TRUE STORIES # 347
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
"You're clearly an excellent fisherman," said the American. "Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Mexican replied that he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
Intrigued, the American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?
The Mexican fisherman shrugged & said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and talk politics with my amigos. I have a full and busy life."
The American scoffed. "Listen, I am a Harvard MBA; I could help you expand your business with just a few words of free advice. Think about it. If you spent more time fishing, you could buy a bigger boat. Then, with increased proceeds, you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. Of course, you’d need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then L.A., and – who knows? maybe eventually New York City, where you would run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long would this all take?"
The American considered for a few seconds. "15 to 20 years, I reckon."
"But what then?"
The American laughed and said, "Now, that's the best part. When the time was right, you would announce a public offering, sell your company stock and become very rich. You would make millions!"
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you could retire. You know, move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and talk politics with your amigos."
11:28:12 PM 
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