Future-Proofing You

6Turning Perseverance into Passion

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

James N. Watkins

ANYONE WITH A NEW IDEA at a company knows how difficult it can be to get management to change. “They just don't get it” is the constant refrain of frustrated employees everywhere. When a 32‐year‐old director of operations and marketing couldn't convince his bosses to try his new idea, he quit to start his own company. Unfortunately, he didn't have funds that he needed to open his first location and he spent the entire next year knocking on doors around Seattle, Washington, pitching potential investors to try and raise the $400,000 he needed to start his business. For months, every potential investor said no, but he was persistent. With no job, and his wife pregnant with their first child, Howard refused to give up. Having grown up in Brooklyn's Canarsie public housing projects, and having made it to the West Coast all on his own, Howard knew he wasn't a quitter. Of the 242 people he pitched, 217 turned him down, even though his business idea was already popular in Europe. Having seen the popularity of espresso machines in Italian coffee shops, he thought Americans would enjoy these aromatic beverages as well. Turns out, he was right. Today, Howard Schultz's Starbucks has over 28,000 locations, employing more than 290,000 partners. The rich taste of espressos didn't make Howard Schultz a multibillionaire, his perseverance did.

“Can I make ...