Failure the common characteristic of all great Entrepreneurs
Failure, Loser, Sell out, has been, amateur, washed up. What do all these words share in common? These are brands once carried by all great Entrepreneurs. Ray Dalio is an American billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. Dalio is the founder of investment firm Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. Do you know what Dalio has in common with these words? People once thought this man was out for the count and counted him among those brands.
Then Dalio rose from the ashes in the 1980’s to be what he is today.
Let’s try a social media, actor type. Dewayne the Rock Johnson. This man was eliminated from NFL contention, cut from a semi professional football team, and picked up by his father with less than twenty dollars in his pocket. He figured he was destined for football greatness. Then his dream was shattered, his reality flipped upside down. Dewayne went on to become a great WWE Star, a multimillionaire and famous actor.
Lori Grenier is an American Icon of Shark Tank. She is known for taking one idea and turning it into a multi-million dollar international brand. She currently has 120 patent acquisitions deriving 700 products. Do you think her story is filled with happy days and flowers? The answer is no.
There are many stories that can be told on the greatness of icons. Few experience the torments of lamentation that come with the journey to survive.
It is one thing to read about an entrepreneurial journey and another to survive it.
Denzel Washington was refused his first audition at a notable theater. He was told he did not have talent or ability to act. Over 20 years later he accepted an industry award at the location where he was rejected by his first interviewer. A perilous journey is undertaken by all great people. This journey tests your mind, body and soul. Character is required to preserve through hardship. Integrity is forged in the crucible of others’ non belief.
I guarantee you no person wakes up asking how they can put money in your pocket. When my real estate company collapsed in 2009 I was young, inexperienced, and oblivious to market conditions. I had to confront reality. I had no college degree or conventional credentials to obtain a job. No one wanted to hire a “has been” amateur entrepreneur that made 5mm and lost it all. I had to utilize wit, intellect, skills of negotiation and presence to convince people to believe in me. My mother believed in me. She paid for my first magic jack and gave me money for a virtual office space. From there I would make my first $100,000 within 120 days of my collapse. I have averaged being in the top ten percentile of wage earners in the US every year since. Last year I made the top 1% (over 500k). Trust me when I tell you almost no one believed in me. I am sure there are others that would still count me in that category.
It would be tough to believe in myself. But I never stop telling myself “I can be successful.”
The lesson of this post is to communicate what is inherent for all successful people. Knowledge of failure is a requirement for sustained success. How can you know how to win if you don’t know the components of loss?
Good advice originates from intimate personal knowledge in trying circumstances. Learning from others is wise. Learning from others cannot give you experience. Experience is what you need to be successful in your own right. Doing what others tell you means, you are a good team player and follower of instructions. If you want to lead your own team one day you will have to make decisions without other consultation. Don’t shy away or get discouraged when failure confronts you. Failure is opportunity to gain necessary insight to avoid fallacies in your foundation. Focus on opportunity to learn in your failures. Learn how to harness experience. The experience showcases why your foundation is strong. Don’t shy away from negative experience, embrace it. While I cannot give you experience I can give you advice.
Make sure you follow my medium account here to gain other insightful lessons. A little bit of reading can put you way ahead in the race to success. To your success entrepreneur.
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About Christopher: Christopher Knight Lopez is a Professional Entrepreneur. Christopher has opened over 7 businesses in his 14-year career. Christopher’s purpose is to take advantage of various market-driven opportunities. Christopher is a certified Master Project Manager (MPM) and Accredited Financial Analyst (AFA). Christopher previously held his Series 65 securities license. Christopher also has his General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO. Christopher has managed a combined 286mm USD in reported Assets Under Management & Assets Under Advisement. Christopher has work experience in 29 countries, raised over 50mm USD for various businesses, and grossed over 7.5mm in his personal career. Christopher worked in the highly technical industries of: biotechnology, finance, securities, manufacturing, real estate, and residential mortgages. Christopher is a United States Air Force Veteran. Christopher has a passion for family, competitive sports, fishing, martial arts and advocacy for entrepreneurs. Christopher provides self-help classes for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Christopher’s passion to mentor comes from belief that entrepreneurs need guidance. The world is full of conflicting information about entrepreneur identity. See more at www.christopherklopez.com.
