The diminutive man in the center of that photo had severe physical disadvantages that would cause many of us to hide or give up because the odds were stacked against us in life. but they only seemed to fuel the massive cerebral advantages he was blessed with.
But Steinmetz challenges only to served to fuel massive cerebral advantages he was blessed with.
I cherish and enjoy operating in the free market system where there are no limits upon the fruits of our ingenuity, drive, and willingness to work. He may have had some issues with it, but personally, I doubt it considering the premium he unashamedly charged for his ability to solve problems fast where others failed.
The point of all this is to never underestimate or devalue what you have to offer. Someone else needs it, and chances are no one can do it the way you can. If you choose to undercut yourself, do it at your own peril.
The message embedded in this quick story is so powerful I am going to move aside and let it be a stand alone. I hope you recognize that courage and belief in your abilities are worth fighting for no matter who you are standing up to.
Charles Steinmetz stood four feet tall with a humped back. Now virtually unknown, he was a brilliant German mathematician and engineer in the 1890’s and early 1900’s. A devout socialist with capitalist tendencies, he had no problem charging huge fees for his services. A friend of Albert Einstein, he rode to work every day on a bicycle wearing a suit and a top hat. Steinmetz moved to America at age 24.
His work with electricity was monumental. His calculations and experiments allowed electricity to become safer, stable and more widely used.
Henry Ford enlisted his help with electrical problems, hiring Steinmetz to fix a troubled generator. Steinmetz arrived without tools and began staring at and listening to the generator, doing it for two days. He finally climbed up a ladder and made a chalk mark on the side of the generator. He told Ford employees to replace certain parts at the chalk mark. The generator was fixed.
Henry Ford was happy, but almost fell on the floor when he got a bill for what he considered a simple task – $10,000. Ford, at first refused to pay, saying he wanted Steinmetz to itemize his bill.
Steinmetz did just that. He told Ford that the chalk mark was one dollar. The other $9,999 was for knowing where to put the mark.
More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.
It’s time that you become part of this powerful movement by owning your business.
