You can read “how-to” articles all day about starting a business, building your brand or getting customers. They make the whole process seem so easy.
But actually making the decision to become an entrepreneur? Now that is a tough decision.
It is scary!
It is uncertain!
There is a chance you might fail. In fact you probably will fail in the beginning.
And even if you succeed, it definitely will not happen overnight.
So why even try?
Not many other fields will test your mental fortitude, resourcefulness and creativity quite like entrepreneurship. Just like Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.
That is what makes building your own business such a uniquely fulfilling pursuit.
Starting from the ground up will undoubtedly throw some unexpected curveballs. You will have to prove yourself to a lot of people along the way.
In fact, the number one word you will hear on your way to the top is “no.”
“No, we cannot help you.”
“No, we do not want to buy from you.”
“No … because I have no idea who you are.”
Just no.
If you are trying to build something from scratch, you are going to get rejected, repeatedly.
But here is something most aspiring entrepreneurs do not know: It does not matter how many times the door gets slammed in your face.
It does not matter how many times someone tells you that you are not smart enough, good looking enough, successful enough, whatever enough.
All of the times you get knocked down, shut out or discouraged can be instantly eliminated with three simple letters.
“Yes.”
That’s right — all you need is one “yes” to get from where you are to where you want to be.
“Yes” is the most powerful word on the planet. More powerful than a thousand “no’s” will ever be.
All you need is one “yes” to get your foot in the door — then your momentum will carry you.
So that begs the question…how do you go from constant rejection to getting your first “yes”?
The answer is consistency.
Ridiculous, obsessive consistency with your goals. Do something every day, even when you do not feel like it.
Let your work over time become a mountain that people cannot ignore.
Then, eventually, you will get an opportunity. It is not a matter of luck, but a matter of probability. If you talk to 1,000 people, you will eventually find someone who is willing to listen to you.
It is your job to recognize that opportunity.
Stick your toe in the door, then stick your whole foot in the door. Proceed to kick that door down, guns blazin’ and say, “Knock knock, it’s my time!”
That is how you win at life (and business).
Image credit: CC by GED_Carrol
