More than 10 years ago, I mailed (not emailed) over 60 personalized letters to organizations across Saskatchewan, hoping to land a speaking engagement.
I received exactly zero responses.
I tried a different approach and reached out to executive leaders asking if I could buy them lunch. One person said yes. So, I drove more than two hours to meet her at Golf’s Steak House.
At the time, my wife Tanya and I were struggling financially. We didn’t have the money for the gas, let alone an expensive lunch. But Tanya never flinched and offered her usual unwavering support.
When I arrived, the executive leader had brought her assistant along. Suddenly, lunch became even more expensive. I ordered the cheapest item on the menu and did my best to explain how I could help their organization.
I never heard from them after that meal.
Before today’s speaking engagement, I went for a walk and happened to pass that same restaurant. While the building hadn’t changed, my circumstances definitely had.
Here’s what I believe… success isn’t always about getting immediate results. I think that it’s more about believing in yourself long before the results arrive. (And having people around you who believe in you, too.)
And so, my hope is that if you are passionate about something, keep fighting for it.
The people who succeed aren’t always the most talented. They are simply the ones who refused to quit.
