Back in the days when people still fought wars with swords, the elite units were called cavalry. The cavalry, or at least some of them, rode on armored horses and were usually held back in a battle until a fast, flanking, powerful strike was needed at a defining moment of a battle. Very few armies could stand before a cavalry.

My day job is a little bit like being a part of a cavalry. I spend a lot of time helping people use the internet to advance their business. They’re often very grateful for my outside expertise and help. It causes me to reflect a little bit. When I’m trying to do something that is outside of my area of expertise, do I consult outside experts?

You see, something I’ve noticed is that a lot of men refuse to ask for help, no matter how little they may know about a subject. I’m guilty of this at times. When I do have a little more sense, here is a partial list of my favorite cavalry:

- Graime at the Portland office of UBS. After I graduated from college I needed someone to help me get my finances in order. While Graime isn’t my immediate financial advisor, he pointed me in the right direction to get the help that I needed. My training isn’t in money, and money is one of my biggest sources of stress, so why not bring in an expert? Stress relieved.

- Aaron Wall over at SEOBook. While I help people at my job with online marketing, Aaron is my guru of sorts with all of his helpful information on Search Engine Optimization.

- My doctor. I have just recently discovered the joys of health insurance (more on life without health insurance later). Did you know that the average man spends only two to two and a half minutes with his doctor? Are you leveraging your doctor’s expertise? I doubt it.

What kind of things do you call in experts for? Who are the experts you recommend?