When I was looking for premises for my first centre, the real-estate guy asked me what type of lease I wanted (as in the duration of the lease and options following the initial term) for the building I was about to sign up for. I had no idea what he was talking about.
"So what type of lease are you after?"
"What kind are there?"
(He laughs at me).
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nup."
"Oh."
(Embarrassment).
It's fair to say I was humiliated, discouraged, criticised, ripped off, lied to, and embarrassed many (I mean many) times in the first five years of owning and operating my own business. More things didn't work than did.
In a similar position, I believe many people would have said "I gave it my best shot. It didn't work (I failed)." I was too stubborn, too driven, or too stupid to throw in the towel. I knew that because I wasn't especially gifted or talented, it was always going to come down to my perseverance, attitude, and ability to finish things.
The number one reason people don't succeed, no matter what the endeavour, is their inability to finish what they start.
In the first five years I had many lessons on what not to do in establishing, developing, and maintaining a business (or any worthwhile project). Every day was a lesson in perseverance, adaptation (thinking on my feet), and humility (acknowledging my numerous shortcomings).
Here's a brief snapshot of some of my journey over the last decade or so. Again, not to impress you, but to encourage you that when we apply some basic principles, even people with average skills, talent, knowledge, and potential can create ‘amazing.’
Writing
Then: Initially I told myself I didn't have the talent and that no-one would want to read what I wrote. I wrote for quite a few obscure magazines and newspapers. I wrote a lot and got paid nothing.
Now: I write for every issue for several national magazines (one of which has a circulation of 200,000). I wrote for a major newspaper for three years. I had two books commercially published and self-published two more. I have had hundreds of articles published. I get paid well to write.
Media
Then: I worked in community radio for three years for free. I did my first radio interview in 1990. I developed skills, asked lots of questions, and studied the pros. I hosted my first show on commercial radio in 2004 (at age 40). I was crap, but I slowly got better. I worked on community TV in Melbourne doing a show called Muscle TV (embarrassing, I know).
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