Would you get a haircut from a bald barber? I have, but only because I’m pretty much bald myself so I don’t have much to lose. But for people who have a full head of hair, do you judge how good a barber or hair stylist is based on how they maintain their own hair?

Would you choose a doctor who is morbidly obese or exhibiting other signs of poor health? What about a personal trainer who is out of shape? A financial planner who you find out is living paycheck to paycheck?

There are lots of people out in the world offering services or solutions. Unfortunately, some of them do not have a vested interest in the solution to your problem because they have not experienced it and overcome it. These people are mixed in with the true professionals who are masters at what they do. So the question is, how do you tell whether the service or solution offered by someone is going to meet your needs?

You can’t go by all the marketing materials, which will portray the services in the best possible light. You can’t go by reviews or testimonials unless you know the source because the reviews could be fake or staged. You can’t even judge on price because without a reference point you don’t know the true value being offered.

In my next post, I will discuss the methodology that I use to determine which professionals I trust with my personal information and wellbeing.