Julius Caesar Gets Kidnapped, The Budweiser.com Domain Name, And Artist Salvador Dalí Never Paid For Lunch: Why Knowing Your Worth Determines Your Action
The 3-Word Quote: Value Dictates Vision
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1.
Some historians consider him one of the most outstanding military leaders in history.
He was also a politician, a dictator, an author, a speaker, and a statesman.
He was ruthless and highly ambitious.
But before Julius Caesar became the figure that history knows him as, he was a young nobleman who wished to study oratory.
So it was around 75 BCE that twenty-five year-old Caesar set sail to Rhodes to fulfill his wish.
But sailing at the time was often dangerous.
The seas were crime-ridden and pirate-infested, making travel treacherous.
Looters, thieves, and pirates ruled the waters.
And pirates then, like modern pirates, would often attack ships to kidnap travelers and hold them for ransom.
While Caesar was sailing to Rhodes to study, Cilician pirates attacked his ship.
The ship seemed an easy mark - not especially large and not overloaded with people.
So the pirates attacked.
And Julius Caesar was kidnapped.
The pirates, of course, demanded a ransom.
However, the kidnapping did not go as planned for the pirates.
2.
You know the name Julius Caesar.
But you might not know the name, Jay Baer.
Jay Baer is a marketing guru.
He's written seven books, advised hundreds of brands on marketing, and given thousands of keynote speeches.
He is good at what he does.
Baer's first job was with what he called Arizona's very first internet company.
He was hired to help with marketing for this internet company - even though he had never actually been on the internet before.
Obviously, this was in the early days of the information superhighway.
And, in the early days of the internet, domain names were free. As you know, a domain name is simply the name you you might type into the browser to reach a particular website.
But why were domain names free? Because a few decades ago, people and businesses couldn't imagine why they might need a website.
And if you didn't have a website, you certainly didn't need a domain name.
Because they were free, Baer and his friends decided to register some domain names during the early days of the internet.
They were free, so why not?
Once you register a domain name, you essentially own the name. And among the names Baer registered and became owner of was Budweiser.com.
Budweiser - the king of beers, a multimillion-dollar company.
But as the internet and businesses matured and developed, companies realized they did need websites - and domain names.
One company that realized they needed to secure a domain name was Budweiser - except when the company tried to register their company name, they couldn't.
Budweiser.com had been taken by Jay Baer and his friends.
They were sitting on a goldmine.
3.
"Every morning, upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí."
Salvador Dalí loved being Salvador Dalí, clearly.
And for good reason.
By the end of World War II, the controversial surrealist painter was one of the most well-known living artists of the day.
Thanks to his famous long waxed mustache, he is one of the few artists you would instantly recognize.
During his life, Dalí was featured in numerous advertisements and often appeared on television.
And Dalí loved entertaining.
He often entertained large groups of friends at lunch gatherings at well-known and exclusive restaurants.
These get-togethers occurred at the most expensive restaurants, where the food was endless, and the wine flowed freely.
And Dalí held court at these meals, entertaining his guests with countless stories.
And when the stories were over, he would always request the bill be handed to him.
But despite being handed the bill, he rarely paid it.
The Takeaway:
So what do Julius Caesar's kidnapping, the Budweiser.com domain name, and Salvador Dalí lunches all have in common?
They are reminders that everyone needs to know and understand their worth.
Whether you create a product or possess a skill, knowing the value of what you bring to the table often dictates the choices you make and the actions you take.
Let's take a look.
When a young Caesar was kidnapped, the pirates likely had no idea who he was.
But Caesar knew who he was.
Even as a young man, he was confident and commanding.
Once Caesar was kidnapped, the crew demanded a ransom of 20 talents of silver, a massive sum at the time - worth close to a million dollars today.
Caesar was shocked upon hearing the sum being requested for his release.
And when he heard the amount, he laughed in the pirates' faces.
But he didn’t laugh because the ransom price was too high.
He laughed because the price was too low.
He thought the pirates should be asking for far more for his release.
Reportedly, Caesar yelled at the pirates and demanded that they raise the ransom price from 20 talents of silver to 50 - well over double the original price.
Those who held Caesar were stunned at his request but raised their ransom.
