A middle-aged businessman decided he needed some rest and relaxation. He was stressed over work, his family and life in general. He wound up visiting a small coastal village in Mexico. After a turbulent night’s sleep, he woke up and decided to take a stroll through the main street. As he was walking, his eyes spotted a craftsman at work in his woodshop. The man was making beautiful skateboard decks.
“How long does it take you to make one of your decks?” inquired the businessman.
“Not that long; I can usually make two or three a day,” replied the craftsman.
“Why don’t you make more?” asked the businessman.
“I make enough to support my family and give a few to friends,” said the craftsman as he carefully sanded the wood.
“But…What do you do with the rest of your time?”
The craftsman looked up and smiled. “I sleep late, skate, play with my children, take an afternoon siesta with my wife and stroll in the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The businessman laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Sir, I graduated from Harvard with an M.B.A., and I can help you. You should spend more time working on these beautiful skateboards, and with the proceeds, hire more people. In no time, you could buy some serious equipment and fully automate your production. Eventually, you would be able to produce thousands of boards a month.”
The businessman continued, “Instead of selling only a few boards, you would set up a distribution center and ship all over the world. You would control the product and processing. You would need to leave this village, of course, and move to Mexico City, then to Los Angeles, and eventually New York City, where you would run your thriving business with proper management.
The Mexican craftsman asked, “But, señor, how long will all this take?”
The businessman replied, “Oh, probably 15 to 20 years, maybe – 25 tops.”
“But then what, señor?”
The businessman laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would then make millions!”
“Millions, señor? Then what?”
“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal village where you sleep late, skate, play with your children, take an afternoon siesta with your wife and stroll in the village each evening, sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”
