Succeed as a PHD

My friend Henry Yoshida, who works for Merrill Lynch, told me a great story about an "old school" insurance agency owner who he knew many years ago.

When Henry was young and just getting started in business he asked this seasoned professional what was the secret to his insurance agency's success. The gray-haired cantankerous old fellow told Henry that his business had grown because he only hired "PHD's".

Ahhh, not what you think. This guy only hired people who were "Poor, Hungry and Determined". With these three attributes, his employees all worked harder than the average person.....and with all that hard work synced up in one agency, they beat the competition time after time.

I shared this story with one of Austin's top entrepreneurs who told me that his experience was in parallel. He said that people with young families to support always seem to show up on time and work harder, because they have too much to lose if they slack off. The small number of "trust-fund kids" he ever hired at his companies always were failures. They did not need the money, and did not have that spark in their soul that is needed when times get difficult.

Joe DiMaggio once said; "A ball player's got to be kept hungry to become a big leaguer. That's why no boy from a rich family ever made the big leagues." It takes internal drive to meet your personal best.

Even though I am getting older, I am still a PHD in my heart. I still need the money and I am hungry and determined to achieve all that I am capable. I hope no matter how well I do in life that I never lose that spark to knock it out of the park on some level.

Have A Great Day.

thom