Enduring the Road to Success

8/14/2019 Enduring the Road to Success

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Enduring The Road To

SuccessBy Eric Hamm of MotivateThyself.com


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www.MotivateThyself.com

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Contents:

About the Author: .3

Introduction: .. 4

Chapter 1: The First Valley ..5

Chapter 2: Keeping Your Feet On The Ground ..12

Chapter 3: Beware Of Boredom ..19

Chapter 4: Dealing With The Catch-22 .24

Chapter 5: Staying One Step Ahead Of The Competition .27


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About The Author:

My name is Eric Hamm and I am the author of a blog called Motivate

Thyself. I have many passions, but one of my greatest quests is to gain

success in everything I set my mind to. This doesnt mean that I plan on

being the greatest basketball player just because I want to shoot some

hoops; I dont want to pursue great success in EVERYTHING. But, for

instance, if I am attempting to make a name for myself in Blogopolis, than

THAT would be a pursuit that I deem worthy of some of my greatest energy

and focus. As a business owner/computer consultant, I set forth to gain

great success in my industry. After 5 years I have realized my need to

change paths so I am now pursuing other things.

My point is this; whatever I put my mind and energies to, I expect success.

But not because of a blind ambition, but instead, I expect this because of a

formula of enduring the road to success thats worked time and again and

continues to show its value as I push ahead.


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Introduction:

This is a compilation of posts that has been created over the last

month and a half at Motivate Thyself. Its the series I called, Enduring

The Road To Success, in its entirety. I hope you enjoy and benefit from the

content provided as I walk you through my journey on this road as I set out

to conquer one business and then start another. The ideas and tips included

are completely transferable to any endeavor that you may feel led to seek

out.


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Chapter 1: The First Valley

The exact numbers may vary depending on the source you take

them from and the goals in question, but the general consensus is that 1 out

of every 2 people who attempt to obtain success, will fail. Here are some

examples:

* 30% of college students leave after the first year and

almost 50% will never graduate.

* 50% of businesses fail within the first year and 80% will

never make it to year 5.

* 95% of all blogs will fail.

Now these are just a few areas where people attempt to succeed and

Im sure you will find other ventures that have higher or lower rates of

failure, but the point is clear; people fail just as much as they succeed.

The road to success.

The path between the starting line and the final destination of your

pursuits can be a long and winding road. Hills and valleys are up ahead and

the weather is never certain. You stock up for the mission, but uncertainty

is at the forefront of your mind as you embark on this very important

journey.


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When I started my consulting business 5 years ago, I had no idea

what to expect. I had heard the statistics, but wasnt too concerned. I

figured I was one of the few who would succeed. Looking back, Im not sure

if this was arrogance or ignorance, but somehow I seemed to pull it off.

Coming out of the gate, I was driven by the momentum of my

enthusiasm. You could say that I started on a hill and could see all the

great potential ahead. I was sprinting with all my mite as I couldnt wait to

make up some ground. But it didnt take long for me to find myself in the

first valley, unable to see beyond the next bend.

Enduring the first valley.

So here I was, experiencing the first real stumbling block of any

journey for success. Its in the first valley that many will fail. Not only are

you in a low point on the trail, but considering its your first encounter, you

literally have no idea what to expect. It can be petrifying to say the least,

and has a tendency to take every last molecule of wind out of your sails.

So what brought me to my first valley?

It was probably a combination of my first bad experience with a client

as well as the realization of the work involved in building a successful

business. In other words, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Starting at such


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a high point and then finding myself tumbling down the mountain, I was

experiencing, for the first time, the roller coaster ride to success.

Cameron Herold wrote a brilliant guest post on Tim Ferrisss blog that

tackled this particular subject. He broke the experience down into 4 steps,

with the last one being a juncture that had two possible outcomes. Its

called the Transition Curve and it looks something like this:

1. Uninformed Optimism (At a high point)

2. Informed Pessimism (Starting to crash)

3. Crisis of Meaning (Stuck in a valley)

4. And then either Crash & Burn or Informed Optimism (Do

I give into failure or take what Ive learned and move in a positive

direction?)

The basic idea is that most of us start this journey with an optimism

that is not completely founded in reality. So when reality does finally hit,

your drive can take a serious nose dive. Then you find yourself wondering if

this really IS what you want to do or if it is even something that you CAN do.

