The Power of Persistence: On Being a Warrior-Preneur

Posted by Ann Evanston on Jul 15, 2010 in Business Strategy |

The Power of Persistence: On Being a Warrior-Preneur

I know I get it, immediate gratification feels good. And often we want the immediate result versus the one that will actually work. So we keep building new programs, making new “special offers” – hoping for those fast results. Think about how persistent you are as you watch this video:

See those calla lilies never gave up, and they are now reaping the rewards. Sometimes I think it’s easy to feel like they did over the last several years; tired, neglected, your heart and soul not nourished. Those things come when you are persistent.

I mentioned blogging as an example, persistence is key with blogging. And let’s face it, it’s NOT easy! Writing, doing a video, uploading, tagging, sending it out to the world. And it sits. Finally a friend may comment. BUT with persistence, by knowing who you are and what you have to offer the world, your voice can be heard and clients show up.

Irene Turner of Irene Turner at hOMe recently posted this on my facebook page:

“blog about inspirational ideas…I just landed a client…client says, we should get together…I say, yes, it’s important that we click as it’s a very intimate process to be in your home the way I am…client says, oh not a problem, we’ve been all over your blog and already love you and what you do (including the color you use say’s the wife)! Oh yea…that’s why I do that!”

That is why I love the work I do.

Persistence pays off, I know cliche, right? WRONG! It’s true- ask those calla lilies in my front yard.

Where has persistence paid off for you?

Ann Evanston, MA, has been named by About.com as one of the Top Six Marketing Consultants, Feb 2011, and recognized in the Huffington Post for her unique approach in using Facebook to increase profits though giving. In October 2008 Ann created the Social Networking Coaching Club, a forum where you get personalized support to learn how to “discover your REAL edge” and make more online in less time with integrity.

Irene Turner

Thanks for the mention again Ann…it just came through my ping back today. Who knew? But mainly, thanks to your coaching and your examples that helped continue when I wondered why I did it. Today, I love blogging about whatever interests me. thanks to you
http://www.susan-berland.com/ Susan Berland

I love your story of the calla lilies and as I listened to it struck me that it is not just persistence but also resilience, being able to bounce back. I’m stubborn, so I’m told! Well, turning that around, that is persistence and I can either use that for my good or use it to get in my way. Persistence is way better than stubbornness!
Fiona Stolze

Ann, I just followed the link to this post of yours after seeing the photo of your flowering cala lilies. I wanted to share here that persistence has paid off for me in following the strategies you taught me regarding blogging and vlogging. I do it consistently and persistently, 5 days a week minimum and the result is that people have an online business card of mine that speaks for itself. It’s about me showing up for me and I’ve decided I’m really worth it. Thanks.

Fiona Stolze
Inspired Art and Living
http://fionastolze.com
http://twitter.com/bethweisberg Beth Weisberg

O.K., you got me with the calla lily story! This story has everything: the human part about Earl's mom, the house which he grew up in burning & now come back to life; the nature part about flowers that just keep hanging in there through all kinds of adversity, the beauty & joy they just keep giving & giving. And all of it is about persistence on every level. Makes the things which throw us off track seem very small indeed! I get it, Ann. I'll jump back on the track which I fell off (but never ever blamed you for that! nobody responsible but me!) — 'cause I want to be like those calla lilies!
http://www.myshoppinggenie.com/pstd Lisa Ann Landry

In the training business, the past 2 years have been really discouraging for me because with a bad economy comes cut backs in training budgets. Consequently, this situation has caused the amount of work I'm accustomed to getting to diminish. Additionally, sales is a big part of training – sales have been a struggle.

To build up an avenue for residual income I became a software distributor of a web app. Sales is even a big part of My Shopping Genie business (weird as it is although its FREE) you really have to work hard to sell people on the idea of downloading it and using it. I get most discourage when people PROMISE they will download it and try it out then do nothing.

DOUBLE discouragement right? It feels that way but I just keep persisting doing my thing. I look at today's steady working comedians and remember when they started and see how persistence has paid off for them & remind myself it will pay off for me.

As I persist I get bit of encouragement along the way that solidifies my commitment. This week after each of my speaking engagements people when out of there way to tell me what an excellent experience it was for them, one woman said she did a visualization exercise before she came to the seminar & I was exactly what she had envisioned (WOW!) My blog has gone from virtually no activity to lots which is leading people to look at My Shopping Genie (downloads are slowly increasing every month). All of these are reminders to me to be Persistent.
http://home-decorating-makeovers.com/ Jennifer Duchene

Anne, once again the power of words (want to say sword: stronger cos the s is in front)brings the force behind to the fore. Without persistence life's biggest joys and feats would not be. No one reaches their heights without persistently & doggedly doing.
Plants have a way of reminding us about how anything worth having is worth working for, and the dance of beauty comes from the persistent act of repetition. The calla lily story makes me feel that your honey's mom is showering you both with love, from above. I have just reflected in the last day or so that in the past 7 months of being consistent and persistent, since taking your bootcamp I have grown so much and connected in so many ways, I would not have known it was possible if I had not paid attention and persisted. Ann you shine a light for me.
JuliaLindsey

Ann
Persistence is definitely key. People must have their goals clearly written so they remember what their vision truly is. Without a clear vision it is hard to be persistent.

