I have a message to those “critics” that feel the need to make comments about me personally and www.thebullvine.com. You think you have the last laugh when you make comments about me to others in the industry. You think that you are going to scare me off or force us to back down. Do you think that you could make a few comments, say a few things and we would go away with our tails between our legs? Well I have a message to you. YOU ARE DEAD WRONG.
You really need to do your homework on me. First, those that know me well enough know that I am not in my brothers pocket. He is a big boy and has done very well at Alta Genetics, but that has no effect on what we do at www.thebullvine.com. If anything the competitiveness between us, just makes me want to kick his a** that much more. Throughout my career no matter what negative has been said or happened to me, I have come back twice as strong. When one door has closed, I have opened up a new one. Trust me those new doors are much bigger. The Inbound Sales Network is one of the fastest growing digital agencies in the world. Do you think that this is an accident? Or, perhaps, just maybe, when it comes to this “internet” thing we know what we are talking about.
You need to understand my motives here. (If not go back and read “TWICE the BULL – HALF the S**T“) We did not start www.thebullvine.com for fame or fortune, we started www.thebullvine.com to give breeders a voice and share information that breeders have been begging for. Happily, the early results have backed this up substantially. We are already in the top 2 or 3 dairy magazine sites for traffic and our reader surveys show that breeders love the new site. We have already had over 200 reader responses with only one giving us anything lower than 7/10 and all saying “Keep up the Great Work.”
So did you think on the personal level that I would not come back swinging? Wrong again. While I will not give you the credit of identifying you specifically, what I will do is continue to publish and educate the breeders as we have so far. So you don’t think Lady GaGa has anything to do with dairy cattle, that our article on photo enhancement revealed too much, or that I should not be commenting on whether AI companies should own cattle. Great! Keep talking, and trust me will we too. We will continue to produce content that breeders want to read. Maybe if you actually read the Lady GaGa piece and realized one of the lessons, “Know your audience,” you would not be chirping so much about what we are doing if you spent more time actually connecting with your marketplace.
In the end what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Criticism, constructive or otherwise, will always make us come back twice as strong, To be the voice of the breeders that others have bullied or have others messages forced their message down their throats. Does this mean I am alone in this fight? Not one bit. I have our amazing team here, and the more than 2,000 readers that come to the site daily to be inspired about how to take their breeding programs to a new level Thank you. Let’s keep growing this wonderful industry that means so much to each of us who can take the lumps and keep on going!
Hi Andrew,
For what its worth, I would not bother with people like that. In Ireland its said that we are a nation of Begrudging Bastards..this i know is TRUE..I think some of this wonderfull irish trate must have moved furter afield…Try not to let it get to you as you are doing a great jod and continued success..
So chin up and best wishes to you and your Beautiful wife and daughter
Pat McEvoy
Hi Pat,
Thanks for the comments, and love the phrase “Begrudging Bastards”, being of Irish decent, I may have to start using that. We are good, just needed to get this off my chest.
Andrew
Hi Andrew.
Great work. There are not enough people in this business who like to say it the way it is, no matter if it hurts somebody or not. The people who are hurt by your comments don’t understand that comments like yours aren’t meant to hurt people, they are meant to educate a vaste majority who are looking to learn.
I don’t necessarily agree with everything you write, but it is another opinion, and it’s up to the reader to agree or disagree with what you have to say. You’d think in today’s society that people are mature enough to agree or disagree in a respectful manner.
For example, I don’t totally agree with your ”Canada has lost it’s genetic edge” article. I believe that the genetics industry comes and goes in waves. The top bull in the breed might be Canadian bred for a wave, and Canadian breeders will get on him sooner than other countries. During that wave, we will (as Canadians) claim to be on top of the world. During another wave, it’ll be an American bull, and we will feel we need to stick up for our industry instead of admitting that a foreign bull is tops, etc… It comes and goes in waves, and the breeders who are innovative enough to know that, will continue to dominate (LPI lists, TPI lists, NM$ lists, shows, etc.).
The breeders who have closed minds with certain narrow minded ideas that aren’t willing to adapt to ever changing methods and technologies will fall behind, and they are usually the ones pissed off about everything and look to take it out on somebody.
Keep up the great work. I thoroughly enjoy reading things on this site. The first thing I saw on this site was the article on Pete Heffering, and thought it was great. I eagerly look forward to my ”inbox” everyday to see what you’ve written next!!
Mark DeBoer
Homerun Ayrshires/Holsteins
Mark,
I would hate it if everyone totally agreed with everything we say. The whole purpose of this site is to make people think and start conversation. I would even encourage those who disagree to share with us their comments. There is nothing I love more than a great discussion around issues that we all care about so much.
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Keep up the good work.
Your newsletter is getting attention…congratulations!
Ron Flatness
http://www.flatnessintl.com
Thanks Ron,
I really do appreciate the lively discussion you bring to our community.
Andrew