‘Be good with people and have a marketable skill’ is the advice my interviewee Dr. Harry D. Cohen grew up with. He turned this simple sentence into a lifestyle and remarkably so. He is a shrink, a coach, a husband, a father, a restaurateur and a serial entrepreneur. His journey has been fascinating to hear about and living through it has made him the amazing person he is today.
Harry described his story to me chronologically, starting with his childhood which led him to Cornell. He wanted to be a different kind of doctor, he wanted to help people. He went on to become a family systems therapist, which in retrospect seems ridiculous to him since he had not yet become a father.
The next major milestone Harry described to me was when he decided to invest in a restaurant, Black Pearl. Harry was able to combine his deep understanding of the human psyche with his unique perspective towards business, at the Black Pearl, which led it to extreme success. He was able to use his psychological background to help his employees, specially those who faced mental and financial challenges. Through this he created a caring environment, which was reflected in his food and service, hence enticing clients to come back time and again.
Harry then had a dream of culminating all his experiences in order to help people. What better way to do this than to pen down his thoughts? He called it, Be The Sun, Not The Salt. Reading the book, one can feel his presence. It’s almost like a children’s book – small with pictures. But the messages relayed on every page, are larger than life.
Harry has great stories, and even better truths. Chatting with him was an absolute pleasure. Click here for The conversational Podcast
Julie Roehm – In conversation with Dr. Harry D. Cohen