It is at this point that the road splits and you are left to make a potentially

life changing decision; Do I give into failure or do I push through this? If

you choose the latter, you will begin the final step of informed optimism

where you will have a positive outlook that is based on facts and not


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adrenaline. Not only will you continue on your journey, but you will have

just gained a very important skill that will be crucial in the many miles

ahead.

The breakthrough of moving beyond your first valley.

Honestly, I think the fear of being broke was what helped me make

the decision to push ahead. But the skill was still learned and the next

valley, not as much of a threat.

Many things in life are setup this way. Whether it be the breaking of a

bad habit or the pursuit of a dream, making it past the first bump in the

road is one of the hardest and most crucial parts of the process. Its the

moment the road forks for the first time that you will find out if you want it

badly enough.

Your motivators will have their first real test as their ability to drive

you is called into question. As I just stated, fear was a big motivator for me

in the early stages. This may not be the most attractive drive to admit to,

but it served its purpose none the less. So as you start to ascend into this

dark, unfamiliar land, know that it is up to you to make it through. Nobody

will force you to push through the pain.

6 tips to help you get past this crucial point.


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So youre stuck in this valley and are having trouble finding which

ways up, let alone knowing how youre going to keep moving forward. Ive

been there many times and have thus far made it to the next step, so I not

only feel your pain, but have some insight that might be helpful.

1. Dont freak out when you realize its not as easy as you

thought it would be. When the initial crash begins to take place, panic is

often the first reaction. You start asking yourself, What am I doing here? I

cant do this! This is too hard and just not working out like I thought it

would. I can tell you from experience, THIS IS NORMAL! Relax and know

that this was to be expected. Not because you cant do it, but because your

expectations were off to begin with. With a little bit of time and some

adjustment to your perspective, youll be on your way before you know it.

2. Take a weekend and forget all about it. One of the best

things you can do to prevent unnecessary panic, is to get away from the

situation. Clear your head of the whole matter by taking a weekend and just

having some fun. Get some exercise, get some good sleep and relax. Try

not to think about what youre going to do, but instead, focus on getting that

mind fresh for the week to come.

3. Make sure youre on the right road. After some R&R its time

to ask yourself a very important question, Is this really the right thing for

me to do? The fact is, often times the reason we fail is because we are


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attempting something that just isnt for us. You must be careful, though,

because this is also an easy time to make excuses and talk yourself out of

the RIGHT path. But be sure this is something your REALLY want/need to

do. Once youve decided it is, you need to

4. Remind yourself why you started this journey in the first

place. Sure, you were pumped with optimistic adrenaline in the beginning,

but that doesnt mean the reasons for your pursuit were any less important.

Think back to the starting line and re-feed on the ideas for your future. Only

this time, do so with your new found appreciation for the challenges that lie

ahead.

5. Get advice from a veteran in your field. After youve

refreshed your memory, its time to seek the advice of someone whos been

there before. Find that person whos been through many valleys before and

keeps rising to the top. Ask for their insight as you

6. Prepare a counter attack. Now that you have the help of a

veteran and you are completely convinced that youre on the right path, its

time to layout a game plan to push through this and start your ascension to

a successful future. Figure out what things pulled the rug out from under

you and learn from the mistakes you had made. Accept the reality of your

current obstacles and figure out the best ways around them. Look at this


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whole thing as a learning experience, a necessary lesson of life,

and make things happen!


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Chapter 2: Keeping Your Feet On The Ground

If anyone needs to see numbers to backup the notion that our society has a

tendency to over shoot, all they have to do is check out the daily headlines. Sure,

our economys woes are incredibly complex and created by multiple factors, but

the overwhelming number of businesses and individuals who went overboard

while the bubble was inflating is staggering. A few years ago, things were moving

so quickly that if you were a real estate agent you would have thought retirement at

40 was nothing less than a certainty. As a result, many got a little too aggressive

and much too confident.

This brings me to the next obstacle on our journey. Weve just pushed past the

first valley and have started to increase in elevation as we make our way back to

the peaks of progress. Only this time, its not just adrenaline, but informed

optimism that is fanning our flames. Now we grow confident as we feel the first

true sensations of success. But just as the valleys threaten our voyage, so too does

this exciting new hill bring danger to our designated destination.

The confidently climbing computer consultant.

About 4 and a half years ago I was climbing with just this kind of confidence. Id

learned much from my first valley experience and was excited to continue


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moving forward with a more educated engagement. The money was just starting

to flow with more consistency as my name began to establish itself among the

local community. The more clients I encountered, the more efficient and effective

I became. I was really starting to get the hang of the whole thing.

