Randy Benderson Shares the Three Life Lessons He Learned from His Father 

They say that the best way to teach your children lessons that will help them grow to be responsible and successful adults is by showing them how it’s done. For Randy Benderson and his siblings, that’s exactly what their father did: he taught them valuable lessons by living each one of them every day. In other words, their father walked his talk and practiced what he preached. This is probably why the lessons stuck, Randy Benderson reflects; because he learned them by the way his father lived.

There are many invaluable lessons that Randy learned from his father, but Randy Benderson wants to share the three that stuck the most. These are the three lessons that still serve him today:

Living a modest life

Nathan Benderson wasn’t raised in the lap of luxury. During the Great Depression, his father lost their home, and it was during this time when Nathan developed his entrepreneurial skills. In elementary, he would sell fireworks for the Fourth of July celebration in his neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. At 15, he was already making money by collecting and selling beer bottles. After numerous business ventures and a stint in the Army, he began developing office buildings. This was in the 60s, and this was how his career in real estate development started.

Despite his wealth and fame, Nathan Benderson continued to live a modest life. He walked or biked to his office, he only ate at restaurants that offer free iced tea or coffee refills, and he drove the same old cars for years.

Frugality and living a modest life is a lesson that Randy Benderson learned from his father, and one that he strives to follow to this day.

Getting back up when you fall

Nathan Benderson is a beloved philanthropist who has thrown his support behind various causes and advocacies. Randy Benderson learned that with wealth and success comes a bigger responsibility—a responsibility towards others.

His father knows firsthand the hardships that poverty-stricken families go through to provide food and shelter for their children, which is why among his topmost advocacies are those aimed at alleviating hunger and helping underprivileged children. Today, Randy Benderson continues his father’s legacy of giving back to the community by supporting various causes like The All Faiths Food Bank and the Food Bank of WNY.