Recently, I have been thinking a lot about adversity and the methods I have used to overcome times of adversity in both my business and personal life. I thought I would share my tools and lessons, because without them, I have seen so many people let moments of adversity absolutely destroy them.
While I am now identified as a self-made millionaire and internet marketing pioneer, I was not always featured on the national landscape of business and personal success.
At the age of 17, I found myself with a pregnant girlfriend. It was then I realised that I needed to do something drastic to turn my life around, and ensure that my children were not destined to a life that lacked in opportunity, and parents who lived on social security benefits.
With a very limited family budget and living on egg and lettuce to ensure our daughter was always well fed, I found an opening in carpet sales, where my father was employed.
Early on, I started to kick some serious sales goals, and enjoyed the feeling of achieving something for myself and my young family. Looking back, this was probably when I first got addicted to the taste of success.
It was ultimately the search for online visibility for his other passion, corporate magic, that led me to the path of online marketing. Having tested a number of methods for Google AdWords and stumbling upon gold, I started SponsoredLinX. The business has incidentally grown a staggering 300% since its inception and is now Australia’s largest Australian owned AdWords Management Company.
However, the journey to success has certainly included a large slice of adversity, and even today as it grows, I encounter professional and personal tests on a weekly basis.
From a devastating office fire to former employees taking IP to other businesses, to even what on the surface could initially be mistaken as positive, such as growing too rapidly, I have ultimately learned how to deal the hand of adversity, and relish it.
I have always taken a yin and yang approach to business, in other words, I believe problems are all part and parcel of the job. How can you recognise and appreciate the good times if there are no struggles on the journey?
I feel it is important to keep a firm eye on the prize when disaster strikes. Knowing and reminding yourself what you are doing it all for, that’s what will ultimately motivate you to put in the hard work and see out the storm.
I also maintain that asking yourself two questions when you set out on a new journey, a new chapter or a new challenge will set any entrepreneur up for success.
What are you willing to do and what are you willing to sacrifice – those two questions ultimately hold the key.