The Color of Money is green and it’s also the title of an 1986 Martin Scorsese film about pool hustlers. The movie contains a valuable truth about business, so let me quickly spell it out.
The Color of Money has two main characters:
An old pool shark, named Fast Eddie Felson, played by Paul Newman, and…
A young pool shark, named Vincent Lauria, played by a 24-year-old Tom Cruise.
In the beginning of the movie, Fast Eddie tries to recruit Vincent and so he says:
“If you got an area of excellence… if you’re the best at something, anything… then rich can be arranged.”
Vincent knows he’s the best at pool. He likes the idea of being rich. So he agrees to team up with Eddie.
It’s only later, once the two are already on the road, driving around in Eddie’s big white Cadillac and cleaning out dirty poolhalls around the Midwest, that Eddie tells Vincent the whole truth and nothing but the truth:
“Pool excellence is not about excellent pool. It’s about becoming something.”
Becoming what exactly?
Well, a businessman. In pool, it means being a flake… tanking on occasion… hustling the other guy and sometimes even the audience.
Maybe your business is not pool. And maybe you really dislike the idea of tanking on purpose or hustling anybody.
Fine.
So just take this as a reminder that excellence in whatever you do is about working on your business as well as in it.
And also:
If your business happens to be freelance copywriting, then take this as a reminder that my copy Zone Offer is now in the oven and is baking at 475°F.
I want to make sure the final result — all about the business of copywriting, as opposed to the craft — is fully baked before I put it on the table. More info on that soon — sign up here if you want to get notified.