But fairly quickly I started making my first post valley mistakes. For one, I was

spending money with the perspective that things were always going to flow with

ferocity. This not only kept my financial buffer quite thin, but it began building

bad habits. Secondly, my imagination started taking over my goal setting as my

immature success made me feel amazingly invincible. Just like a good run can

boost your endorphins, so too can a mountain ascent bring on floods of feel good

hormones. As we start to see the world once again, perched on our high mountain

peak, loss of perspective finds its way back.

And if that werent already a plate of potential mishaps, I went one step further as I

found myself lightning my load of self taught technical training. As a computer

consultant it is absolutely crucial that you stay ahead of the curve with the latest

technology trends. The last thing you want to do is fail your client by falling

short. So constant intellectual updates are a must. But with everything going so

well, I started to become complacent in my computer curiosity.


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The danger of the self induced valley.

Its one thing to find yourself in the lowlands because of uncontrollable

circumstances, but all too often it is the result of confident complacency that gets

us into trouble. As I just mentioned, over confidence in my misdiagnosed

maturity was weakening the very wheels I had ridden to win the first race. I

had done what many tend to do, as I disregarded the very same growth that had

helped gain my positive progress. I had found a formula that worked and then

depleted the dose as if my recent increase in elevation would take it from there. I

joined the ranks of so many who frequent the valley as if it were their second

home, as I started to see my ascent turn downward.

One unique characteristic about this particular path is that it moves with

momentum. Once you start your decent, just like a train slamming on its breaks,

you can only sit and watch as you skid down the surface of the mountain. As I

started to run into those unforeseen slow times, I wasnt prepared to properly

proceed with the pursuit. My finances were depleted, my daily habits, set for a

sustained success that wasnt currently accessible and my technical skills were

starting to rust. This wasnt an on/off switch situation. It was in those moments

that I not only realized my mistakes, but had to accept a foreseeable future of a

valley voyage. I knew it would now take some time to repair the damage, learn


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from my recent over reaction and start the upward climb I so desired. It was in this

second valley that I was once again faced with a split in the path. There were two

arrows pointing opposite of the other, one promoting progress while the other

pointed perilously to a path that provided a quick and easy escape from the

pains of my previous elevation.

5 Tips to help you keep your feet on the ground as your progress

continues to push upward.

So Ive presented you with some images of over extension and under estimation

that help reveal my inability to stay grounded when things were looking up. It was

this lack of personal gravity that pulled me up and then pulled the rug right out

from under my shaky foundation. But it wasnt all for not, as I came away with a

few notions of new knowledge that would help me not only regain my footing, but

maintain longevity in the higher altitudes ahead. So here are some tips that I

would like to share with any who find their ability to maintain a positive

momentum to be minuscule at best.

1.Continue with the formula that works. If I could give you only one

piece of advice concerning sustained success it would be this very point.

It may be a simple step, but easy it is not. The low points on the journey

make it hard to maintain motion, while it is the peaks that leave us light


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headed and overly optimistic. So it is absolutely crucial that you not

only find this righteous routine, but that you run with it

regardless of your current elevation.

2. Be frugal whenever possible. With anything in life, money is often theultimate voice of progress. It speaks to us in reward as well as recourse.

But it is what we do with these multidirectional decibels that determines

our destination. The saying may be true that it takes money to make

money, but I would suggest with certainty that much of our spending

does not come in the form of progress. It is especially crucial during

these high points in the journey that we take advantage of this successful

surge. Because the buffer we are building will become our life raft when

inevitability finds its way back once more.

3. When viewing from a peak, take your vision and dial it back.(Translation: Dont let yourself get overly confident.) I made the

mistake of riding my new found success right back down the mountain.

As my elevation started to increase, the view seemed to become more

beautiful with every upward turn. But it wasnt just the situation that was

changing. My ability to see the fine details of my journey were becoming

obscured as well. And with this diluted determination, I was much more

prone to make mistakes as I calculated my course. This is why its

absolutely imperative that you base your decisions on the


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previous steps of success instead of the hypnotic hype that the

hills tend to harbor.

4. Avoid complacency at all costs! As I mentioned, it was during thisparticular ascent that I began to let off the throttle of sustaining my skill

set. But I would urge you to avoid this immature act and always be at

your best. The fact is, there are many who are competing to maintain

footing on this very path that you pursue, and it will be those who keep

their focus fixed on their foundation that will make the most headway.

So always stay sharp while maneuvering your way up and down these

monumental mountains.