A traveling companion of Caesar was released to raise the now extremely high price.
While waiting for the companion to return with the money, Caesar acted as if he was not a prisoner.
He yelled at the pirates, even scolding them for talking while he slept. He also promised them he would hunt them down and kill them after he was released.
Julius Caesar was not your traditional kidnapping victim.
And he was true to his word - the ransom was paid, the kidnappers were caught, and they were executed.
Caesar knew who he was - and he knew his value.
And it impacted all his actions - even if in an unusual manner of demanding his ransom be increased.
People often perceive their value based on other people's views - they think they or their product or service is worth only what others are willing to pay.
Julius Caesar didn't settle for what was offered; he commanded a higher price and got it.
Perhaps, at times, we should do the same.
***
Jay Baer and his friends owned the Budweiser.com domain name.
But Budweiser wanted it.
And Budweiser had deep pockets.
But Baer knew what he had - a domain name that a massive company wanted.
So Budweiser reached out to Baer.
And negotiations began.
There was some back and forth.
However, the negotiations were relatively quick, and both parties agreed on a number.
And the number was significant.
Budweiser was a large company, and they made Baer and his friends happy with the final offer.
What was the negotiated number?
Fifty!
But it wasn't fifty thousand dollars.
It wasn't fifty million dollars.
It was fifty…cases of beer.
Yes, fifty cases of Budweiser beer was the agreed-upon price for Baer and his friends to turn over the name to Budweiser.
You might be thinking this group should have held out for more - more money, more beer, more of something.
Yet, to hear Baer tell this story as he does in his speeches, he was thrilled.
These were young guys. They enjoyed beer - it seemed like a match made in heaven.
Today, that domain name might be worth millions.
But in the early internet days, most people didn't realize that domain names could be profitable.
So Baer and his friends celebrated selling the name - by drinking beer.
They were kings for a night.
But like many people, Baer undervalued what he had.
***
Some artists criticized Dalí as a sellout.
Dalí was a commercial artist and earned much money while alive.
He was given the nickname "Avida Dollars' - an anagram of his name. It was used primarily as an insult and commentary about his love of money.
While Dalí enjoyed success, he often didn't spend his money—especially on extravagant lunches with friends.
So, when it was time to pay the bill at those lunches, he would wait until the owner came to the table to present the bill.
Dalí would view the bill and then take out a personal check. He would fill out the restaurant's name and write the amount owed for the food and wine.
But he knew his check would never be cashed.
Instead, before handing his personal check to the owner, he would turn the check over.
He then would scratch a quick sketch on the back of the check.
The line drawing on the check might be a horse or perhaps a soldier—the subject matter of the drawing made little difference.
The important part, Dalí knew, was he would sign his name under the sketch in front of the owner, who was waiting for payment.
You see, Dalí drew these quick sketches at the height of his fame because he knew the owner would never cash his check.
Why would he cash it? The owner now had a signed original sketch from one of the world's most well-known artists.
And a story to boot.
An original Salvador Dalí drawing - on the back of a personal check.
The artist knew most restaurateurs would prefer his small drawing to the money to cover the meal.
And because of this, Salvador Dalí rarely paid for meals.
He knew his worth.
Pablo Picasso once said people didn't pay for his art; they paid for his signature.
Dali knew this was true for him, too.
When people understand their value, it often determines how they act. It impacts how they precede and how they interact with others.
Caesar knew who he was, and he commanded a more considerable ransom - for himself.
Jay Baer owned Budweiser.com, but he didn't know its worth (or future worth) - so he sold it for fifty cases of beer.
And Dalí certainly understood his value as an artist - and he used it to his advantage.
Everyone has something of value to offer; the difficult part is figuring out what it's worth.
3 things before you go:
Quote: one of my favorite quotes about writing is in lesson two; the color coding of the quote is key, but all are great writing reminders in this brief article; a simple and enjoyable book
Great advice: Derek Sivers - Writing One Sentence Per Line: great advice from Sivers which contains another of my favorite writing quotes: “First words punch. Last words linger.”
Listen: Reel Big Fish: Sellout- always loved the horns on this old song; a fun, upbeat ska song
Thanks for reading. See you in 10 days.
-Jeff