It is important to take calculated risks because the decisions you take affect the lives of others
Gaines started three small businesses in Texas, one of which he did with some Mexicans. The Mexicans were able to communicate with him in English, but he was not able to communicate with them in Spanish. He felt he needed to learn Spanish as a way of showing respect to his business partners, so he took a Spanish class in Mexico.
He left the larger part of his businesses in the hands of his girlfriend, Joanna, and he went on the trip to Mexico. While Gaines was in Mexico, his businesses threatened to fold up because Joanna wasn’t well-prepared to handle them. This realization made Gaines understand that running businesses wasn’t as easy as he thought it was.
⚡️ Being an entrepreneur requires being in charge of everything.
An entrepreneur must know about everything that makes the business run because if anything goes wrong, he bears most of the damage.
Gaines’ marriage to Joanna taught him the power of love and commitment. He believes that love is more than just a romantic journey; it’s a force that should be used to develop positive energy.
On Gaines’ forehead, there’s a scar in the middle that’s in the shape of a wishbone. The scar came about when he took a new four-wheeler cart up a steep hill and landed on his face after losing control. That moment, as he thought about what could have gone wrong, he came to terms with the enormity of his role in his family’s life. With a wife and five children, Gaines realized that though it’s good to have fun, taking calculated risks is the best way of surviving.
Being a father and a husband carries a lot of responsibilities, and having had a close shave with a disaster, he realized that whatever choices he made would affect others around him.