One of the more underrated — or overrated, depending on who you ask — Disney movies is from back in the late 1950’s called:
“A Light In The Forest”
It’s a Fess Parker movie, and so I like it for that reason alone.
But, another thing I like about the movie is a quote that perfectly encapsulates my way of curating customers — and people in general in my life — all summed up in my own shamelessly culturally appropriating way.
Before I show you the quote, some context:
The movie is set about 10 years before the Revolutionary War.
And, it is about a treaty with an Indian tribe in Pennsylvania — where all the white kids the tribe kidnapped had to be returned in exchange for the army giving that tribe all their lands back and leaving them alone.
Anyway, the main character, Johnny Butler, a teenager, didn’t want to go back.
He was initiated into the tribe & adopted by the Chief as a young child.
Thus, he’d rather die than return to his white parents.
And while he is being transported back after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Johnny’s best friend Half Arrow follows them, gets caught, and is allowed to travel with the rest of the crowd for a bit to keep Johnny company and out of trouble.
And during that time, Half Arrow tells Johnny:
“Your father sends you a message. These are his words: ‘Remember what happens to the white prisoner the Indian takes. If he bears his hardship with patience then his Indian master likes him. But if he fights back and complains, there’s nothing else to do but to scalp him.”
And if that ain’t the best example of customer curation I don’t know what is.
Take my “Email Players” newsletter, for example.
When people subscribe, I expect them to take the time to read the newsletter and book that comes with the subscription. I also expect them to implement the info. And, I further expect them to sack up & fight through the learning curve of writing emails, not needing “feedback” (I don’t do critiques – nor are they necessary if you know your market and have even a smidgen of a personality), and having enough character to not only be willing to make mistakes, but embrace the fallout from those mistakes to get smarter, better, stronger at writing emails, and more experienced as a result.
If they bear their hardship with patience, their Master elBenbo likes them.
If they complain, there’s nothing else to do but to scalp their subscription.
GadZOOKS this email is probably going to offend some mush cookie.
But that’s okay.
I’ve been low on hate mail as of late.
Whatever the case, if you want to learn at my table, go here:
Ben Settle
