A successful American businessman was on vacation in a small Mexican coastal village when he saw a fisherman docking his small boat. Inside the boat were a few large, fresh fish.
The businessman complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
“Only a little while,” the fisherman replied.
The businessman then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish.
The fisherman said, “I have enough to support my family’s needs.”
“But what do you do with the rest of your time?” the businessman asked.
The fisherman smiled and said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, and in the evenings, I go to the village, drink wine, and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and happy life.”
The businessman scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you. You should spend more time fishing and buy a bigger boat. With the extra money, you could buy several boats, then a whole fleet. Instead of selling to a middleman, you could sell directly to the processor. Eventually, you could open your own cannery and control production, distribution, and sales. You’d leave this small village and move to Mexico City, then LA, and eventually New York, where you’d run your expanding business.”
The fisherman asked, “How long would this take?”
“Fifteen to twenty years,” the businessman replied.
“And then what?” the fisherman asked.
The businessman smiled and said, “Then you could retire! You’d move to a small coastal village, sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking wine and playing guitar with your friends.”
The fisherman just smiled and walked away.