I firmly believe that everyone has the right to make their voice heard (you’ll find the reason behind the image I chose below).
At first glance, this statement might sound as generic as an aspiring Miss World saying, “I’m against war and want to end world hunger.”
The immediate reaction—even mine—might be, “Well, no kidding.”
But let me expand on this a bit (and here’s where the image and the importance of size come in. Thanks to my friend Francesco for letting me use it and to the fantastic Nicola who conceived it). Size matters, but it shouldn’t be a limitation.
Everyone has the right to make their voice heard, even if it’s faint and in a world full of noise, as long as—and this is where personal and professional ethics come into play—they deliver on their promises.
Of course, the path becomes more complex. If your voice is soft but in tune, standing out in a choir where everyone else sings a few decibels louder is almost impossible. No matter how virtuosic you may be—who’s going to hear you?
Now imagine if you’re not even a virtuoso (and I certainly don’t consider myself one). No matter how much of a right you have to make yourself heard, the reality of louder voices will overpower everything else.
This is why it’s important, first, to be in tune—meaning, to keep your promises, as mentioned above. Whatever the promise may be.
In the boating industry, for example, you could say, “Look, my boats are the most affordable on the market. Sure, at these prices, you can’t expect them to last 30 years, have the same accessories, or feature state-of-the-art design, but you’ll pay half the price of my direct competitor.”
That’s what it means to be honest and to deliver on a promise.
The second point is finding the right moment to make your voice heard. What good is singing like a nightingale if the rest of the orchestra is playing at full blast?
Wouldn’t it be better to find a space for a solo, where your qualities spark applause?
So yes, this has become a guiding principle in my work: because I believe everyone has the right to make their voice heard, regardless of their size, I also think it’s my duty to do everything possible to make that voice stand out—but with one condition: you must deliver on your promises.
The world is already full of smoke-sellers (and poor-quality ones at that). I don’t want to help promote another one.
A better nautical industry benefits everyone who lives and works in it. And, ultimately, things are more likely to change when we are the first to act in the direction we want change to go.
