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plaintiffs' claims to be credible. Initially filed Aug. 4, 2017, As Brian Sachs put it, "Joe was larger than life." Big guy.
Patti's Pitas LLC and Queen City Tours v. Wells Fargo Big goals. Big ideas. Big heart. When you're on Team Joe,
Merchant Services LLC, cites lack of transparency and you're a teammate for life. People always say don't work
unfair fee structures as causes of action. with your family or friends. Not Joe. His family and
friends were his life, and his life was his work. Joe knows.
MWAA illuminates Chicago

The Midwest Acquirers Association held its 16th annual My first job in college was delivering pizzas. Joe got me
conference July 25 to 26, 2018, at the Chicago Marriott the job. We laughed for years about the lady who served
Downtown Magnificent Mile. In his opening comments, pizzas to her doll collection, or the guy who tipped us
MWAA President Rod Katzfey thanked attendees, with monopoly money. After UCLA, Joe and I lost contact.
exhibitors and sponsors for their continuing support One of my life lessons: When you meet somebody larger
of the nonprofit, no-membership trade association. He than life, don't lose contact.
said MWAA remains committed to educating payment
professionals to keep them up-to-date in the ever-changing Not long after Joe sold Innovative Merchant Solutions for
payments sphere. "Where do you fit in payments?" was $116 million to Intuit, I called him to ask if he'd evaluate a
the theme of this year's show, which featured an eclectic brokerage firm I was interviewing with. He welcomed the
agenda reflecting the industry's transformational journey opportunity to help me. But after meeting with the firm's
from closed-end, proprietary systems to cloud-based, representatives, he suggested I work for him instead. Joe
inter-operational platforms. believed more in me than I believed in myself. Joe knows.
A tribute to My Rush Chairman, my old friend, was now my boss. I'd
never worked for a boss like Joe Kaplan. Joe had this way
of pushing people out of their comfort zones while also
Joe Kaplan making it fun. This was one of his greatest gifts. He made
people demand more from themselves and from others
around them. Joe was my mentor. Joe was my friend. Joe
By Jeff Broudy even had a relationship with my kids. They'd text him,
and he'd text them back. How did one person spread an
umbrella so wide? I learned so many things from him. Joe
knows.
Here are my top five 'Joe knows'

5. Set goals: "A goal without a timeline is only a dream."
4. Customers are key: "Without our customers, none of
us get paid."
3. Give back: "Let's go build a house. Who's with me?"
2. Tough love is still love: "Broudy, you suck." This
message took me awhile to embrace.
1. Everyone matters.

I left Total Merchant Services two years ago to become
Editor's note: The following reflections were adapted from a blog post CEO of PCIHIPAA, my HIPAA compliance company.
Jeff Broudy wrote for his good friend, mentor and industry leader Joe Joe prepared me to take the leap and provided me the
Kaplan, who passed away unexpectedly July 27, 2018. The full version is confidence to succeed. I last spoke with him on July 18.
available at http://joekaplanknows.blogspot.com. Also, for highlights I was fortunate to be able to thank him one last time for
from Joe Kaplan's impressive career, visit www.greensheet.com/break- providing me the tough love I needed.
ingnews.php?flag=breaking_news&id=2105.
The outpouring from people since his death has been
met Joe Kaplan in 1982. I was rushing ZBT frater- overwhelming. I feel the best way to remember Joe – and
nity at UCLA, and Joe was the Rush Chairman. He to help us mourn – is through storytelling. Help keep Joe's
was the guy who decided if I got into ZBT. Besides legacy alive. Let's tell stories, learn and laugh through our
I marrying Wendy, joining ZBT was the biggest deci- Big Joe moments at www.facebook.com/joekaplan.joeknows.
sion of my life. And Joe was part of it. Joe changed my life.
I know many of you feel the same. How can one person
change so many lives? Joe knows.

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