This is my blog post number 2,690 since 17 September 2004, when I took a break from a workshop in Vancouver (coaching businesses coaches how to build a million dollar practice) to reflect on how much fun I was having.

I don’t mind confessing that I love my blog(s) as they represent the best possible way for me to report on what I’m seeing day to day in business and life.

As a personal catharsis they are priceless but, as well as my keyboard standing in for a therapist, the feedback from YOU, the readers, is also vital, whether positive or critical.

Last night Ashley Latter and I had our annual pre-Christmas pint in Central Manchester and reflected on a busy and successful year just gone and excitement ahead.

Ashley commented that he clocked up over 130 hotel nights in 2015 (not counting holidays) and I’m around 100 as well. Trip Advisor love us.

Both of us look with wonder at trainers and consultants who claim to make millions by creating on-line programmes, webinars, podcasts, video-streams and goodness knows what else digital content. It’s sexy and fashionable to say that you have hundreds of devotees hanging on to your every word without leaving your office.

Why then, we speculate, are Barrow and Latter still, after all these (20) years, walking the boards at endless live gigs around the country (and now the world – Ash’s stories from India are amazing – and I’m there in not many weeks) – and shouldn’t we be cashing in on all this technology and creating Barrow and Latter online?

The simple fact is that we are all good at what we are good at.

Barrow and Latter can hold a room, write a decent blog and help people to fulfil their potential.

That’s why the supply companies in dentistry call and ask us to speak at their conferences (along with others – we are not the only ones).

1. we sell tickets
2. we are reliable
3. we don’t act like prima donnas
4. we ask for a fair and reasonable fee
5. we are 99% likely to perform on the day
6. we will leave the audience happy and, therefore, the host as well

And that’s why the periodicals ask us to submit copy:

1. we have an opinion
2. we are thought leaders because of all the travel and observation
3. we aren’t scared to be politically incorrect

We could turn The Bunker or The Training Centre into recording studios, buy all the gear, start to record brilliant podcasts like Gary Takacs or start all sorts of webinars like Dhru Shah. We could set up landing pages to sell online courses and become digital marketers.

But we don’t.

Because that would be like CB reading the Billy Connolly joke book or Ash doing a Michael Mcintyre tribute.

We don’t have the accent, the history or the style – and so it just wouldn’t be funny.

Barrow and Latter, Horton and Bentley, Stuart, Scott, Rose, Rees, Oborn, Lelean and others.

Good at what we are good at.

We have all passed the Malcolm Gladwell test and have our 10,000 hours.

Chatting to Ash last night, I asked a simple question:

“At this stage in your career, do you really want to set that clock back to zero and start accumulating 10,000 hours at something new?”

In my case – “no thanks”.

I’m just going to carry on speaking, writing and coaching until I drop or until dental show business is dead (at which point, we can all go home).

I love what I do.

I love when I do it.

I love who I do it with.

And that’s you!

I love you.

Thank you for reading 2,690 posts and showing up at the gigs.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The blog is now closed until 4th January 2016.