Lesson #1: Make Your Critics Eat Their Words
Lesson #1: Make Your Critics Eat Their Words
When Fields first decided to create her own business baking cookies, she was ecstatic. She thought her family would be too. But even her loved ones, the people she had expected to count on for support, turned their backs. “[My husband] immediately said, ‘Oh, sweetie, that is such a stupid idea,’” recalls Fields. “And then my mom and dad pipe up and say, ‘You don’t have any business going into the cookie business.’”
Fields’ parents began to list off all the reasons why their daughter was not qualified to start her own business. They told her that she did not have a college degree, let alone a business degree. That was true, Fields thought. They told her she had no money to begin such a venture. That, too, Fields knew was true. “You’re just going to fail,” they told her. “It’s not going to work. Nobody’s going to buy your cookies.”
Fields did not have an MBA, but just two years of college. And, her only collateral was a used Volkswagen Beetle she had bought with cash when she was 16 years old. “The only thing I had was this recipe, and with that recipe was a dream,” says Fields. “And those were the only things that I had to build my business: a recipe and a dream. And there was no way, no way, I wasn’t going to see this dream through.”
As far as Fields was concerned, she had nothing to lose. She knew she was not going to disappoint her parents; they did not believe in her anyway. The only person she risked disappointing was herself if she did not try. “And, so, my journey began,” says Fields. “I made the decision, and I was going to see it through.”
However, once Fields set her plan in motion, things did not get any easier for her. She began visiting banker after banker to try and get the startup capital she needed for her business, but the response was poor. “I would tell them about my plan, the cookies, my dream, and sure enough, they would listen and eat the cookies,” says Fields. “They would respond by saying ‘Thank you so much. Thank you for coming in, but no, we’re not interested.’”
Meanwhile, Fields’ parents continued to discourage their daughter’s plans. Again, Fields’ mother told her to give up. “There’s magic in those words because when she said, ‘Debbi, just give up,’ I said giving up is the easiest thing any of us can do,” says Fields. “I can always throw the towel in. The only thing that’s going to make a difference, the only thing that’s going to get me to my dream come true is don’t give up.”
Fields created a mantra for herself, and maintained the faith that there was someone out there that would finally say ‘yes’ to her dream. After that, it was not long before she found a banker who agreed to back her dream. “You do not have to be superhuman to do what you believe in,” says Fields. “The most important thing is for you to believe in what you are doing. Absolutely know there are people out there who want to say yes.”
Lesson 1 Make Your Critics Eat Their Words
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“The greatest failure is not to try,” says Fields. “Had I listened to all the people during the course of my life who said, “You can’t. You’ll fail. It won’t work. You don’t have…,” I wouldn’t be here today.”
When Fields first decided to create her own business baking cookies, she was ecstatic. She thought her family would be too. But even her loved ones, the people she had expected to count on for support, turned their backs. “[My husband] immediately said, ‘Oh, sweetie, that is such a stupid idea,’” recalls Fields. “And then my mom and dad pipe up and say, ‘You don’t have any business going into the cookie business.’”
Fields’ parents began to list off all the reasons why their daughter was not qualified to start her own business. They told her that she did not have a college degree, let alone a business degree. That was true, Fields thought. They told her she had no money to begin such a venture. That, too, Fields knew was true. “You’re just going to fail,” they told her. “It’s not going to work. Nobody’s going to buy your cookies.”
Fields did not have an MBA, but just two years of college. And, her only collateral was a used Volkswagen Beetle she had bought with cash when she was 16 years old. “The only thing I had was this recipe, and with that recipe was a dream,” says Fields. “And those were the only things that I had to build my business: a recipe and a dream. And there was no way, no way, I wasn’t going to see this dream through.”
As far as Fields was concerned, she had nothing to lose. She knew she was not going to disappoint her parents; they did not believe in her anyway. The only person she risked disappointing was herself if she did not try. “And, so, my journey began,” says Fields. “I made the decision, and I was going to see it through.”
However, once Fields set her plan in motion, things did not get any easier for her. She began visiting banker after banker to try and get the startup capital she needed for her business, but the response was poor. “I would tell them about my plan, the cookies, my dream, and sure enough, they would listen and eat the cookies,” says Fields. “They would respond by saying ‘Thank you so much. Thank you for coming in, but no, we’re not interested.’”
Meanwhile, Fields’ parents continued to discourage their daughter’s plans. Again, Fields’ mother told her to give up. “There’s magic in those words because when she said, ‘Debbi, just give up,’ I said giving up is the easiest thing any of us can do,” says Fields. “I can always throw the towel in. The only thing that’s going to make a difference, the only thing that’s going to get me to my dream come true is don’t give up.”
Fields created a mantra for herself, and maintained the faith that there was someone out there that would finally say ‘yes’ to her dream. After that, it was not long before she found a banker who agreed to back her dream. “You do not have to be superhuman to do what you believe in,” says Fields. “The most important thing is for you to believe in what you are doing. Absolutely know there are people out there who want to say yes.”
Lesson 1 Make Your Critics Eat Their Words
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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