stick-with-it-ness

Are you a dreamer or a doer? Do you quit when things don't go your way, or do you stay on the ride to the end? Why does one person succeed and another fail?

Simple. Some people stick with it and some people don't.

Any business or personal success requires work. A lot of work. Sure, there are the rare super-humans among us who have things work out for them seemingly without input or effort on their part. Or are there? They key word here is seemingly – after all, no one really knows how hard, or not, someone works for their success.

Success is like a plant – feed, water and nurture it and it will not only survive, but thrive. Ignore it and, well, it dies. It's inevitable that neglecting something like a plant will kill it. Even cacti need water once every few months.

Your success is like that plant, whether it is a fragile orchid or a hardy cactus. Ignore it and it will die. Take care of it and you will see growth.

At any given point, no matter how successful we are, we can lose everything. It's a balancing act, in truth, where we walk a tightrope comprised of humility, consistency and commitment. Without all three, we cannot maintain, let alone grow, our successes.

Consistency and commitment make sense and don't require much explanation. We all know, at least theoretically, that we need to stick with something and see it through. We all know that success, even overnight success, is hard work often coupled with late nights and a horrific to-do list. Without a stick-with-it attitude, it's easy to walk away from the desire to be a success, choosing complacency and ease over the work that must be done. Choose as you will, but know that the hard work will pay off in the end.

But what about humility? Why on earth would you want to be humble while striving for success? I guess the corollary to that is why wouldn't you? It's hard to be arrogant and condescending – it takes way less energy to walk your journey with humility. Think about the old adage of being nice to people on your way up because you'll be passing them on your way down.

It's a new world; a world where relationships and relationship marketing are center stage. Consumers want to feel connected, emotionally and personally, to the brands they choose. People want to feel they are cared for, that their wants and needs matter. No one wants to be a number anymore – no one is interested in being treated as part of a crowd. People want individual attention for their individual needs, or at the very least they want to feel like the companies they do business with care about them.

This is especially true in a niche industry like weddings. Those who cater to this group have invested in a personal, relationship driven, brand. And it's the relationship part of the equation that will lead a couple to choose your services over another person. Yes, things like brand message, reputation and quality of work come into play, but all else being equal, is is relationships that determine whether you get the job or not.

If we agree that relationships are driving our business, humility seems an integral part of building a successful business. After all, no one wants to work with a jerk on their wedding day. Couples want to be considered, they want their needs addressed, and they want it all with a smile on their vendors' faces. After all, they are the client, aren't they? Without them there is no business.

In this evolving world of instant access and consumer power, success depends on so much more than the desire to succeed. We must nurture our relationships, commit to do the work we must do, and develop a consistent plan. But the most important skill of all…

…stick with it.

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