first sentence of this work is: “Ὁ βίος βραχύς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή” – “life is short, art is long”, usually reversed in order (Ars longa, vita brevis).

That conversation naturally led us to discuss a recent disappointment experienced by the CKH team. Every organization faces challenges- and as mentioned in my previous articles, risk is a part of business. If you never try, you’ll never win – but it also means that sometimes you must face setbacks if it doesn’t pan out. What matters is how people respond to them. Vince Lombardi’s famous quote came to mind: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”

While I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the business, I have watched this team respond to challenges with remarkable determination. Rather than dwelling on the disappointment, Bill and the team regrouped, refocused, and achieved successes that many organizations would have considered unlikely after a setback. Resilience is easy to talk about and much harder to demonstrate. This team demonstrated it.

The second memorable moment from our trip was much lighter.

While driving through a small Georgia community, we noticed a campaign sign prominently displaying the words “Vote for Bill.” Naturally, everyone agreed that Bill’s two young children would get a kick out of seeing their father’s name on a political sign. After our meeting, we returned to see if we could take one of the signs home now that the primary election had concluded.

Uncertain about the legalities of removing political signs, as luck would have it, a Georgia State Trooper was parked nearby. We politely explained the situation and asked whether taking the sign would be appropriate. The trooper helped us navigate the request, and Bill was ultimately able to bring the sign home. It was a nice reminder of community, shared civility and respect (plus a little humor!).

As Memorial Day has just passed and Independence Day approaches, these experiences have given me reason to reflect on service, resilience, and community. They are qualities worth appreciating and, more importantly, worth practicing.

I suspect my next blog will not arrive until the fall. Until then, I wish everyone a wonderful summer filled with family, good spirits, and love.” -Harry Catrakilis

The above article only intends to provide general information and reflection. It is not designed to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. It does not give personalized tax, financial, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any form of action, you should consult a financial professional who understands your particular situation. CKH Group will not be held liable for any harm/errors/claims arising from the blog. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents, we will not be held accountable for any changes that are beyond our control.