A farrier gets a call. The voice on the others end of the line asks how much to shoe a horse. He is told. That voice then says he needs his horse Dobbin shod by tomorrow late afternoon. The prospective client gives an address and signs off, “See you then.” 

The horseshoer shows up the next day to get this horse shod. Dobbin was overdue and barefoot. The horseshoer asked what the client wanted done. The client replied the horse should be shod … with pads because the horse goes sore without them. The horseshoer is thinking, pads? Cha-ching! I charge more for that. The farrier takes care of Dobbin, collects his check and went on his way. On the way home, the horseshoer cashed the check at a local liquor store, picked up his wife and went out to dinner.

That farrier was me decades ago. New to the business, I thought I had a ton of skills. But I lacked any understanding of the business or my role in it. I have been at this profession for more than 35 years. I have seen a lot and learned a lot. You would think that after 35 years I should know something. Yes, I should, and…