• Tenacity, the Key Resource

Way back in 1969 when I graduated from college, I was so hungry for success that nothing was going to stand in my way. I couldn’t be bothered with the small stuff, I had big dreams and only concerned myself with big ideas, big opportunities …and big risks. Get Rich Quick! I moved to New York City to find fame and fortune. Unfortunately, my fortune ran out before I found fame.

In the 1970’s I started a business manufacturing the “See-More.” This handy device was really a mirror on a stick and could be used by car dealers to view the underside of a trade-in to determine whether or not the frame was rusted. I thought once car dealers saw this device that the orders would come rolling in. (“turns out they aren’t that interested in the underbelly of a Pinto”). I still have See Mores in my attic.

In the 1980’s, I was going to build a publishing empire. I bought two magazine franchises in Nashville and promptly reduced my IRA savings by more than $100,000 in an effort to get rich quick. I might have had more success as a Country Western Singer. Nah

Any Barret-Jackson fans? In the early 90’s I was going to cash in on the Collector Car Phenomenon, I invested 100’s of hours and spent $30,000 to build what turned out to be an incredible, extraordinary … $7000 street rod. My decisions to strive for big, quick successes have been big fat failures!

Abraham Maslow outlined a hierarchy of needs. Moving up the hierarchy is a building process is the true essence of success. As in building anything, there are certain foundations that have to be put in place or the thing you are building will not stand.

The key to success is TENACITY.

Obviously, you cannot succeed if you don’t actually do something. Likewise, you cannot fail if you are still trying.

Thomas Edison said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

How strong is your commitment?

Let me share several stories with you about what it took to achieve success.

Colonel Lewis Walker discovered an itinerant inventor by the name of Whitcomb Judson who in 1891 applied for a patent for a shoe fastener. In 1894 Judson, Harry Earle and Colonel Walker joined forces to form the Universal Fastener Co. It failed.

The group reorganized as the Automatic Hook and Eye Co. It failed.

Walker took over and reorganized as the Hookless Fastener Co. Slowly things started to improve and the company eventually achieved sustainable commercial success in 1937. It only took 46 years for Colonel Lewis Walker to turn the invention of the zipper into a commercial success.

Colonel Walker could not have succeeded without tenacity!

Thomas Edison tried 1000 times before he invented the light bulb.

Edison could not have succeeded without Tenacity

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor who said, “He lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

Disney could not have succeeded without Tenacity.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity basketball team in his sophomore year.

Jordan could not have succeeded without Tenacity.

Author Jack London received 600 rejection slips before he published his first story.

London could not have succeeded without Tenacity.

Abraham Lincoln lost his job in 1832.
His business failed in 1833.
He suffered a breakdown in 1836.
He ran for office in 1838 and was defeated.
He ran for office in 1848 and was defeated.
He ran for office in 1849 and was defeated.
He ran for office in 1854 and was defeated.
He was defeated for V.P. In 1856.
He was defeated in 1858.
Yet in spite of it all, He was elected President in 1860.

Abraham Lincoln could not have succeeded without Tenacity.

Winston Churchill summed it up best when he said, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."

There are many more stories, but rather than talk about others, let’s think about you.

Can you succeed without Tenacity?

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