I talk about Personal Growth, Management, Infrastructure and More | C-Suite Executive | Mentor, Coach, Strategic Consultant | Real Estate Investor | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
The Ice Block That Sank a Business Empire
|
People still think that they are in a business… but reality is something different. Let me explain you a little story, and you’ll understand. Clarence Birdseye. That the name of the guy. Birdseye was in Labrador, Canada, watching Inuit families gut fish and flash-freeze them instantly in −40°C air. Later, when cooked, those fish tasted fresh. Really fresh. Not like garbage, that was what people in the 1920s used to experience. He thought: Why aren’t we doing this everywhere? He went back to the U.S., invented a flash-freezing process, and in 1924 launched Birdseye Seafoods, Inc. It was a hit. He sold the patents for $22 million (in today’s money), and frozen food became a global industry. You may think something like “come on”, “it’s so obvious”, “they surely were other people doing the same”. And of course. You’re right. But they were not in the same business. Let me explain. Around the same time, ice delivery companies were booming. They delivered blocks of ice to keep food cold in iceboxes. They had warehouses, trucks, clients, even brand recognition. They thought: We’ve got this market cornered. Except they missed the shift. They were in the ice business, not the cold food business. They were worried about selling ice, not to keep food fresh for longer. Birdseye wasn’t selling frozen peas. He was selling convenience and freshness. The ice barons? They just kept cutting blocks of ice and hoping winter would never end. Think about what’s happening in the world these days. Engineering companies and consultancies selling people’s hours. Yes, they still charge you by the hour in the AI era. They are still in the business of selling hours, not models you can build. Think harder, and you’ll see the same in construction. They sell you materials, time-machine-hours, people hour, etc. Not buildings… When robots doing the whole thing are around the corner. Are you selling construction? Or outcomes? Are you selling properties? Or freedom? Are you managing tasks? Or reducing someone’s mental load? Because someone — somewhere — is building your replacement. Not with ice, but with insight. Just a few ideas for you in case you feel you’re becoming ice.
PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day. PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below. |
Vicente Valencia
I talk about Personal Growth, Management, Infrastructure and More | C-Suite Executive | Mentor, Coach, Strategic Consultant | Real Estate Investor | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
When I’ve been asked about a piece of advice to become successful, my response has been very simple. Simple and hard, I would say. Choose the people around you wisely. Do you imagine Steve Jobs being surrounded by lazy people, union leaders, or political disgraces? Remember that you tend to become the average of the 5 people you spend more time with. This is why after the place you live, the second most important decision in your life is your partner. But if you are not good at meeting new...
OK… I got it. You don’t know who Espartero was… You’re lazy and Google is outdated. I got it. So, let me tell you something. There’s mindset… And then there’s Espartero mindset. Close your eyes… But keep reading. Spain, mid-1800s. We were having so many civils wars and coups d’etat that sometimes did not appear in the press. General Baldomero Espartero — war hero, regent, and owner of what might be the most mentioned c0jones or testicles in Spanish history. Why? Because the guy didn’t just...
Let me tell you a story about a guy named Xenophon. He wasn’t born a warrior. He was a writer. A student of Socrates. I don’t know if he studied hard, but he had a pair of c0jones like Espartero’s horse. If you don’t believe me… keep reading. One day, Xenophon found himself stuck in Persia with 10,000 Greek mercenaries. Their generals were dead. Ambushed. Poisoned… yes, remember that there was no social media at the time. In summary… Gone. Everyone else? Panicking. Not Xenophon. He stood up...