So, what does “failing to quit” mean?

To anyone who has started a company – or done anything challenging in life – you are going to experience unexpected struggles. No matter how much you plan, prepare and practice, things are going to go sideways.

How you deal with those situations defines who you are. And more importantly – cause we all wish we could redo how we handle certain situations – are you willing to keep going when you hit rock bottom.

That is what “failing to quit” means to me:  persevering when the odds are against you because you believe that your product, company and/or dream is going to succeed, even if no one else does.

I remember when we first started our company (My One Resource) – we were certainly wearing rose colored glasses thinking everything was going to be perfect:  we would have a great product, hire a great team and users would just start flocking to us.  It was so much fun and we were riding the highs of starting something new.

Then the first “Oh $%!@” moment happens!  It doesn’t matter what it is – product related hiccup, consumer validation issue or funding crisis – we’ve all been there as entrepreneurs.  We feel as though the world is crashing in on us.  Unless there is someone living and breathing your business with you, it is hard for your family, friends or former colleagues to understand what you are going through.

I truly believe this is what separates successful entrepreneurs vs. those who don’t make it – digging deep and continuing to push forward when you are in the valley.  We live in an instant gratification society, and as we look at successful people we praise their highs, but we rarely recognize their lows (which is what really pushed them to be successful).

Walt Disney – arguably the most creative person in the history of the U.S. and the businessman who’s had a profound impact on my life, values and vision for our company – nearly went bankrupt numerous times and lost his first successful product (Oswald the Rabbit).  Andrew Carnegie – who built a steel empire from scratch – nearly didn’t complete his first bridge because it was years behind schedule and grossly over budget.

For Disney, losing Oswald inspired him to create Mickey Mouse, and for Carnegie, finishing the the bridge through numerous obstacles allowed him to leverage his findings to mass market steel to businesses throughout the country.

The point is when you “fail to quit” and learn from the challenges you encounter – and the mistakes you’ve made (for entrepreneurs admitting to mistakes is hard to do) – your product and company comes out of the valley so much stronger and strategically positioned for the challenges ahead.

“Failing to quit” isn’t easy (if it were everyone would do it) – but have faith, keep focused on what matters most, and “fake it till you make it” whenever you need to.  Before you know it you will be out of the valley and riding that wave of success you’d always envisioned.