Hard Bargain by Donald G. Denihan with Jon Land
For Donald Denihan, it was supposed to be the fishing trip of a lifetime. Instead, it ended up nearly costing him his life in a hard bargain he made with the sea.
As documented in his riveting memoir, Hard Bargain, near-death experiences were nothing new to this successful real estate entrepreneur, though. At the age of sixteen, a hunting accident had nearly cost him his foot. A lengthy hospital stay, followed by an equally lengthy rehabilitation, filled Donald with resilience and made him think he could overcome anything.
That hunting accident was hardly the last brush with death for Denihan. But it was his experience out at sea that changed his life more than anything else.
In this recent Q&A, the author elaborates on his story, how events made him see life through a different lens, and the many valuable takeaways that followed.
Q: Why did you write Hard Bargain?
A: I wanted to share my experiences with others — not just the boating accident that dominates the book, but also the hunting accident in which I was shot at the age of 16 and then was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of prostate cancer in my mid-thirties. I wanted people to know that they, too, can win the hard bargains they make with life and that, like me, they can emerge stronger and be a better person from the experience.
Q: Your life was in jeopardy on several occasions, but most prominently when you were out to sea in what is detailed in the book. What were the biggest lessons you learned about yourself during that life-threatening event?
A: Not to take anything for granted. Life is so precious, but it also can be extremely fragile. As you mention, I learned that the hard way, but it was the boating accident that made me want to extend a hand down to lift up others, just like I was literally lifted out of the sea by a rescue team in a seaplane. Ironically, Superstorm Sandy struck not long after I returned home. So many people lost everything, and I was able to help two families in desperate need for no reason other than it felt like the right thing to do. Since then, I’ve established The God Is Good Fund to ramp up my efforts even more.
Q: What role did your father play in this experience?
A: My father died of the same aggressive prostate cancer that almost killed me when I was only twenty-three-years old. He was a World War II vet, maybe even a war hero, but he never opened up about that or pretty much anything. I remember during my recovery from being shot three times as a boy, I said, “I love you.” His response was, “Go to bed.” Look, he came from a different generation and did the best he could with what he had. But that night at sea, I know in my heart he was there in spiritual form to guide me and make sure I never gave up. I genuinely believe he saved my life, and that realization made me a better father and a better man.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: To get up off the mat when life knocks you down. Never give up, never quit, and put the most value on the people you love and not the things you own. We only get to be in this world for a short time, and I want readers to cherish every minute of that, without having to learn such lessons the hard way as I did. I want them to live vicariously through me during that harrowing night at sea and emerge as better people from reading the story, just as I did living it. I want people to look within their own soul and ask how can they address their hard bargains in a positive, constructive way that enables them to benefit from the experience, while inspiring others to confront their comparable hardships and embrace the lessons learned.
Q: How do you apply the lessons learned from this experience as you move forward in life?
A: By being a better husband, father and grandfather. By living in the moment and cherishing the things I enjoy most in life. By treating everyone with the respect they deserve and to acknowledge how hard life is for so many. And, most importantly, realizing that the most important things in life are family, friends and faith.
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Donald Denihan, CEO of TAP (Tenth Avenue Property), has been in the real estate and hospitality industries for over 30 years. Prior to TAP, he was head of Construction and Technical Services for Affinia Hospitality and the Denihan Portfolio of Real Estate Assets. He is active in many not-for-profit organizations and has established The God Is Good Fund to directly support several of the groups he champions. Donald holds a BA in Business Administration from Iona College.
Hard Bargain, chronicling three near-death crises he experienced, is his first book.
