The First Sale For Success Is To Yourself
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Sometimes
people laugh at first when I tell them the name of my business, Profitable
Horseman. A few even ask if Profitable
Horseman is an oxymoron.
I
smile and say nothing.
And
after a few uncomfortable seconds the other person will ask,
"So how do you do it?"
" Do what...?''
"You know, how do you make a profit with horses?"
After
watching the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, my answer will be different. The answer will be the dreaded question
answering a question.
My response question will be, "Do you believe
you can earn a profit in the horse business?"
And
whether your answer is yes, no or I
dunno, you are certainly right.
Because the first sale in your business
is to yourself.
If
you aren't sold on your ability to accomplish your dream than no one else will
be either.
Tom McCarthy of Louisville, Kentucky
is a lifelong horseman sold on his ability.
He's
been buying, training and racing Thoroughbreds since 1960. An annual Kentucky Derby regular spectator since
1955, he'd only dreamed for decades of making the walk with his own horse from
the backside to the paddock area on Derby
day.
After the Derby race last
Saturday, even though his horse General Quarters wasn't in the winner's circle,
the seventy five year old trainer and owner stood proudly in his personal winner's
circle. It was a long trip and he didn't
get there by chance.
His
eye for talent and his training ability with
General Quarters resulted in a win at the
Bluegrass Stakes in early April. Take your pencil and underline the lifetime earnings with his colt of $641,000 after the Bluegrass win. No calculator is necessary to diagnose a healthy profit
for the original $20,000 investment in the colt.
Is
professional horseman Tom McCarthy a retired high school principal who just got
lucky?
Jockey
Calvin Borel is a professional horseman
who is sold on his ability, too.
Humble,
hard working and emotional, he understands persistence and showing up for work
every day. From a less than
sophisticated start in bush track racing in Louisiana,
Calvin labored in the work he loved until he and Street Sense found their way
into the winner's circle at the 2007 Derby.
Success
loves a hard worker and Borel proved it with his combo at Churchill last week
with wins at both The Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday.
Success as a professional horseman
isn't reserved for the rich; just ask Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai who has spent tens of millions in an empty handed grab for a Derby win.
Success is reserved for everyone on the
unlevel playing field of life who is passionate and hardworking.
And
that's because passion and hard work eventually draft luck to your team to make
the difference for you.
Ask
Tom McCarthy why he got a second chance to buy General Quarters.
Ask Calvin Borel why holes open up on the
rail just when he needs them.
Your
story is your story and success for you can only be defined by you. And only your positive attitude about your
ability will lead the way to your success.
Negativity is the advance man for
Failure.
So
I want to ask you again, do you believe
you can earn a profit in the horse business?
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| Others Have Said |
"The
question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." --
Ayn Rand
"Hope
springs eternal" --Alexander Pope
"It's
been a long, long road but it's paying off, baby." --Calvin Borel
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Back At The Barn |
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Have Voice, Will Travel.
There
is no easy path to success in this business of horses. Clients and audiences I've talked to have
confirmed that reality many times. But, horsemen
like Tom, Calvin and Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley believe in themselves as they trudge down
their personal success paths.
I've
been writing this newsletter about success in the business of horses since 2005. It's brief and takes only a few minutes to
read. That's because my intention is to provide an
idea, ask a question or simply inspire you.
Some weeks I write them just for you; because
you need to be reminded about something you've temporarily forgotten.
Other
weeks, I write them just for your friends, your colleagues and competitors
because they need a nudge, too.
The
responses I get from readers assure me that I'm helping and making a difference
in their businesses.
This week, I'd like your help with my goal of
helping 10,000 horsemen in the next ten years become profitable horsemen. I'm
looking for public speaking opportunities to associations, groups, councils and
businesses to tell the story about success in the horse business.
Please contact me about your group's event,
the subject and the possibilities.
E-mail me here or call me (716) 434-5371.
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I help professional horsemen and horsewomen struggling with the business half of the horse business.
Not enough time, not enough money or not enough of the right people working for you?
Is your horse boarding business unprofitable?
Contact me to see if I can help.
Until next time,
Doug
Doug Emerson
Profitable Horseman  |
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