5. Plan for the next valley. As I stated in a previous paragraph, some ofthe valleys we face are an inevitability. So its just as as important that

we plan for the next descent as it is to pursue our upward progress.

Following the steps I just laid out will benefit this future battle plan, but

we also need to prepare our minds as the adrenaline will certainly stop

pushing our forward potential. The best example I can think of when

describing this process is with the cycles of blogging. Monday starts off

strong with emails and comments and traffic, OH MY! Then continues the

motion of this joyous momentum as the week goes on. But as the

weekend starts finding its way closer to the current moment, we see a

significant lull in the action. It is during these times that, if unexpected,

may be perceived as a negative reflection of our Internet offerings. But


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for those who are aware of the cycle and therefore prepared for the

minuscule motion of the two days before Monday, it is just another

weekend, a mini valley so to speak. So whether or not you blog, and

therefore grasp this grossly simplified concept, it is absolutely crucial

for your perspectives to be prepared for all that lies ahead.


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Chapter 3: Beware Of Boredom

If youve ever checked out my About Me page you know that Ive

done just about every J-O-B known to man. OK, maybe not everyone, but A

LOT! One of the common threads that youd find if you were to follow me

back in time, would be that of boredom after 6 months. I say six months

because thats about how long it takes to master most J-O-Bs. (Please

dont take offense to my use of J-O-B here. Im just referring to many of the

9 to 5ers out there. Im fully aware of the great number of jobs that require

huge skill sets and dedication to master. I mean no disrespect.) After you

have elevated your skills to a point where you could man the register or the

phone or the customers or whatever, in your sleep, with both hands tied

behind your back and only using 2% of your brain power (hold on, I need to

catch my breathOK, Im good!), you will start to get seriously bored. And

Im not talking looking at the clock every couple of hours, bored, but,

PLEASE, let me out of this place (and its only 9:15am on a Monday) kind

of bored.

Now these might sound a little extreme, but the fact is, if you are a

quick learner and have any kind of initiative at work, you will quickly get to

that place where you can choose to stop striving. In my consulting business

that time comes and goes. It is certainly much more challenging than

anything I had ever done in the past, and running a business keeps you on


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your toes with regularity, but even all of that can get quite boring as time

goes on.

Just after tackling the unforeseen dangers of our previous summit, and

right after coming out of our first valley, we are now feeling pretty confident.

But this is exactly the problem. Our confidence, if handled improperly, will

most certainly lead to boredom and then very quickly, complacency. And its

complacency that will always bring us mediocrity. The problem is, we tend

to seek comfort after all the previous struggles on this long road to success.

Like any human being, the first signs of peace make us feel like weve

finally made it! But nothing could be further from the truth!

We need to translate the positive energy that comes from our newly

found confidence, into the push we need to make it up our next mountain.

But instead, our natural reaction is to start to strut our way along the road.

We think, I could do this in my sleep! Im awesome! And you may be

awesome (the jurys still out :-) ), but being awesome isnt going to make

you a success. Passionate persistence with a side of personality and

people skills should be what youre after. And this only comes in time

and with experience. Because the passion and persistence Im referring to

will find its way as you get your battle scars and keep coming out stronger

than before. A rookies optimism is only a small portion of the

personality I am speaking of.


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How to avoid the wrong kind of confidence as we face

boredom.

* View your current skill set as only the tip of the iceberg. If you

look at all the successful people in our lifetime and compare their time of

striving to improve, you would likely see this time as open ended. Its that

drive to always look for a better way of doing things that reveals someone

who is serious about maintaining momentum. We live in a go-go-go society

and it is one that never stops. Those who stagnate in their skill set will most

certainly be left behind. And the fact is, boredom stinks! If you want to

continue to enjoy your work, it is essential that you keep moving

forward in both your knowledge and appreciation for what you do.

* Keep your focus outward. One of the things that tends to occur

as we become complacent is that of inward focus. Whether we are over

confident, frustrated or just plain bored, it is our obsession with ourselves

that can magnify these emotions. It is only when we keep our eyes outward

and onward that we can maintain a healthy perspective on reaching the

goals we strive for. And it is when we maintain this perspective that

we can more easily see the next motion in need of mastery.

* Question your current path. I truly believe that each and every

one of those jobs were essential in forming the skills I needed to move

forward. But there came a time when that particular path had run out of


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road. We need to make sure that our current heading is still right for the

success we seek. Because if our job has finished playing its part, we

need to stop running in place and find the beginning of the next trail.

