Failing Your Way to Success

I was watching TV the other day and a commercial caught my eye.  I really don’t pay attention to commercials.  But this commercial was so profound on how it relates to business, I couldn’t turn away.  Whether you are struggling or successful marketing online or offline, this commercial could change your life.

As I describe the commercial, I want you to truly envision yourself in your current business.  Are you having doubts?  Are you wondering, will this ever work?  Are you ready to throw in the towel?  Have you plat toed in your business? Come with me on this journey of a young man as he falls his way to success.

“A baby takes his first steps, then falls.  But he finally walks.  A little older, the same boy takes his first steps on ice.  He slips and falls.  But he eventually gets the hang of it.  He tries ice skating, skiing, and even snowboarding, each time he falls.  Sometimes, even hurting himself.  He cries, but he gets back up and tries again.  He learns to walk, skate and snowboard with ease learning a few tricks along the way.  He goes on to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.”

Now you may think, what does this have to do with business.  A lot.

This little boy is you.  You’re the baby taking your first steps in a new business.  You’re the boy slipping on the ice trying to learn how to market your new business.  You’re the boy falling in the snow and hurting yourself when you hear no’s; when you try everything to get leads and it’s not working.

Many of you try to start walking and the first time you fall, you give up.  Or you fall a few times, get hurt and say, “I’m never doing that again.”  You’ve given up.

By falling and not picking yourself up, you deprive yourself of your future success.  And worst of all, you deprive others of the value and inspiration you could have brought them.

The little boy in the commercial was Shaun White.

Because of Shaun White’s never give up, keep trying attitude, he has inspired millions and brought so much value to the world.  Some of those people have gone on to win gold medals.  They inspired others and those people inspired others.  All because, he got up, dusted himself off and tried it again.

Think about it, what if Shaun White had given up. All those he inspired wouldn’t be where they are now.  Snowboarding and skateboarding probably wouldn’t be the same.  Think about it, would skateboarding and snowboarding be as big as they are now if Shaun White had given up and quit.  The value he brought to both has been tremendous.

So if you have doubts or are ready to give up.  Think about the little boy in this commercial.  Stay the course and never give up.  Everyone falls, but a successful person gets up, dusts himself off and tries again.