Growth Instigators Hotline

#320 Story time with Aaron

• Aaron Havens • Season 4 • Episode 320

Share episode

Have you ever wondered if a random Spanish phrase could save your life? That's exactly what happened to me one fateful night in Miami, and it taught me an invaluable leadership lesson.

From the safe confines of small-town Ordway, Colorado to the edge of Miami where street smarts matter most, I found myself woefully unprepared for urban dangers. When my friend Chico and I approached a stranger's bonfire hoping to make friends, we couldn't predict how quickly the situation would turn violent. As fists connected with our heads and kicks followed, I blurted out the only Spanish phrase that came to mind: "La vaca flaca esta muerta" (The skinny cow is dead). Those five absurd words confused our attackers, broke into laughter, and ultimately saved us from a worse beating.

This story isn't just about my youthful naivety – it's about the transformative power of whimsy in leadership. Too often, we approach personal and professional development with unrelenting seriousness, forgetting that sometimes it's the unexpected, even silly moments that create the most powerful connections. Leadership doesn't always require perfect polish and corporate jargon; sometimes it demands vulnerability, authenticity, and yes, a bit of foolishness. The willingness to tell a story, to laugh at yourself, and to introduce moments of levity can transform relationships and defuse tense situations in ways that conventional approaches never could.

What about you? Are you willing to embrace whimsy in your leadership journey? Can you take yourself a little less seriously while still driving meaningful growth? I'd love to hear your thoughts – call the Growth Instigators Hotline or email me at Aaron@growthinstigators.com. And if you're feeling brave, try saying "la vaca flaca esta muerta" – it might not save your life, but it could change how you think about leadership.

Speaker 1:

Story time with Aaron. Welcome to message 320 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we ignite your personal and professional development. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. Fulfillment Friday let's look at leadership development from the lens of whimsy. A whimsical approach to leadership development. Are you ready? Story time with Aaron. Yeah, story time with Aaron. What is going on?

Speaker 1:

Our story today starts with a little phrase. Repeat the phrase after me. Okay, la vaca flaca esta muerta. Yeah, that's right. Say it after me La vaca flaca esta muerta. Can you repeat this gringo version of this Spanish phrase? Learn this phrase, it might save your life. So here's how the story begins.

Speaker 1:

Little Aaron grew up in Ordway, colorado, a southeastern town in Colorado, a very small little town. He finds himself living in Miami, florida, with no street sense whatsoever. One night, his friend Aaron and Chico see because they live on the edge of Miami an open field, and in this open field was a big bonfire. They decided, hey, let's go make some friends. Pretty smart, right. And so Chico and Aaron walk all the way through the dark field to the bonfire and startle the people there. Obviously it took a little time to gain some trust, but about 30 minutes later everyone's talking around the fire having a good time, not realizing, one by one, that all the other people were walking back to the truck. It was just Chico and Aaron by the fire.

Speaker 1:

One by one, everyone came back and as I was looking, I saw this guy put a fist up against Chico's head, knock him down and start kicking him from across the fire. On my side, the same thing happened. My head exploded. I was getting beat up and I was getting kicked. And you know what I said, the one thing that I knew what to say LA VACA FLACA ESTA MUERTA. And the guy said what, excuse me, como? And I said la vaca flaca esta muerta. And the guy said what, excuse me, como? And I said la vaca flaca esta muerta, which means the skinny cow is dead. And everyone started laughing. They helped Chico and I up and said you know what, adios, it's time for you to go. We're running away, beat up but laughing. La vaca flaca esta muerta.

Speaker 1:

My friends, thank you for calling Growth Instigators Hotline today. I'd love to hear from you. Leave a message after the beep or send an email to Aaron at growthinstigatorscom and let me know Are you okay with having a little whimsy in leadership? Are you okay with just taking yourself a little less serious. Are you okay with telling story? I sure hope so. Hey you, I want to hear from you. Let me know who your name is. Let me know if you can say the phrase la vaca flaca esta muerta. Yeah, and, as always, keep instigating growth in all you do. Adios.