There is something unique about the way people in our town like to do business. Many of them, particularly the ones who own their own businesses, seem to have a “devil-may-care” attitude when it comes to accepting your business. I don’t think it’s always intentional — people get busy, things slip minds. But it’s almost an affront to the idea of getting ahead in this world to sleep on opportunity when it knocks.
I’m working for a production that, at it’s peak, will have 110 full-time employees. Those people are visiting our city. They have needs. You have services to offer that can fulfill their needs. You can make some money while they are here. Wouldn’t it be to your benefit, when that phone call comes in, to remember to take the call? To return the call if you’re busy? Wouldn’t it be nice to have that additional money in your pocket and have a new, satisfied customer?
I guess what it comes down to is that people are afraid of success because it means they might have to do some real work. People would rather be lazy because it’s easier to be lazy in this world than to succeed. If you’re lazy, you don’t have to answer to people. You can set your own hours. People will ignore you. You can make enough money to get by.
If you want to succeed, you can’t sleep. Well, you can, but you can’t sleep as much as the people who aren’t trying to succeed.
The choice, Memphians, will always be up to you. I know it’s a new concept, a successful, focused Memphis where things get done and people make things happen and you’re able to enjoy opportunities only available in other places. But this doesn’t happen if you don’t want my business when I’m calling you to offer it to you.
After all, it’s not my money. It’s the Man’s. And not many times in this world is the man just gonna call you up and give up the money.