* Be the best at what you do! I dont think youll ever have to

worry about saying to yourself, Man, I really wish I werent so good at this!

Striving for excellence for the sake of being the best is something that will

always keep you sharp and safe from the blisters of burning boredom. Im

not suggesting you waste your time trying to one up everybody, but if you

realize your great need to keep learning, keep your focus on the trail ahead,

and are certain you are riding along the right road, you should feel confident

in seeking your spot at the top of the list. Technically, there will always be

somebody better than you, but playing a healthy game of, I bet I can do it

better, will always keep you on your toes and off the path of mediocrity.

* Diversify your growth. Kind of like multitasking, but without

the newly negative notion of system slowdown, diversifying your growth

can be a great way to keep the boredom at bay. If you are constantly

focusing on one area of mental growth, you will find yourself quickly tiring of

this tedious tyrant. Our minds crave many tastes and it is essential that we

feed them a balanced diet. Too much of any particular food and we risk

negative effects. Not only will you gain a wider range of knowledge, but the

single skill in question will benefit from getting a break now and again.


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The Bottom line is, human beings are active creatures with highly

reactive minds. We constantly need things to react TO as we go about our

days. If our day jobs arent bringing us the stimulation we need to keep a

positive pursuit of success, than we need to rethink our path. And if we

know were on the right road, its time we take a good look at the

method to our movement.


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Chapter 4: Dealing With The Catch-22

When I began this journey of blogging it was with the full intention of

changing careers. Id been running my computer consulting business for almost

5 years and was ready to move on. Four months had gone by and I had found

myself coming up to a kind of crossroads that Id never seen up to this point.

Unfamiliar, though it was, I knew that my focus needed to be on a direction and

not on its distinctive features. So I thought long and hard about which way to veer

and finally came up with a choice that has been executed as of last week.

First, lets look at the Catch-22

What made this directional dilemma so unique was its inability to give a clear right

or wrong answer. It seemed as though no matter where I leaned, I was given both

positive and negative play.

The road forked because my time was becoming ever so limited with the pending

launch of some near sighted ventures. My current business was paying the bills,

but my future goals were paying the price of its hunger for time. The sign between

the splitting trails said something like this:


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TURN LEFT: Here you will regain the valuable time needed to properly produce

the product of your future. Be careful, though, as your finances will be uncertain

and the ground less solid for the first few miles.

TURN RIGHT: Here you will continue down the road you remember as you reap

the rewards of certain solid ground. Be careful, though, as you will continue to

neglect your dreams and most certainly restrict your future possibilities.

So you see my dilemma? I think this is something we all face at one time or

another as we make our way down this road of life. But it isnt until youre faced

with this fork that you feel its heavy hand fondling your fate. You mistake the

feeling of uncertainty as a sign that theres only one correct coordinate. But if you

happen to be the author of a blog thats titled with verbiage of forward

progress, you may find that certainty is not always a requirement for right

direction.

So which way did I turn the wheel?

If the above directions were to be taken literally, than I would answer this question

by stating that my heading went from North, to North-West. I decided on the

potentially shaky ground, for the ability to fully follow my future endeavors. So

last week I said goodbye to my computer consulting business and hello to my


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online opportunities. Id spent 5 years building certainty, but it had become boxed

in by boredom and other captivities that Ill purposefully fail to explain. I dont

have regrets for this recent past, but I knew as I stared at this fork, that regret

would make itself known if my dreams werent properly tended to. Sink or swim,

as Sean and I like to say, but treading water is just not in the playbook

anymore.


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Chapter 5: Staying One Step Ahead Of The

Competition

We are in the final leg of our journey as I talk about the twists and

turns that we encounter as we try and endure the road to success. But

were not here to just endure, but to conquer. Were on this road because

we want to be more than average and rise to our greatest potential.

This final leg is just as important as the first. It is here where we are

not just trying to stay on track. It is this part of our journey where the 5

percent is separated from the other 95. Its the innovative and creative that

succeed past this point. Anyone can fallow a plan to succeed, but few blaze

their own trail and make their own rules. But this is exactly what Im going

to ask that you do.

About a month and a half ago I wrote a guest post for Pick The Brain

called, 10 Traits of a Successful Human Being. In point #4, A Big

Imagination I say this:

When I think of some of the greatest achievers in American

history I see great innovators and people of purpose. Names like

Henry Ford, Walt Disney and Bill Gates come to mind. From cars to

cartoons to computers, their personalities were as diverse as their

pursuits. But one thing they share is the wonderful ability to see


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whats not yet visible to the naked eye. It was the imagination of

Henry Ford that first painted the picture of a car in every garage, and

Bill Gates, a computer in every home. And it was Walt Disney who

continues to inspire millions with the idea that anything is possible.

