This Sunday, May 29th, 2022 will mark exactly 20 years since I started my career.
A young, clean-cut, in-shape, fresh college grad with wide eyes, a deep voice, and a relentless sense to outwork everyone around me had a whole lot to learn about the world and business. My very first employer, Martin Advertising, took a chance on me with very little to lose. My starting annual salary was $28,500, and I was totally in awe about how far I could spread a paycheck and how much I could live like a king compared to my buddies still in college. But someone looked at a P&L statement from Martin and probably said, “What’s it going to hurt to hire him? We are already short-staffed anyway,” and away my journey began.
The early days were epic in my mind. I would get to work before everyone and leave after everyone even if there wasn’t that much to do. I looked for what I could learn and studied everything I could about the automotive marketing business. It only took until about day 3 of that first week for me to know that I had found my calling. I was hooked.
From then, the days started to blur. Projects came and went pretty rapidly back in those days, and I was beginning to show I had some ability. And much to his credit, David Martin saw that and began to give me way bigger opportunities than he probably should have for my experience. I was invited to bigger meetings and asked to work on bigger projects, and my career was on a meteoric rise. It was fun in those days, and it was fast. A lot of moving parts, always on the phone, building projects, and selling services.
I truly had no idea how much I was failing.
Now there were no public failures; there isn’t a moment where I am going to say I went to a meeting and clammed up and couldn’t talk, but there were small failures every day. The failure early on to recognize the value of people. The failure to enjoy every minute of the day. The failure to realize it isn’t just you on a meteoric rise, it is the collective effort of everyone around you that is helping you succeed. I was oblivious to it back then and for many years to follow.
Then, in 2004 with the financial help of my dad, Mike Strong, we bought a failing advertising company and had the goal of turning it around. Well, again I failed from day 1 in this endeavor. Thinking everyone would be willing to help me succeed, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Most of the people in the company I had just sunk every nickel I had into didn’t really care for me (to put it lightly). There had been a culture in existence before I arrived, and I don’t think anyone liked my energy, speed, or what I represented. In truth, I think most of them wanted me to fail and probably only stayed employed at the company to watch it happen.
But through sheer grit and determination, and with the help of some really devoted people, the company was turned around and began to make an upward climb. All along, I was failing somewhere at something every single day.
Some days I would fail because I wasn’t brave enough, trying to hide from the issues that needed to be addressed. Some days I failed because I would try to micromanage people and get in their way of being successful. Some days I failed because I lacked a large enough vision of where I was going and was too conservative in my decision making. Other days I failed because I just acted like a jerk. To this day, I still have these days of failure. There are days when it’s hard to get out of my own way, and it limits my ability to grow. Some days are days when I don’t show enough appreciation to people who are working their asses off and all they want is a little praise.
Yep, the way I see it – I have failed at something every single day for the last 19 years and 363 days of my career.
If you know me well, your mouth may be on the floor because the guy who preaches “Attitude is Everything” has just gone on a total rant about failure. What the hell is happening?
The truth is, failing and the fear of failure have always been what drive me. I have been so afraid of failing that I am willing to do anything in order to be successful. Days, weeks, and even months of working nonstop to the ragged edge drive me to succeed because I simply will not accept failure. We all fail at something every day, and it is nothing to be ashamed of as long as you continue to pull yourself up out of bed the next day and get right back at it.
I’ve failed at life, friendships, relationships, marriage, and parenting, but I always keep trying. It’s the will to keep going that makes my motto “catch me if you can.”
Nineteen years and 363 days is a long time, but I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for having some type of failure every day and the willingness to get my ass up and keep marching forward.