My great friend Jimmy Coler hit me with that quote years ago, telling me it was something his Dad used to say to him. I love this quote. Not because I don’t believe I can engage in two disparate businesses at once and be successful. I, and my aforementioned friend Jimmy, do just that, and we aren’t alone.

I love this quote for two reasons.

First, it harkens back to a simpler time for me. Growing up in the bottom third of the socio-economic strata, I watched men head off to their job in the mornings and come for dinner with their families some nine or ten hours later. The job was usually one of physical labor, and it was all they did. They kept at it (rode one horse) for 30+ years and then retired.

I have sweet nostalgic memories of the men in my neighborhood, and I know Jimmy grew up the same way, hence the quote from his Dad.

Today, I keep Mr. Coler’s advice in the front of my mind, albeit differently.

I let it echo in my head when I’m feeling stressed, behind, or overwhelmed. These days I listen to Mr. Coler to remind myself that multitasking is a myth; that being present matters. That doing what I’m doing while I’m doing it makes me substantially more productive. Mr. C reminds me to turn off the email alerts when I’m making prospect or client calls. He reminds me to silence the phone when I’m writing and to put it in another room when I’m meeting with a one-on-one coaching client or group via Zoom.

Mr. Coler’s message had a different meaning in the blue-collar neighborhoods Jimmy and I grew up in during the sixties, but it is still effective for me today. Single-minded focus, one task at a time, is the horse this ass rides on my most productive days. Thanks, Mr. Coler.

Own your sales gene…