Towering at 6288 ft., Mt. Washington is the
highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Each
year, thousands of people get to the top by a
variety of means, including hiking and driving.
Enjoying the spectacular view without spending
hours hiking up may seem like a time saver to
some, but me? You couldn’t pay me enough to skip
the hike, because I believe the journey, not
the destination, is the point.
A recent coaching session with a client brought
that story to mind when she expressed frustration
after observing that one of her competitors’
business was well established after only a few
months. As small- business entrepreneurs, some of
us may look enviously at those who seem to go up
the ladder of success with greater speed and
wonder why we can’t do the same.
In my client’s case, it became clear after a
little prodding that her competitor benefited from
a 'sugar daddy', providing her with all the cash
flow needed for her new business: She had taken
the car ride up the mountain, while my client was
still climbing up, frustrated and feeling
defeated.
There’s something to be said about getting your
hands dirty and doing the grunt work yourself. I
know my business inside and out – my clients, my
market, my product, my competition, my suppliers,
my industry – all of which comes only by actually
doing it the long way.
Credibility in business comes partly from
experience in successfully overcoming obstacles.
Nobody wants to do business with someone who has
always had it easy and never encountered a
problem; such a person likely never would have had
an occasion to use creativity in problem-solving
or to develop strong customer service skills.
Either way, this is not someone customers want to
do business with in the long run.
Looking at the mountain ahead, the insecure
part of us may whisper: “Can I really do this?
Will my own legs really get me all the way up
there?” The answer is yes, if you have the
passion to take the necessary steps along
the way, even if at times your back is killing you
and you may not see the trail clearly.
Any hiker will attest to the importance of
regular stops for rest and reorientation. So take
a break, look back at how far you’ve come
and take pride in the work you’ve done to get
there.
