The Long Road to Success

I am an avid sports fan and recent events have made me appreciate the struggles of entrepreneurship. I watched the Dallas Mavericks win an NBA championship last night, after years of underachieving and failure. They did so through persistence, inconceivable work ethic, and the belief they would one day reach the pinnacle of success.

Not only was I excited to see them win the championship as a fan, but it also made me reflect on the years I have spent as an entrepreneur in the publishing industry. I have put my blood, sweat and tears to Hobbes End Publishing for the last 6 years of my life and have released a handful of great products. The first four years though, were a struggle that I can not describe in words. I had an author who abandoned ship a year after releasing his book, after having much success in selling the product. I had a manuscript that I got print ready before an author rescinded his submission and decided he would rather have a full time job then to be a writer. And I also released three books, that after further thought, needed more editing to really be as great as the idea itself is. Not to mention the constant struggle to reap a profit in an industry where print books are becoming obsolete to e-books.

The burden of money was always the primary failure of my company in the beginning. The cost of print, the cost of marketing, the cost of promotions and the cost to run a business was overwhelming.

But after watching the Mavs win last night, it gave me a sense of pride that I have had to struggle as much as I have for the success Hobbes End Publishing currently enjoying. By no means have we reached the pinnacle, but we are closer now then we ever have been. We have great products that can compete with anybody in the market. I have made the necessary connections in the industry to longer be “The lonesome duck” in the industry. I have learned how to market and promote books, though I still have room to grow in this area, and am leading a successful publishing company.

It took Jason Kidd 17 years to reach the top and this blog was written to encourage everyone to keep being persistent. This industry is closed-knit, and doesn’t welcome many with open arms. But as the Mavs showed last night, continued persistence combined with impeccable work-ethic and the belief that you are the best at what you do, will lead to success. Keep your head high and keep going through the motions and success will eventually find you. Quitting is the only way to fail.