We're all guilty of being a little “barn blind.” By that I mean our calves are usually better than others’calves, as is our cowherd. Being barn blind, we also tend to get a little frustrated when others maybe don't recognize the superiority of our cattle. There are only two really valid explanations on why others might not see your cattle:

• The value isn't there to the extent we believe it is.
  
• We’ve done a poor job of documenting and marketing that value.

The first reason is usually partially part of the problem. Heck, if everyone understood how wonderful my kids are, or how special my wife is, to the degree that I do, they would be erecting statues in their honor. But since they're not raising those monuments, at least not yet, I probably have to admit that part of the problem is that I'm a little barn blind. Still, being as unbiased as I can be, I still know they’re a pretty darn special group of people.

The unmistakable conclusion is that I haven’t done a very good job of letting the world know just how special they are. In today's world, more than ever, marketing determines a large portion of what people perceive as value. The first step in effective marketing is a belief in your product; if you don't believe in it, others will pick up on that right away.

Thus, being a little barn blind from time to time is a good thing. We just need to make sure that our barn blindness doesn't keep us from improving our product, but it certainly plays a role in allowing us to market it effectively.