The title of this article is a quote from the late Zig Ziglar, one of my dearest friends and a personal mentor. Over his lifetime, he generously shared a vast amount of wisdom with others in his own profund, unique and inspiring way. This article is one of my favorite stories about Zig, which includes an valueable message about our focus in business, and our perspective on money.
In an account told to me of a young man who was a huge fan of the legendary Zig Ziglar, it was said the man was Zig’s ride home from the airport. The young fellow was so excited and said something to the tune of, “Mr Ziglar, it is such an honor to ride with you! I am so excited to be with you! I am so honored to know someone who doesn’t worry about profit. I think it’s so great that you don’t think about profit, that all you think about it making a difference. More people need to realize that profit doesn’t matter, but that all we need to do is make a difference! I’m so glad that all you care about is making a difference!”
At that point, Zig cleared up the young man’s confusion as only Zig could do. “Wa-wa-well son,” he told him with gentle correction and a Texas-sized smile in his voice, “I’m afraid you have it all wroooong.” (in that long, melodious Zig drawl), “In business, you can’t make a difference if you don’t make a profit.” Zig was the perfect example of the wisdom spoken of in Proverbs.