I was in Rome last week for Em’s birthday.
Since then I have heard this phrase non-stop:
“Fancuuuuulo.”
It means “fcuk you” in Italian.
See while there, we had a tour guide (Antonio) who made my son’s day…
He taught him all the ‘swears’.
With perfect pronunciation to boot.
Highly entertaining to a 10-year-old.
But that’s not the point of this email today….
Because, as well as learning to curse like a local, Antonio let us in on two of Rome’s dirty little secrets.
Number one…
Everything in Russell Crowe’s version of Gladiator was totally BS.
Gladiators never actually fought to the death.
… nine times out of ten it was scripted and planned in advance.
Like wrestling on TV.
Two…
The legend of Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome.
A tale of twin brothers placed in a basket and left in the river to die – but didn’t.
Instead…
They were found.
They were nursed back to life – by a she-wolf.
They grew old.
They disagreed.
One killed the other.
… And then Rome was born in 753 BC.
Now, here’s what makes this story interesting:
Not the wolf…
Or the names…
Or the fight to the death…
It’s the babies, in the basket, abandoned at the side of the river.
The story remind you of anything or sound familiar?
Thought so.
Now, Antonio explained that since the dawn of time, all cultures love a good story about an abandoned baby in a basket.
In fact, there are 262 other famous fables that begin the exact same way.
As Antonio put it with a shrug:
“Humans, we like the same things, again and again.”
Which brings me to your mantra for money this week and a stark reminder about winning in this game today.
See, it is easy to get bored of your business.
Bored of saying the same things, again, and again, and again.
Especially when it comes to your story, your offering and your marketing.
So you stop.
Yet here’s the thing…
Your customer, your prospects, your pipeline?
They like it.
It’s familiar.
And they want to hear it.
Again and again and again.
See this game, it’s all about finding what works.
And sticking with it.
Until next time.
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
