Legendary Tales and Biz Lessons From the Cradle of Western Civ

From the balcony of my cliffside hotel on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, I look due west across the Gulf of Salerno…

…at Sorrento, perched on the tip of the peninsula separating the gulf in front of me from the Gulf of Naples.

These are historic waters.

In September 1943, Allied warships filled the Gulf of Salerno and launched an assault with 165,000 soldiers, 50 km from my seaside perch. It was a bloody battle, made more difficult by many Allied strategic blunders.

But the Allies prevailed. And American troops established a foothold on the European mainland. It was the beginning of the end for Axis allies Italy and Germany.

Back to the west, just off the coast from Sorrento, three cone-shaped rocks jut from the sea. The Italians call them Faraglioni.

In ancient times, they built large fires atop the rocks and on the hills above Sorrento so mariners could see them and avoid crashing at night.

The name “Faraglioni” comes from the ancient Greek, faros, which means lighthouse.

I love this place not just for the beautiful scenery, but also for the stories. This place where ancient Greeks and Romans lived – some call it the cradle of Western civilization.

Civilizations connect and evolve through storytelling. Long before we could write, we humans told stories.

Many of those stories stick today.

Homer told one about those three cone-shaped rocks.

In the Odyssey, the great mariner Odysseus sailed near this place and encountered sea monsters and sirens who tried to disrupt his journey.

Homer tells us Odysseus threw giant rocks in the water to escape.

Those are the rocks they now call Farglioni.

Geologists have a different explanation for how the rocks were formed.

But sitting here on this balcony, gazing across the bluer-than-blue water so rich in history, I prefer Homer’s tale.

Other legends say the rocks became a favorite hangout for sirens – evil temptresses who would lure mariners with their irresistible songs. Mariners drawn too close by the sirens’ songs would crash on the rocks.

Many shipwrecks dot the sea bottom around here.

Meteorologists have a different explanation for how the shipwrecks happened.

But…

…you know.

Whether you believe the legend of sirens, “siren songs” pose real danger…

…especially in business.

I receive emails from the sirens every day…

…promising me easy riches.

One siren named Majeed joined my list (such flattery!) only so he could reply to my emails with pitches for his service to get me speaking gigs. “One of my clients…made $30,000 from a 20-minute talk,” he sang.

Others sing about an endless flow of appointments they can book for me…

…or more leads than I can ever imagine if I buy a list from them…

…or top-ranking on Google…

…or…

…(you get the idea).

Their songs sound so sweet. But when you scrape past the surface melody, you discover the sirens sing a rotten, off-key tune.

Steer clear, fellow mariners. Do your homework and choose carefully.

When I end my Italian odyssey, I’m going to host a complimentary training to help you choose the right technology to grow your business.

Think of it as a map to navigate around the sirens.

Stay tuned for the details.

Ciao, amigo.