Be Coachable.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about the power of learning.

In the early nineties, I was working for an extremely successful, and probably the wealthiest, most powerful businessman I have come in contact with thus far in my career. One day, we sat down in his conference room for a few moments while he reviewed the reports I had generated for him earlier that morning. As the conversation was winding down, I mustered up enough courage to ask, "Sir, what advice would you give a guy like me, so I might become successful in business like you?"

He took the mangled stub of a cigar out of his mouth, looked over at me with a tortured wince, and said, "Always be coachable, kid." Then, his leather chair squeaked as he shifted his weight and continued, "You will never know it all, kid. If you can manage to be teachable and keep learning, you will succeed." I nodded, and before I could ask another question, he reached down into his front pocket, pulled out a big ring of keys, placed them in my hand, and said, "Okay kid. Now take my Suburban to the car wash."

Wow!

Be coachable. Be teachable. Keep learning.

In that moment, I had received some of the most important advice of my life. On that day, I decided that I would no longer measure my success by what I know, but rather by how much I can learn. It is true that knowledge is power, but I've also learned that knowledge is often the only thing that will interfere with learning. I encourage you to remain coachable, and as today's fortune says, "Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it."