You know what I’m sick of? Cheap. The very word nauseates me.
That said, I will tell you how to write a blog that will make you immeasurably rich. Here’s the tip: Write incessantly about cheap. You know, spin stuff like “The Ten Cheapest Crap Pizza-By-The-Slice Hell-Holes in Rome Where You Can Save Several Euros On Your Roman Vacation!” People eat that sorta thing up. Do it over and over. It’s what passes for travel journalism on the web.
The problem is, it doesn’t add up. You spend $1200 on your flight. You spend 100 euro on your “cheap” hotel room every night. Then you torture your digestive track by making it try to digest crap food because it’ll save 2 euro.
And of course being a “free” market, the demand for cheap crap food encourages others to use short cuts in creating this junk and thus it proliferates. Ick.
Let’s stop that right now. Let’s talk about….no, let’s shout about:
Value!
Here’s a new mantra for you. Value, not cheapness! Say it until is sticks in your brain.
Ok, now imagine this:
On DuVine bike tours in Italy we make a great point of introducing our guests to this most-Italian obsession with quality. Our favorite Tuscan winemaker, Vittorio Innocenti, produces a Vin Santo so sublime that his town, Montefollonico, is now referred to as the Borgo del Vin Santo (Vin Santo-Ville). But despite all the accolades, he has never tried to capitalize on his renown and continues to sell his Vin Santo at cost. When asked why he doesn’t try to profit from his top wine, he shrugs and says that he enjoys carrying on the tradition of Vin Santo production and the quality of the product is its own reward.
So it turns out that DuVine bought some nifty, light, carbon fiber bikes from an artisanal frame-maker in Florence. Who does that kinda thing? It’s like throwing away your money. Just give the people some badly screwed together bikes made by Chinese political prisoners, will ya? I mean, think of the profit!. But no:
Not only did Renzo offer us a great deal on his newest carbon frames, but he represents everything that I love about Italy. He was generous with his time, patiently working with us as we customized the paint job and each component while seemingly unconcerned about the profitability of our order. I’m sure the end result will delight DuVine guests for years to come. ~ DuVine Gets New Carbon Road Bikes in Italy
Whoa, baby! It’s a new dawn! Somebody thinks about value.
I’m telling you: you wanna start a revolution? Take a DuVine bike tour. Vote value. Craftsmanship. Employment for passionate and talented people who do hard work on things people value, the kind of people who don’t get rich make gambling instruments out of people’s mortgages. The kind of business that doesn’t have a CEO making 20 million a year screwing up so he can get his 100 million golden parachute (how much value do you think that adds to the product?).
We can turn this thing around. Really, it’s as easy as gliding through a downhill bend in your 17.5 pound, hand-built bicycle and seeing a Tuscan hill town shrouded in fog and thinking, “dammit, this is what a good life is all about!”
Just do it: DuVine Adventures
[Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with DuVine Bike Tours. I haven’t taken one. I do not profit from you clicking that link. I just read the blog post and became immediately convinced of the value these guys offer.]