Photo by luipermom
Chance was a traveling shoe salesman.
Rather than go door-to-door, he met customers on the mountain paths where they traveled.
“How are your feet doing”? He’d ask. “I can see your big toe through that hole on your right boot. Want me to patch it? Only be a minute. Will make your next river crossing a breeze. One piece of silver.”
Chance got scattered business here and there. He appreciated the freedom of not being tied to a single shop or village; free to walk the mountain roads he loved with a pack of shoe-patching supplies on his back.
But customers were few and far between.
One day, Chance happened upon a mountain inn toward evening. The innkeeper’s wife had OCD. She had just mopped the floor. Rows of travelers’ boots stood next to the door while men ate, sock-footed, in the room beyond.
Chance had a beautiful idea. And had a word with the friendly innkeeper.
Chance and the innkeeper were soon enjoying a profitable joint venture agreement.
Twice a week, Chance would visit the inn. The innkeeper would let new travelers know that Chance was on-site, available to patch, love, and upgrade their shoes in the room with the big fireplace.
The innkeeper got a new service to offer guests, who now had a new reason to visit that particular inn. Chance more than quadrupled his business, plus got a warm space to work near the fire. Both men were happy with the way business had evolved. And they were able to make their customers feel better cared for.
It’s much more comfortable to get your boot patched while you doze in an easy chair next to a mug of hot chocolate than it is to get your boot patched while you stand on one booted foot in the rain.
This story is a metaphor.
Metaphors are the realm of deep intuition, of deep strategy. They are story-based, easy to dive into. They give you memorability when you use them in your business.
They are like little bits of magic.
What is the metaphor you’d use for how your business is going today? Are you a traveling shoe repairman in the Andes? Or do you have a shop in a cluster of complementary shops? Are you building friendships with the nearby merchants? What is the metaphor for how you interact with your customers?
When I work with people in the realm of metaphor, interesting things happen. A more powerful business vision can open up. Meaning deepens. New ideas percolate. It is a very profound space to work.
Story is powerful indeed.
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Gosh… that is a tough question, the metaphor for my business… hmm… I think I would say that I am the business who is still trying to find their pathway, still learning (since I’m in school) and still defining my right person. I’m a baby-business I guess, since I am taking baby steps and still pretty new to learning about how businesses are run and how and what I want to do. Its all so experimental for me still.
I just began a new website http://www.emilyrose.co in which I am excited for the opportunity to share my stories in the hopes of helping people who are in my situation learn new ways of thinking and coping with disabilities. And on the other side I have my art http://www.emilyrosetheartist.com , which I am still developing my art style and learning how to go about having a cohesive collection of work and how to sell it.
Thankfully, I have already had many experiments which have helped me learn what I don’t want and are helping me fine tune and focus on what I do want.
♥
Good imagery, Emily. And congrats on your new web site!
Great story Rebecca 🙂
I feel a bit like Chance right now. Like him, I have awesome stuff that really makes a difference, but I’m still trying to find a place like that inn where my ideal right people hang out because I love the idea of mending by the fire instead of out in the cold. Much more inviting 🙂
El– Let’s explore your world via metaphor. Can you think of a time when you’ve encountered an entrepreneur with whom you had the kind of warm rapport Chance had with the innkeeper? Think back on your path and see if you can remember anyone who you worked with and thought, “There’s the possibility of going deeper there.”
It might make sense for you to explore a joint venture of some type with a complementary entrepreneur or two. It could make your path to the top more cheerful and bright, and partnering with others could help you find a quicker route.
If you’d like to explore the metaphorical possibilities more deeply, please do sign up for one of my free sessions and we can explore.