Keep Calm and Carry On

We recently had a meeting with a private equity firm, and posted on the lobby wall was a quote from former US president Calvin Coolidge.

It read: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.”

“Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.”

“Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

It seemed spookily relevant to the current stage of the start-up process for Shooii.

We’re at a point where we know that we’re close to a major breakthrough, and when it happens it will largely be due to a large dose of persistence.

Over the past couple of months we’ve had numerous meetings with investors and suppliers, telling our story and working on establishing relationships.

The gains that we’ve had haven’t come easy, and have mainly resulted from us pressing on even when we hear the word ‘no’.

Dave has been working on the business plan for Shooii for almost a year, which is a long time to work on a business that is not yet generating revenue.

We’ve both taken a fair leap of faith and there’s no guarantee it will pay off, but it’s our commitment and determination that keeps us moving forward toward our goals.

As Coolidge eludes to in his quote, I wonder how many ideas and people with potential have gone unfulfilled due to a lack of persistence?