I have been blogging for almost a year and it is finally paying off. I remember when we had only 10 unique visits to our site a week and now we have over 100 a day. We posted a post even when we knew we were the only ones reading it.
http://www.amway.com/ronhori RonHori

How often do we see “overnight success” that took 20 years to cultivate? The media promotes instant gratification, success, and fame and causes people to look for the shortcut. I think Thomas Edison said that success often shows up in work clothes. Great video and post about persistence. The old saying is still true “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
Ron Hori
http://www.amway.com/ronhori RonHori

Candace, sometimes we need to “fire”, or let go of clients. The 80/20 rule says that 80% of our business might come from 20% of our clients. The other 80% may not appreciate the value of what we share, may require too much bother and maintenance, or are a negative drain on our energy that takes away from serving the valued 20%. Just my thoughts.
Ron Hori
http://www.ourlittlebooks.com Candace C. Davenport

Thanks Ann. I always love how you tie ideas and concepts to every day examples. The best way to illustrate your point!

The two P's- persistence and patience! You really need both to succeed at whatever you are going to do. Sometimes it comes easily and you just need to be persistent and get it done. Other times, it comes oh, so much more slowly, and then you need the patience to be persistent!

But I just want to also add that there does come a point where your time and effort in being persistent and patient outweighs the reward. While Calla lilies are going to keep on trucking until they die, no matter what comes their way, certain potential clients would rather wither away slowly, draining you. So at some point, no matter how patient and persistent you are, I think there comes a point where you just have to let it go and focus all your patience and persistence on those clients who will be a partnership with you and let go of those others.

Just a thought…
Irene Turner

Ann…you are absolutely right! And my blogging story is a prime example. My history is that I am very impatient. I learned a HUGE lesson thanks to your coaching…persistence, persistence, persistence! And as I get busy, I will have to make the time to keep on being persistence. Thank you!
http://adonovan.aupairnews.com amy donovan

i love the calla lily story + so appreciate your sharing such a personal anecdote with us. persistence is one of those wonderful traits because it can have major impacts on both personal + professional life. i think part of the reason that persistence is so powerful is because it what it shows to the outside world — it shows dedication + effort, qualities that are attractive to both business colleagues + personal connections alike. excellent post, ann!
http://www.BrandyMychals.com Brandy Mychals

I agree, easy to move on to something else when it doesn't work…what's the balance between persisting and being consistent at something to create results versus stubborningly sticking to a plan that isn't yeilding results? When is is long enough and when is enough, enough? Thank you for sharing!
Brandy Mychals
Jewelry for Your Target Market
http://www.BrandyMychals.com
Darcie Newton

I'm still practicing persistence. I've bounced around a bit, although real estate has almost always been at the core of what I do. I'm learning how persistence pays off not only in dollars in my pocket, but more importantly in belief in what I'm doing.

Calla Lilies grow wide in my back yard…I will remember to persist now when I look at them.
http://louiseedington.wordpress.com Louise Edington

I believe that persistence pays off – I persisted in learning to ski at an advanced age when I had had no plans to ever learn but moved to a place that has a lot of skiing and I persisted as a mature student in figuring out what it took to get top grades and then got a first class degree (in the UK).
Right now I plan on persisting with blogging and all the other things that you are teaching me in your training as I can see the big picture – that it will bring me business if I do it the way you show me. I am already starting to get results – comments from people that are not my friends or even just through blogger Monday.
I also plan on persisting with commenting on other blogs and on FB, twitter and LI. Ann you'll be pleased to hear that someone who is VERY active and a top influencer in a group I just joined on LI looked at my blog and said how savvy it was that I had replied to each and every comment – I gave you credit of course.
http://www.waggysecopetproducts.com ChrisLWagner

Ann, I love your analogy about the Calli Lillies. I'm a gardener and I've learned that plants and flowers will do anything they can to stay alive. I don't pull out plants anymore until I know for sure they're dead. They just keep on truckin'. I really need to heed your words when it comes to blogging. I get so bogged down in my day to day stuff and it's hard to clear my mind to think of a good subject and then put it down in words. Thank you for all your continued encouragement.
chrislwagner

Heidi, I'm so happy for you about being picked up by the Bee. That's awesome news! I want to hear all about it. Chris
Donna McCord

I love this blog because it so validates what my husband and I have been going through over the last 20 years; our business is not any easy one and I could (and someday may) write a book about all that we have gone through to survive without sacrificing our values, our integrity, our desire to share our knowledge and make a difference in an industry that has succeeded in creating a generally negative impression of itself. It has been all about persistence, not giving up, hanging in there when throwing in the towel would have been easier, trusting when there was no sign of anything to trust, believing when everyone else was shaking their heads and thinking we were foolish; we are finally beginning to reap the rewards of that persistence — being moved to that front yard like the calla lilies (love that analogy) — with employees we love and respect, attracting new customers in numbers we never expected, receiving numerous and positive testimonials online, and receiving the Best of Mountain View Auto Repair award in 2009 (hoping for 2010, but yet to be determined!). When you know you have something worth doing, worth sharing, worth having, it is definitely worth fighting for.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/GVRLJYBXZDUH5GZ66C4YAXPG5I CAROLYN

