Three Feet From Gold

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill may have been the most influential book in the early days of my entrepreneurial journey. I still have my original copy that I have read at least six times.

The concept of "Three Feet From Gold" has made the greatest impact on me. In his book, Hill tells the story of R.U. Darby's uncle who headed West during the Gold Rush.

The uncle struck gold after weeks of labor, but he lacked the necessary equipment to extract the metal. He covered up the mine and returned home to buy the needed machinery.

Darby accompanied his uncle back to the site. They dug and dug but could not recover the gold, so eventually they gave up.

A junk man purchased the machinery from the Darbys and hired a mining engineer to inspect the mine. The engineer located the gold a mere three feet from where the Darbys had been digging.

This story illustrates the importance of persistence and not giving up too soon. It also is a lesson on consulting experts to help you reach your goals.

Hill says, "The junk man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up."

I would not have seen the success of my commercial real estate business without the expertise of trusted colleagues. For this reason, I often tell others, "Don't be a Darby! Don't stop three feet from gold!" to encourage them to hire the expert—whether a mining engineer, tax advisor, attorney or real estate broker. You'll go further if you don't go it alone.