When I was a kid, I loved stories.  Actually, it hasn’t changed much now that I am adult.  I love a good story, told well, with just enough detail, and a reason to be told.

Great stories aren’t just about something that happened.   Great stories, come with a lesson.  I think that is why I love fairy tales; simple stories (with a message and a happy ending) and and great myths (simple stories, with tragic endings and a warning in the lesson.)

As a small business owner, I find lots of good advice in stories:

• Cinderella  – Magic opens doors, but it is your charm which closes the sale.
• The Princess and the Pea – It is the little details which keep you up at night.
• Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs -Success requires a team with diverse personalities and skills.
• The Emperor’s New Clothes – This is more of a tale for the corporate exec, then the small business owner, where the pressure to fit in is greater.  But even small business owners can fall victim to the pressure to see or do something because everyone else says it is a good idea.

So what is your favorite fairy tale?  And what have your learned?