Social proof: Lucky Luke, returning customer, bugged me until I agreed to coach Rantanplan

The sun was blazing down hard that afternoon in Daisy Town, where I had decided to stay for a while. The empty streets were still kicking up clouds of dust. It was as annoying as ever! I was standing there, right where I had been last time, rubbing my eye while waiting for him to come out of the saloon. I really need to change spots 🙄

Since our conversation, Luke had delegated a lot of work and evolved his concept with a few promising young cowboys by launching his mentorship program for "cowboypreneurs." His newsletter was on point, and the business was doing well.

Finally, he walks out with a straight posture and a smile on his face. Next to him, a scrawny dog that didn’t look too fresh.

— Hey, Phil! Luke says to me. Remember when you helped me get out of my slump and scale my biz?

I nod, confidently.

— Well, you really need to help me with this one, he says, showing me the mutt.

— Wait, I’m not a dog trainer!

Still, I try to get more info to look concerned: what's the problem, exactly?

— You’re a pro, man. I’ll be back tonight. He just needs to feel useful, I think!

At that moment, I seriously thought about diving straight into his "why," they told me it’s a real 4x4 of a mess.

But trying to find a "deep why" with Rantanplan, even if it’s just to end up training the prisoners, is as pointless as those influencer thieves telling us about the importance of KPIs, and their like-happy followers who keep dropping “this is gold!” all over the place. So, I spent the rest of the afternoon getting really bored, and Rantanplan? He couldn’t care less about "golden nuggets," trust me...

Later, he comes back all cheerful, but I had to admit...

— Luke, I’m going to have to pass. A coach knows his limits. I can’t help you with this... particular case. It would be dishonest to make you believe otherwise just to pocket your cash.

Luke frowns, clearly disappointed.

— You know, sometimes the best service is turning away a client you can’t help. It's better to be honest than to sell a dream. Maybe your dog just needs you to accept the limit?

A smile returns to Luke’s face:

— You know what? You're right. I was trying to force him into a box that’s not his.

Did it end well? Of course, it did!

Rantanplan became the official mascot of Luke’s business. -- He’s useless, and no one expects more from him.

Luke incorporated Rantanplan into his personal branding strategy: “Even the most hopeless cases have a place in the ecosystem,” he now says at his conferences.

And me? I got headbutted by Jolly Jumper, who thought I was giving too much importance to the mutt in the company hierarchy.

--------------------- THE END. -----------------------------

PS: No, I don’t sell coaching or therapy for pets.

PS2: Rantanplan did not give consent for this story, but I already know no one’s going to check.

PS3: I don't care that it should’ve been posted yesterday for April 1st!

PS4: Doesn’t this clash with a clear editorial line? Good thing I don’t have one. Too boring.

PS5: Alright, I’m out of Daisy Town. I’m tired of the dust flying around.

PS6: (Ah crap, it's not released yet...)