Failure Creates the Path to Success

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life...”

Yikes. Pretty depressing stuff right? Feeling sorry for this poor guy?

Spare your pity.

Here comes the perspective:

“…and that is why I succeed.” -Michael Jordan

Failed efforts often lead to successes that inspire.

You miss a priceless opportunity when you edit failures out of your story. People who look up to you want to connect with you. They want to relate to you. They want to know you are human.

You don’t need to be perfect; you need to be real.

We all fail.  When we are down, the thing we need most is the belief that we have the strength to get back up and keep fighting.

Let the unedited version of your story inspire those around you. Admit your failures. Own them as part of your legacy.  You never know who you might be helping back up.

Who inspired you when you needed it the most?

Are you Paying it Forward in Service?

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.- Muhammad Ali

Paying it forward is a business practice that has become as important as paying your bills.

Customers learn a lot about the integrity of a business by observing the integrity of its leaders.

Over 14 years ago I decided to become a Rotarian. The Rotary motto is “Service above Self". Those three words have shaped the way I live, run my business, and interact with my community.

Joining a service organization like Rotary or Kiwanis is one of the best ways to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between your business and your community. It enables you to align yourself with other like-minded leaders who value service as an important component of business and life.

As you build your network, demonstrate the type of leader you are by leading in a service organization. We all want to do business with people we like, trust and respect.

If you are not a member of a service organization, maybe it’s time to sit in on a service organization meeting. It’s a great way to expand your network…and have a great meal.

Check out: Rotary, Lion's Club, Kiwanis or another organization that speaks to you.

Are you spending your time with like-minded leaders in the kind of service that means something to you?

Admit it…it’s Emotional

Over the years I have worked with many clients as they make the transition to selling their business.

One thing has become very clear: It’s emotional. But nobody wants to admit that.

Emotions are messy and we often view them as a weakness.  We all have emotions and being in touch with them is a strength. Dismissing them, sadly, does not make them go away.

I have seen client after client struggle to maintain the illusion that they are not mentally ready for such a tremendous change.

Mental readiness is a matter of the brain.

Emotional readiness is a matter of the heart.

The heart gets such a bad rap when it comes to business language. It is time we give credit where credit is due. The heart is where dreams originate, and where the courage to follow those dreams is manufactured.

Someone faced with selling their business is someone who followed a dream. Someone who had the courage and tenacity to turn that dream into a reality. It only makes sense that the very place the dream originated will struggle with letting go.