Episode 714 - In Every Pursuit

What happens when cowboy boots, high standards, and a little Texas two-step collide? In episode 714 of Monday Morning Mojo, Phil takes us to a lively Fort Worth bar where a simple request to dance turns into an unexpected lesson in determination, self-respect, and knowing your worth. What begins as a lighthearted moment quickly evolves into a powerful metaphor for life and business, about asking for what you want, meeting the mark, showing up with confidence, and knowing exactly when to walk away. This story-packed episode delivers not just charm and entertainment, but sharp insights that will stick with you long after the music fades. Tune in to discover why sometimes, it really is just about the dance, and everything it represents.

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Transcript

Top performers in every field surround themselves with those who inspire them, who seek to build them up, and who push them to reach beyond their current limits. I am Phil Buchanan, executive chairman of Cannon Financial Institute. I designed Monday Morning Mojo to provide you with a weekly spark, a push and motivational insight to live your best life. Thanks for joining.

Good Monday morning. It is Phil here with episode 714 of Monday Morning Mojo. Listeners often ask where the inspirations for Monday Morning Mojo originate. My response is very simple. It's done by watching others and attempting to find the lessons both major and minor that are contained therein.

Now, no greater example of this occurred during a recent family gathering in Fort Worth, Texas. Now, for those of you not familiar, Fort Worth is home to the famous stockyards. Now the side of the stockyards was home to major meat processing back in the first half of the 20th century

Post World War II, the industry evolved and changed, and it saw Fort Worth decline as a key intersection for US meat production. But entrepreneurs seize the opportunity to create and gentrify the area into a major tourist attraction. There are hotels, restaurants, bars, and they all capitalize on the Western cattle drive theme.

Our family found ourselves there one sunny Saturday afternoon in one of those old Western cowboy bars, and we were listening to Western music and watching people dance. Now, it was during this visit that a gentleman approached a female who was dressed in Western attire and asked her to dance. Looking at him, she smiled and in a fairly polite tone, said, “I'm not dancing with a guy in shorts and tennis shoes”.

And now the gentleman responded, “for real?”. She chimed back. She said, yes, for real. I danced with you if you were wearing jeans and boots. He laughed and said, Hey, it's only a dance. She responded very directly, jeans and boots. The gentleman then said, “Huh, so if I had on jeans and boots, you'd dance?” Yes was her reply.

Now I chuckled a bit as the guy walked away. But about 30 minutes later, the same guy walks back into the bar dressed in new cowboy boots, new jeans, and a shiny new buckle and belt. He walks straight to her and says, “let's dance”. Smiling and likely shocked, she said, absolutely, and accompanied him to the dance floor.

For the next several minutes, the entire bar watched in amazement as the couple owned the dance floor. They were both excellent dancers and the gentleman led her in a masterful Texas two-step. On completion of the dance, even other dancers clapped and cheered their dancing prowess. They returned to the bar for a break and a beer.

And a little while later and another song came on and the lady looked at the gentleman and she asked him to dance without missing a beat. He smiled and said, “No, I'm done. After all, it was only a dance”. At that, he smiled, tipped his hat and left the bar. Now, having watched this whole episode play out, I was both shocked and amused.

After reflecting for a while on the entire encounter, I, uh, I actually felt respect for both parties. The lady had her standards, and the gentleman did too. The gentleman asked for only a dance, to which the lady agreed only when her requirements were met. The gentleman met the requirements, but he took the encounter no further than the dance that was requested.

So you may ask, what learnings do you take from that? Well, there were several. Number one, you do not get what you want without asking for it. Number two, when initially you get rebuffed due to not meeting some stated standard, you've got a choice: accept rejection or meet the standard. Number three, when given the opportunity to dance, well dance, demonstrate your skill and ability.

And number four, and perhaps most importantly, know when and how to leave a situation with everyone wanting more. The gentleman could have stayed and danced and hey, perhaps the couple would've fallen in love and lived happily ever after. But I can promise you that both of those individuals left Fort Worth having learned a little bit about themselves and others, and with a little bit of respect for both sides.

You know, in business when both parties meet their stated goals, it's a win. So something to bear in mind: in any pursuit, have very clear objectives. Know your standards. Make sure that others meet your standards. But when the dance is done, when the song has come to an end, know how to leave, leaving everybody wanting more.

Monday Morning Mojo is a production of Cannon Financial Institute, executive producer of Monday Morning Mojo is Sarah Jones. Editing and mixing is done by Danny Brunner. Until next time, I'm Phil Buchanan reminding you to be a force for good.

Have a great week and thanks for being part of the Mojo community.