It was 1992. I was rushing though the Seattle airport when I saw an unusual kiosk selling coffee. I paused, bought one, and was delighted with this richer-tasting brew. As I sat on the plane, I quickly realized I'd just experienced something new, different and good. I'd tasted what later became known as the 'Seattle coffee craze.' It excited and inspired me. I believed great coffee in a great environment would prove popular in my hometown of Danvers, Massachusetts. What could be more exciting than to be one of the first people to bring a West Coast concept to the East Coast?
I envisioned my café could be the new "living room" of the nineties. People could feel at home and sip coffee in comfortable seating, as if it was their own place. A place that where good conversation and new friendships would be nurtured.
I wanted to do it right, so I went to New York for training with a Master Roaster. Then I hired a consultant (Someone who had already done what I wanted to do—Tool #6: Mentoring). I opened the doors to The Custom Cup Caffé in early 1994. It was really a labor of love for me.
Little did I know this was essential to my success, and also, having Abraham Lincoln as my all-time greatest role-model for perseverance would prove crucial. His example taught me that anything is possible.
Why did I admire Lincoln so much?
He Failed in business in 1831. He was Defeated for state legislator in 1832. He tried another business in 1833 and it Failed. His fiancé died in 1835. He had a nervous Breakdown in 1836. In 1843 he ran for Congress and was Defeated. He tried again in 1848 and was again, Defeated. He ran for the Senate in 1855 and Lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and Lost. In 1859 he ran for the Senate again and was Defeated. Finally, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected to be the 16th President of the United States.
What did his amazing life experience teach me?
• When you have a vision, a great idea or dream—don’t give up!
• Believe in yourself.
• What looks like failure or defeat can lead you something even greater.
I put my heart and soul into that shop in front of all my family, friends and community. Finding the right location, investing every penny I'd saved, I even helped with the construction to save money. The first year, despite my best efforts, we lost $40,000. I did not give up!
In the second year, we started to break even. There was hope, we might survive! Then, the unthinkable happened.
The town closed down the main street, the one that runs right in front of my café, to repair the water main. This eliminated all traffic outside my store. The repairs took eight months. Business was immediately and severely impacted. I was devastated. Now what was I going to do? Should I try to weather the storm? Or, seeing the enormity of the problem and the huge losses before me, should I give up and walk away?
I thought about Lincoln. what if he had given up?
So, I decided to hang in there no matter what. The first thing I did was to cut costs. Then I went in myself and worked the counter. This impressed people, and since I had previously developed member-of-the-community status, this helped the store attract town support and admiration.
Because our commuter traffic in the morning had practically been eliminated, we rewarded the customers who took the long walk to get our establishment. We implemented specials. The future was still uncertain and other stores up and down the street began closing: Going out of business, permanently.
How did I Handle Defeatist Thinking?
We all hear a little voice that feeds us negative information. It's perfectly normal! But, the hardest part of this ordeal for me was over-riding that little voice. It often said "This isn't working. You better quit, Steve." I had to face this handle it or it could drag this wonderful business and me down. It further said "Hey, Steve, why suffer in this coffee business? This is a grueling, daily grind." (No pun intended!)
When I listened to that negative voice it drained my energy. Not good! So I choose to focus on my desired outcome using my road map to picture my compelling vision. My compelling vision cancelled out the little voice. To reinforce this I also searched for proof that this venture was going to work.
I asked customers for feedback. They kept telling me how great our store and products were. So, I, with the aid of my employees, engaged people asking them for their ideas, which they happily shared. They contributed greatly to our success. They believed in us. This reinforced the desire to persevere, and to continue to believe in myself. This quieted the negative thoughts.
I loved the business and I loved our coffee. This fueled my desire not to give up and that grew into sheer determination. My employees and I worked hard. We remained open even though so many other previously successful stores on our street closed down. When the worst was over and they re-opened the street, we were one of the few left standing and, guess what?
The store is now a thriving, profitable, award-winning coffee shop. We recently doubled the space and now are challenged with handling all the business!
#1 Lesson Learned from this Experience: Persevere!
Believe in yourself: Focus on your compelling vision.
Don’t quit. Have and follow a road map!
If you can envision it, and believe in it, you can accomplish it.
Close or eliminate the back or 'escape' door. Make your only exit the front door—to success.
Re-read the story of Lincoln and remind yourself: Anything is possible!!
Steve Kennedy is a professionally trained and certified co-active coach with a passion for "The Game of Business." With over 25 years' experience in creating, building and managing a dozen successful businesses, Steve's ability to partner with clients and adapt to their culture has been key to his success. Steve understands the challenges people face in the business world. Steve just authored an exciting new book titled, 'Winning the Game of Business: The Entrepreneur's Quest for Ultimate Success'. To find out more about Steve visit: http://www.winningthegameofbusiness.com
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