"Planning Makes Beautiful" - Keeping the right mix at Crossroads

Bernie Gordon is a busy man and well known in the community. He was the CEO of the successful "Pacific Linen", whose number one store was at Crossroads.  He was owner of "Bernie's Bagels", which he grew from one to seventeen outlets, serving long snaking lines of a thousand customers a day. And for the last seven years, Bernie has been the “go to” guy if you want to lease a spot at Crossroads.

Taking risks seems to come naturally for Bernie, but dig a little deeper and you see something deeply gritty at the heart of his success stories. "I plan, plan and plan. That's what makes a business successful," he says. His other great mantra? "The customer is always right, for he votes with his pocketbook and feet."

"I opened Pacific Linen in Crossroads way back in the early 80s, in an area the center called 'Death Valley'. Ron (Ron Sher, managing partner of Crossroads,) was just on the verge of revitalizing the neighborhood and I was determined to make the store work. An employee of Ron introduced us and we've worked together ever since. Ron is interested in making people successful and I am here to aid in that goal. I have probably worked with at least 100 property leases in my life.  With each lease, I try to pass on tips on how to make a business successful. I am the exclusive leasing agent here and it has been tremendously enjoyable for me to work with Ron and his team," he says.

Sharing advice freely with Crossroads tenants and other entrepreneurs in Bellevue, Bernie's day starts at 5am and he's at work by 7am. "What keeps me coming in every day is the standard that Ron has set for everyone. He's not your average developer.  Sometimes I look at him and think that he wants to save the world! It is so evident with the way he's structured Crossroads. It is a place of cultural confluence. Where else can you find a police station, a city hall, local merchants, a library—all the things that provide service for the community? Some of our tenants have been here for twenty years now. It's tremendous to see that!"  

When asked, Bernie’s advice to aspiring business owners is simple. "Apart from doing your homework, remember that anything you plan will take twice as long and cost twice as much. Plan for everything."  
 
Born of a Latvian father and a Russian mother, Bernie has lived in the area for many years.  He says that Crossroads is close to his heart. "I tell people that Crossroads is all the excitement without the hassle. We want to see people succeed, and that's why we see their business plans and tell them the truth in black and white. Business is like life. Challenges come to us every day, and we have to overcome them every day."