Page 174 - Midas Touch

With that response, it was clear that we were talking across a great divide.
For her, her real estate business was struggling and for me, my real estate
business was booming. At the end of the evening, she made one more
attempt to connect, saying, “Call me the next time you want to buy
something.”

I replied, “Call me when you find something.”

So far, she has not called.

Example #3: A specialized specialist

A very smart classmate of mine went on to medical school to become a
highly specialized doctor. It was a long, long process. He became a highly
specialized small specialist in the S quadrant.

About three years ago, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and had to
stop practicing medicine. Immediately, his lifestyle changed and his

income plummeted. The good news is that he recovered and is back to
rebuilding his practice and his patient base. The problem is that he is
physically weaker and unable to work the long hours he once did. Hence,
his income remains low.

He wants to retire but, without seeing patients, he has no way to earn
enough money to cover his everyday expenses, much less his retirement.
He plans on working for the rest of his life, but does not know how much

life he has left.

These three entrepreneurs are examples of successful people trapped in the
S quadrant, thinking small and failing to do the little things that count.

What Are the Little Things?
The little things that count is a concept also known as a competitive edge

in business. It is something unique that the entrepreneur has and brings to
the business, not just in the S quadrant, but also in the B and I quadrants.

Now I can hear some of you saying, “But the restaurant owner, the real
estate agent, and the doctor all had a specialty. They were doing the little
things, but the little things did not count.”

This is true, but here is the subtle difference: The little things that counted

were their personal specialties, not their business specialties. Until the