TWEETING BLACKBEARD: Swashbuckling Business Tip No. 8 from the World’s Greatest Pirate
8. AS THE BUSINESS CLIMATE CHANGES, DON’T BE AFRAID TO SWITCH SHIPS.
Blackbeard was wanted from England to North America on the following accounts: piracy, theft, murder, blackmail, and extortion. Rewards for his head were posted everywhere, and complaints about his crimes rained everywhere in North America. Again and again, bounty hunters and military ships were sent after him, yet he was uncatchable. He could outsmart the best of the best. One escape involved intentionally beaching “Queen Anne’s Revenge” to create a distraction while Blackbeard and his crew slipped away in a smaller sloop. Word had it that “Queen Anne’s” revenge was becoming a burden for Blackbeard because it became too much of a household name to the point where it left him and his crew overly susceptible to being spotted and caught by a government ship. So, during the last of his pirating years, he sailed various sloops and ships unnamed to dodge the law.
Take Away
Nothing lasts forever. Business runs in cycles. There are good times, bad times, and the times in between. Embrace change and always be prepared for it.