Those with inevitable success can see the unseen. Theyve become

successful in their minds before they laid their first brick.

Seeing the unseen.

My first year of consulting was filled with the commonalities of a new

business. I was just trying to get to the point where the training wheels

could come off. The thoughts of innovation were nonexistent as more

pending concerns like building a client base filled my mind and imagination.

But after I broke through The First Valley and made my way along the

winding road of success, I found that a barrier would soon make itself

known. Kind of like a fallen tree laying right across the middle of the road,

I was stuck. Sure, I was making money and paying the bills. My clients

were multiplying and the word continued to get out as my services were

above average and readily accessible. But I wasnt growing. At least not in

the way that could be considered exceptional.

I mean, thats what were after, right? A sort of uncommon success

that only comes from innovative thinking and is near impossible without the

ability to see the unseen? Id go as far as to say that without forward


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thinking, we will never make it past the back seat. It has always been the

person in the drivers seat that steers the vehicle, and only those with this

forward vision that are positioned to take the wheel. So by year two I was

forced to break free from the playbook and start looking for the answers to

this riddle. I decided that uncommon success was what I desired and that

no textbook could paint my path. Here is what I started doing

differently:

* Look around you. The first thing I did was open my eyes to my

competition. What were they up to? How did they deal with their clients?

How did they advertise and what image were they attempting to project?

And most importantly, how (if at all) were they preparing for the future?

* Look at yourself. Next, I took this information and compared it with

my own policies and philosophy. How did I compare? What did they know

that I didnt and vice versa? Interestingly, I found that most of the other

consultants in my area, including the big names, were doing things just the

same as myself. I didnt see much innovation, nothing that set apart the

wheat from the chaff.

* Look at the business/niche. After realizing the lack of creativity

going on in the computer service industry, I realized a great need to analyze

the business itself. What I realized was that the state of this particular

industry allowed for lazy imaginations. The need for these services was


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much greater than the amount of those addressing them. And the

willingness to pay top dollar only added to the problem. I realized that I was

in a great position for seeing the unseen, as most were too caught up in the

now to compete for this future space.

* Look at what the business/niche is NOT. Now was the time to

figure out where these technology tentacles had not yet tainted. It was time

to figure out where tomorrow would position the industry and how I could

position my business to monopolize most.

* Listen to the clients. Now that I had gained an accurate perspective

on the position of the industry, I was ready to start building my own

understanding of the future. I started asking a lot of questions and then

REALLY listening to the answers. I tried to figure out what the average

computer user was in need of, but not receiving from Joe Consultant down

the street. What needs were not being met and what needs were not being

met effectively.

* Test the waters. By now I had a strong understanding of what needed

to be done to blaze a trail of my own. Now it was just a matter of figuring

out what ideas worked and which ones did not. Its now time to start

throwing things against the wall to see which ones stick.

* Stretch your imagination. Finally, it was time to really dig deep and

start seeing the unseen. I had to break free from the mold that had been


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created by following the lead of others and take that scary step of

independent thinking. But it was only after letting go of this security

blanket that I could clearly see the road ahead. I had stopped looking to

the industry for answers and started using my own abilities and imagination

to dream of the next path to pursue.

As I mentioned above, some industries are positioned for lazy

innovation. The housing market, before the bust, was in just this situation.

Everyone and their granny was selling real estate and everyone, including

granny, was making money, hand over fist. But now that the bubbled has

popped we finally see an industry that actually REQUIRES innovation and

forward thinking to succeed. It is through these hard financial times that we

will watch the likes of a Bill Gates-esque innovator, rise from the rubble.

Now is the time when imaginations will be rewarded and thoughts of

tomorrow, necessary for success.

One final note. You may be wondering, How can you fallow a post

about leaving your consulting business with one chanting tales of innovation

in this very industry? The fact is, as I started building up steam in my

business, I also began to realize that I was in an industry that appealed to

me less and less. But instead of looking at this as a waste of my time, I

realized that it was just a stepping stone to get me where I wanted to go.

The lessons learned were/are completely transferable. The secret to


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success is a universal recipe. It is only in the fine details that the

differences become known.

Enduring the Road to Success

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Transcript of Enduring the Road to Success