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My old employer said I'd fail. He was right.
I failed and failed and failed again. I continue to fail.
Without all of my failures, Clout Coffee wouldn't be here today.
We all fail. Fall down, get up, learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward.
My start to entrepreneurship was owning and publishing a magazine. I should back up. My start was really owning my own cleaning business. I don't always think about the less-than-glamourous times I spent cleaning offices, banks, churches and residential homes. But because of that, I was able to save enough money to start the next thing which was purchasing an existing magazine business.
I spent my days at a day job and my nights cleaning while listening to audiobooks and podcasts about entrepreneurship. Owning a magazine that came with a talented team, I wanted to be the best leader I could. I wanted to be the leader that I didn't have.
Imagine my reaction to hearing that my employer told another team member that I'd fail. It really was inspiration and motivation. Call it a chip on the shoulder or call it strong willed, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone else's opinion shape my future.
I was underestimated. You see, I grew up always having to "bounce back". I got knocked down and got back up more times than I could count. I became resilient.
Within 1 1/2 years of hearing that, Clout Coffee was launched. I'm a coffee by day, bourbon by night kind of gal and I wanted to bring a brand to life celebrating those 2 things.
It's more than coffee though. It's an attitude. It's me cheering you on while you journey through life growing, failing and growing some more.
With coffee in one hand and a bourbon in the other, cheers!
Carole
PS- If you want to read about my whole journey to founding Clout Coffee, grab a print copy of my recently published book Seed Money: From Doubt to Clout here:
Or on Amazon here:
2 comments
Nine Times . . .
When I was a dreamy-eyed Christian-dazed individual, I used to smugly say, “What doesn’t kill you, just makes you stronger.”
I said that once, and a friend said, “Yep, and that’s in the Bible!”
Wrong. No it isn’t. It might have started with Arnold saying it in Conan the Barbarian, but it originated in the texts of Norse mythology. Not the Bible.
Now that life has kicked the shit out of me, my new saying is, “What doesn’t kill you, just softens you for the next blow.”
Because they seem to keep coming, no matter how quick we dodge and weave, those blows either make us or break us.
Hang in there, friend, the one secret I have found through the years is get knocked down eight times, just get your ass back up nine!
Word, Brothers and Sisters, word.
You are such an inspiration, Carole. I love your honesty, information and style.
I really hate to fail and I do it less now that no one needs or counts on me, and I’m retired. Now I only have 2 bosses ~~ God and my Apple watch!
