Food For Thought

The American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village, when a small
boat with just one local Villager docked. Inside the small boat were several large Yellowtail tuna.

The American complimented the local Villager on the quality of his fish and asked how long it
took him to catch them.

The Villager replied, “only a little while.”

The American then asked him why he didn’t stay out longer to catch more fish?

The Villager told him that he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Villager said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife
Maria, stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I
have a full and busy life, senor.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more
time fishing, and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. From the proceeds of the bigger boat,
you could buy several boats.

Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a
middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery.
You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this
small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC, where
you will run your expanding enterprise.” The Villager asked, “but senor, how long will all this take?”

To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”

But what then, senor?

The American 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 make millions.”

Millions, senor? Then what?

The American said, “Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village, where you
would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village
in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos....”