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importance of an entire team having a clear un-
Payments industry tools may eventually derstanding of what needs to be done, how it
look "analog" to future generations, but needs to be done and what the rewards will be
for everyone's personal contributions," he said.
business strategies will remain fresh and "Hearing an idea without a long-term plan for
relevant. MLSs will continue to leverage its execution is like receiving a partially eaten
pizza pie; you don't realize part of it's missing
assets and resources on behalf of their until it's too late."
merchants. There will still be a cast of If you're a planner, you already know that life

thousands behind every merchant portfolio, has a way of interfering with even the best-
each with a small but crucial part to play. laid plans. You may have built your book of
business with the intention of leaving it to
your children, only to find that they have other
Hacks hiding in plain sight ideas. But even if they choose a different path,
they may still take a page or two from your book. What
Payments industry tools may eventually look "analog" to fu- wisdom will you leave them long after you've signed your
ture generations, but business strategies will remain fresh last merchant account?
and relevant. MLSs will continue to leverage assets and
resources on behalf of their merchants. There will still be My father used to say, "I see, said the old man, and he picked
a cast of thousands behind every merchant portfolio, each up his hammer and saw." I repeated that maxim over the
with a small but crucial part to play. By working together, years, without ever giving it much thought. Then one day,
they will keep merchants content, secure and compliant in when I found a solution to a complicated issue, I realized
this fast-moving industry, because all relationships take what the saying really meant. Sometimes the best hacks are
work. the ones that are right in front of you, hiding in plain sight.
Thanks, Dad.
Dimitri Akhrin is the founder and President at Integrated
Reporting is Simple LLC, creators of IRIS CRM. He said his
father, Mike Akhrin, inspired him to be a planner and not Dale S. Laszig, Senior Staff Writer at The Green Sheet and Managing
just a doer. The message has resonated throughout his life, Director at DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry journalist and content
especially in his role as a business leader. "It underlines the provider. She can be reached at dale@dsldirectllc.com and on Twitter at
@DSLdirect.

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