I love your calla lilly story as an example of persistence. It's also an example of patience. Those lilies waited so patiently for someone to one day come and put them in a place of prominence, where they could shine. I also love your quote about the blogger who posted on your FB, and that her client knew so much about her from reading her blog. Her persistence paid off… What a great example! I'll bet she was tickled pink!
http://www.brucebarone.com Bruce Barone

P.S. I forgot to mention this important point!

Good Fortune #1 (Gift Certificate) came about because I have taken time to comment on her Blog (not just on Facebook and she has thanked me for this).
http://www.atticusuncensored.com Heidi Alberti & Atticus

Oh Ann… I feel as if you produced this post especially for me! I really (and I mean Really) needed to hear these words today!
If your calla lilies can survive fire, construction equipment and little water, I can certainly persist through my technical difficulties! It's all part of the process to move on to the next step…the next level of bloggerdom
Part of the reason I needed to revamp and get more “professional” is that my blog has been picked up by the Sacramento Bee (online edition….not print…yet!). Thank you for your continued enthusiasm, support and teachings. I'm learning a ton from you, just through your blogs, videos & website. You are a wealth of information for up & coming bloggers!! Atticus & I send our appreciation!
http://www.brucebarone.com Bruce Barone

I write about Beauty and share inspirational ideas: photos, poems, news clippings, etc.

Where has persistence paid off for me? Recently a very respected book designer gave me a gift certificate to create a new Blurb book (This will be The Gardens of Michael Trapp). Also, a well-known writer agreed to write the introduction for another book.

Persistence does pay off. Good fortune comes from persistence.

Through my imagination, I deliberately and persistently picture the good I want to bring into my life. Today and every day I expect the best.
Michelle Terlecki

I think you are so right and if my kids were a little older I would have them watch your video. I tell them all the time Persistence is the key to success. We have to be persistent in everything we do. I am still in the learning phase and trying to learn to be persistent but I know it will come. Thank you ANN!
Jean Bentley

Love the calla lily story! It is so easy to get side tracked by the microwave way of doing things, we don't want to wait, we want to push the botton and make it work, and occationally it does. However its when we get in there and really work at it and take the take to nurture and build do we truly succeed!
http://www.warrior-preneur.com Ann Evanston

JB, I greatly appreciate your taking the time to share your viewpoints. I think as you get to know me, and who my clients are, this post makes perfect sense. I do not disagree with you that many people do not write a blog with a clear intention. But the blog is just one example of a small biz owner (my client) starting it, not being persistent and it fails, I could have used dozens of other examples, that one just fell in my lap on facebook yesterday!

I also think if you read into this blog deeper you will see the complexity of what I teach because I have also blogged about #2 and #3! So we are in agreement.
http://www.fabulousfinds-elena.blogspot.com elena daciuk

wow..so timely! persistance is key…i so agree…i've had a week where i started doubting if what i'm doing matters…i write a daily blog…i help promote others whenever i can…and lately…i've been feeling like i'm all alone here…and i'm just giving…
this helped me remember…that i got one of my favorite clients who found me from my blog…and has led to repeat business & referrals…
and although there are those…who i would liked to have “helped” me back…in promoting me, commenting on my blog as i do theirs…
i realize…i just need to keep doing what i'm doing…because it is the right thing to do…whether one reciprocates or not…
you are awesome ann! love the analogy of the calla lily…so so true!
http://twitter.com/jbking2 JB King

There are a few sides to this from my view:

1. Is the blog post intended as something that is just tossed to the word or is there that desire to get the feedback and comments of, “Oh, you are so great! I love you!” so that one gets validated in the world? The difference here is one of self-reward versus external reward for getting that post done and out into the wild. I generally see blogs as something I read from time to time and in some cases build a relationship if I comment often enough on someone's thoughts.

2. Persistence also shows your character. Where are you willing to dig in and fight to get something right versus where adversity can chase you off right away? What values do you embody? My stubbornness can also manifest as persistence since I will sometimes really beat a dead horse on some issues. In the case of blogs, there is the question of how open and personable is someone. What kinds of things do they like to mention, how detailed do they get about things, what kinds of passions emerge after seeing more than a few posts, etc.

3. There can be rewards along the way but we are sometimes blind to them. For example, someone may be spending years in school to get a degree and not realize along the way all the new things they know and can do. That there were these side effects in going after a goal can also be useful at times. I'm kind of reminded of Ferris Bueller's wisdom when it came to life moving pretty fast and the need to look around once in a while.

I'm still working on moderating my persistence as sometimes I can be overly stubborn on things which can cause issues. At the same time, getting my degree and attaining my position in my field did take a lot of hard work and getting past various challenges.