Big Red Car here.  Nice cool morning here in the ATX.  Yesterday I was fibbing about the quality of the day — it was cloudy.  Too much Chamber of Commerce for the Big Red Car, sorry.

So this morning The Boss is out with one of his CEOs talking him down off the ledge.  CEOs allow themselves to get a bit exercised sometimes and need a bit of tough love to get them back into the traces.

This particular CEO had had a tough session with one of his Boardmembers who had spent a lot of time criticizing the CEO’s company.  It was apparently not a useful exchange and the particular Boardmember made it worse by calling subsequently to supposedly apologize and going back into his rant again as if the face to face version needed a second dose over the phone.

The Boss told the CEO the following:

“In life there are three kinds of people:

1.  Those who can start a fire;

2.  Those who can tend a fire; and,

3.  Those who spend all their time pissing on your fire.

In life, avoid the last ones.”

The CEO laughed.  The Boss laughed.  Disaster averted.  CEO down off the ledge.

The Boss did not just dream this up, he has been saying it for a long, long time.  Because he has lived it.  It is true.

When you are an entrepreneur and company founder you will find out that you will face more rejection and criticism and people pissing on your fledgling little fire than you can imagine — than you deserve.  It is normal.  Screw them.

It only takes one “yes”, one supportive mentor, one happy customer to banish all the fire pissers.

As you live your dreams, do not allow anyone to piss on your fire.

But, hey, what the Hell do I know anyway?  I’m just a Big Red Car.