Bloody Wealthy Genius
Taiye Bayode
Like this project
Posted Dec 28, 2024
I leveraged powerful storytelling to create a perspective on strategy, persuasion, and execution. This ended up opening several business opportunities for me.
Likes
0
Views
22
THE BRASH STORY OF A BLOODY GENIUS WHO GOT “WEALTHY” WITH 1 DRIP
***************************************************************
In June 1503 , a man named Christopher arrived on the north coast of Jamaica .
Few months later , his crew made away with stupendous supplies from the natives of that island .
How did he do it ?
It’s an interesting story really …
And the reason might surprise you .
You see …
Christopher was an explorer who likes going on sea expeditions .
And he started this particular trip 1 year prior (1502) in Cadiz .
Now when he arrived at Jamaica , his two ships were barely sea worthy , due to infestation from ship worms .
Seeing this , the natives welcomed his crew with open arms , giving them food , supplies , in exchange for little pieces of jewelry .
This didn’t last very long though.
As several weeks passed , and soon enough , the natives became seriously fed up .
Not because the “ guests ” overstayed their welcome …
But because , Christopher’s crew were constantly stealing , cheating , and raiding nearby villages for supplies
So on January 1504 , the natives decided to stop giving the Europeans what they wanted , no matter what they offered to trade in return .
They beefed up security too .
That means no food , no supplies , no ship repairs , and …
No means of leaving .
They were basically …
Stranded.
Now here is where it gets interesting …
At the time , Christopher had astronomical tables which was compiled by German astronomer – Jhanneso Müller.
And in these tables, Jhanneso predicted there would be a Lunar Eclipse by February 29th 1504.
There were precise calculations as to when this Eclipse might occur , how long it would last & what time of day it would appear .
But here is the thing …
Jhanneso’s actual calculation was based on Nuremberg , German time .
So Christopher had to do a little bit of estimation to know when this Eclipse would happen .
Now , even though he wasn’t very sure , he was willing to gamble on it .
So he called a meeting with the high chiefs shortly before the event .
And complained bitterly , telling them that his “god” was angry with them .
And that since they refused giving his crew any more supplies , his “god” would show his power by taking away the moon.
Unless they changed their ways .
The chiefs called his bluff & laughed it off.
Christopher returned to his chambers & “hoped” that his estimate was correct.
Luckily for him , the predicted lunar eclipse took place more or less on schedule !
The natives were scared shitless .
Ran for their lives .
While offering supplies upon supplies to Christopher .
Pleading with him to talk to his “god” & spare their lives .
After much persuasion , he agreed & went into his chambers to “ pray ” .
But the thing is …
He actually went to stare at an hour glass .
Because he knew the eclipse would last 48 minutes .
So he simply went to wait it out .
Shortly before time was up , he came out & assured the natives that his “ god ” wasn’t angry any more .
And what would you know ?
The moon began to reappear again !
Ever since that single display , he never got trouble getting what ever he wanted from the natives .
And in June 1504 , he & his crew finally left with a ship that arrived from Hispaniola .
The man i'm talking about was Christopher Columbus & he ended up being one of the founding fathers of America .
But that’s a story for another day .
So how does this concern you ?
And what lessons can be learnt from this ?
1.He had inside information:
When you know even 1% more than the next person...
you , my friend are powerful .
And that’s what helped Columbus here. He didn’t need to be an expert .
He simply knew something the other party didn’t
Now not everyone will approve of his methods , but you can’t deny the fact that when you are knowledgeable about something , you can basically charge for it .
Good money too .
2. Decide on a vehicle:
A proper vehicle lets you understand how best to serve your audience and...
in what manner to deliver it to them .
Columbus knew he had to deliver his message in person , not send one of his crew .
Same way a brain surgeon won’t document a surgery on a guide to teach his rookie Med students.
No , he makes sure they witness it live .
Very important .
3. Sell the experience:
Marketing is perception .
How you are perceived , matters a lot .
And you do this through – Demonstration .
Columbus had to come up with a demonstration of his “god” , so he can be perceived in a particular way .
If you are in business , don’t just tell people your stuff works or is the best .
Show it in action !
Show people who are experiencing it in real time .
Why do you think car dealerships always insist on a buyer taking a car for a " test drive " ?
4. Get to really understand people – Columbus knew that he won’t be given supplies anymore .
So he took his time to study the natives before deciding on what to do .
You see…
when you understand what people want , their intimate desires...
their aspirations , their hopes , their dreams , what keeps them up at night , solutions that they might have tried before , competitors they’ve bought from , etc .
It becomes easier providing a tailored solution specific to them .
This is why copywriters usually ask a ton of questions before even putting pen to paper .
People are different .
And they buy for different reasons .
Never forget that .
5. Implement like an addict:
This is the glue that holds everything together .
Without it , your mindset , plans , blueprints are for nothing .
It is the key to your lock .
The ying to your yang .
The frodo to your ring .
And…
Only when action is achieved , success is perceived ?
Because at the end of the day , all you need is just ONE drip .
One idea .
One book .
One innovation .
One sale .
One late night .
One consistency .
You start with one and soon enough , these little “drips” will pay you back in multiple folds .
That's it .
Selah…