If you want to make the most of your talent, boost your market value, and get paid what you’re really worth, answer this question:
“Am I a Jockey or a Horse?”
If you want to be your MVP – Most Valuable Person™ – be brutally honest when you answer…
“Am I worth more as a Jockey or a Horse?”
My game this year is to transform from 100% jockey to 80% horse.
This is a vital distinction to play your best business game.
A jockey is the rider.
A horse is the ride.
Here’s the simple difference:
If you work for a company and don’t own it, you’re a jockey.
You are riding that business horse for your financial living.
If you own the company, you’re the horse.
You create opportunity for others to ride.
A horse creates, develops, and manufactures a product or service.
A jockey helps to market, sell, and service it.
With everyone screaming at you to become a horse (a business owner who creates, develops, and manufactures a product or service), it’s hard to resist the temptation to be your own boss.
Here’s the little-known, even less talked about, deep, dark secret – the brutally cold, hard, in-your-face truth about why only 5% of businesses succeed:
It’s because the business owner is a jockey trying to be a horse.
Having the money to get into business is the easy part.
Having the make-up to be a HORSE is the hard part.
Horses do not make good jockeys.
Jockeys are rarely good horses.
Few people can be both.
Most of us are jockeys, riding somebody else’s horse (business) into the money.
A “Horse” cannot build a profitable business by himself. He needs jockeys to ride his horses (among other people like trainers, etc.)
If you are by yourself, you don’t have a business.
You are self-employed.
Self-employed a fine way to earn a living, if you like it and are suited to it.
If you have one other person who has to be paid, you have a business.
Self-employed people often have to be both jockey and horse. This is the hardest of all, and why so few self-employed people make a full time living.
Many self-employed people can be better off (economically) as a jockey, rather than trying to ride themselves. Few of us can effectively pull off being both jockey and horse.
If you want to get paid what you’re really worth in the marketplace, determine if you are best suited to be a jockey or horse.
If you’re a jockey, ride your current horse for all its worth. Keep looking for better horses to ride into the money. The old advice, “Don’t change horses midstream” doesn’t work in a new game. It’s best to switch horses before the horse has run its course.
If you’re a horse, find jockeys who want a winning ride. There are more jockeys than ever who want to ride a better horse. Set your company (stable) up with thoroughbred horses.
Answer this essential NEW Game question:
Am I a Jockey or a Horse?
This will set you free to win the NEW Games of business, money, and life.
Mitch, CEO – Chief Encouragement Officer™
Are You a Jockey or Horse?