The decal on the side of the truck read, “Specializing in all types of exterior siding.” I scrambled for a pen so I could jot it down before the light changed. Inspiration strikes at odd times, and we must be ready.
Pick a lane, says I to the small business owner. Either is fine. Be a specialist. Be a generalist. But don’t tell people you are both.
Once upon a time, there was a creature known as the Portuguese toothfish. When American seafood started trending, it seemed like a natural fit. The toothfish was large, tasty, and relatively easy to catch. A perfect pairing. One problem, though — turns out, no one wanted to eat something called a toothfish. So the powers that be decided it would be known instead as a Chilean seabass. Problem solved.
A Facebook “preachers” group that I somehow became attached to (you social media types know how easily that can happen) brought a preacher in Tuscumbia, Alabama, named Jesse Winn to my attention. After e-mailing Bro. Winn and exchanging a few thoughts and pleasantries, I decided (with his permission) to include his name and a link to the article in question. You can find the article here. I encourage you to read his article with the same prayer, spirit and consideration I ask when you read mine. The gist of his article was this (his emphasis):
Amy Schumer’s recently released comedy special on Netflix is, by all accounts, (and pardon the reference to her recent film, which I carefully avoided) a trainwreck. Early comments and ratings give it one star out of five. That’s pretty bad, even by Netflix original programming standards.
