May 2025 GOOD NEWS Big Hat, No Cattle

Big Hat, No Cattle

We all know someone who fits this description:

They talk a big game. They’ve got the plans, the dreams, the ambition — or at least they say they do. They walk around wearing a big hat, but when it comes time to actually deliver… they have no cattle. No action. Just words.

I first heard this phrase in 1983 in Dallas, Texas, where I started my career in real estate. Growing up in Nebraska, I was surrounded by people who would do what they said they were going to do… honest, hard-working people with midwestern values. In Dallas some of my first acquaintances fit the description “Big hat, no cattle.” But I learned something from those people. I learned what I did not want to be like.

Here’s the truth: Talk doesn’t move the needle. Action does.

If you want to be a better employee, employer, parent, son or daughter, worker, entrepreneur, leader, or salesperson, then do it! Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. Your life will be a lot more rewarding and enjoyable when you do. If something is holding you back, then do everything in your power to overcome it. You might discover that you’ve been your own worst enemy. Make a decision to be a person of action…today!

“Consistently doing what you say you will do is the foundation of integrity.”

• Skip Prichard

I am a dreamer and always have been. That’s where it all starts. First, you visualize what you want to accomplish, and then you create the discipline to make it happen. I believe that dreams are just a prelude to reality. They’re the spark, the preview, the idea that gets your heart racing. But they won’t amount to anything until you put in the work. You can post all the quotes and make all the big declarations you want, but until you roll up your sleeves and do the hard stuff — the daily disciplines, the uncomfortable steps, the sacrifices — it’s just noise.

Stop talking about what you’re going to do and start doing it.

We are all human.  We make mistakes. We forget. We fail. I cannot begin to tell you all of the mistakes I have made in my career. The point here is not to make it a habit.  If you’re known as someone who doesn’t keep promises or meet expectations, you will face consequences. You will get a reputation similar to “Big Hat, No Cattle.” Strive to be someone who keeps your word.  Even when it’s just a “small thing,” make sure you do it.  After all, if you fail at the “little stuff,” no one will trust you with the “big stuff.”

Be the kind of person who follows through. The kind of person who does what they say they’re going to do. Not because it’s easy — but because you’ve got the desire, the drive, and the determination to make it happen. One of the many reasons clients do business with me is that I do what I say I am going to do. I also do my best to under promise and over deliver.

“You are what you do, not what you say you will do.”

• G. Jung

One of the reasons I love mornings so much is because each day feels like a fresh start. You get to embrace new opportunities, you get to do the things you have always wanted to do, and mostly you get to do the things you have been saying you are going to do.

If you really want to do something, you can achieve it. But it’s not going to come from lip service. It will come from hustle, heart, and staying at it when nobody’s watching.

Don’t be the big hat with no cattle. Be the real deal.

Make it happen.

You’ve got what it takes. Now prove it — with action.