There’s a story in John Herman’s book “Hermanisms: Axioms for Business & Life” about Milton Hershey, the founder of the Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. It seems that Hershey was headed down the road of failure early on. Everyone around him, including his investors, had lost hope after his attempts at building a confectionary, first in Philadelphia, then Chicago, then in New York all failed before he returned to Lancaster, Penn. But Hershey believed. He persisted. In time the Hershey bar was born. But when success came, more seemed to be at play then making loads of money.
In Herman’s words, “…in addition to stick-to-itiveness, Hershey possessed another trait common among entrepreneurs: that when they finally hit the big time, they often want to share their success with others. To a real entrepreneur, it isn’t about making money. It’s about winning. Being right about your idea. Seeing the realization of your dream. The money is great, and is something you can share, but it doesn’t offer nearly the same satisfaction as accomplishing your goals. Don’t quit on your goals because you didn’t achieve them the first time around.”
While there are job cuts all around us and numerous small shops are taking down their shingles and the owners shuttering their hearts, it’s important to keep your dreams (and heart) alive. Don’t give up!
Charles
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