Bad Breakups Builds Billion Dollar Brands
It might seem quite arbitrary how a bad break up can lead to
success. But believe me, after months of grieving, aimless jogs in the park,
and sleepless nights a brand was born. It's funny how life works sometimes.
It
is as if every success story is backed with some type of hardship, for some its
building software in your dorm room, for others manufacturing and sewing cloths
in your mothers basement for me it was losing my first love. Without struggle
how is one to appreciate the success? Steve Jobs, Damon John, and myself have
all felt these growing pains not only have we felt them but we embraced them
and from them we birthed our hearts desires.
The beauty of being an entrepreneur
comes in the form of long hours spent developing your product, crafting your
sales pitch, and seeking opportunities. It is the sacrifice of fun,
relationships, and friends. It is that little voice in the back of your head
that constantly questions if this could actually work. It is the first thing
you think about when you wake and the last thing you think about before you
sleep. Entrepreneurship creates frustration, anxiety, and hardship all while building character at the same time. Without
fear and pain what can we really gauge happiness and success on. Embracing the
struggle is the only way, there are no shortcuts to life and its only under
heat and immense pressure that a lump of coal is turned into a diamond.
Shun Not The Struggle
I vividly remember each day waking up questioning myself
image. I didn't care to get dressed, I forced myself to brush my teeth, and
shaving was out the question. By the end of the first month my 5 o clock shadow
and slowly grown to thick stubble. And like most men, boy did it itch. It got
to the point I had to cut my nails because my veracious scratching was too much
for my face to bare.
I began reading all types of D.I.Y. home remedies, medical
web pages, and even bought a couple aromatic oil books to see how I could fix
my irritable stubble problem. That's when it hit me! I was going to craft myown beard serum. For the next 6 months I began to do just that. Testing
different oil components on myself, family and friends. Through this I learned
to master mix oils and began to really appreciate the hidden value each oil had
to offer. For instance, one of my favorite oils to use is known as Jojoba Oil
(ho-ho-ba). "It is a good conditioner for all skin types, especially mature skins. Jojoba is also effective for dryness and dandruff and can be massaged on its own into the hair and scalp" Understanding the uniqueness
each oil has to offer is what separates my product from the rest. My breakup taught
me what it means to pay attention to the smallest details, that is why I focus
intently on what my customers needs and how I can exceed their
expectations.
Protect Your Brand
I myself made the cardinal mistake of allowing people
(other women) to create a this overzealous, mac from way back, Don Juan facade about me. While some might view
think this as admirable it ultimately
became my demise. When you allow other to create a reputation outside the mission
and vision of your brand, you run the risk of alienating customers and losing
credibility. Once trust is gone in a relationship, business, or brand it almost
impossible to get it back. You're only as good as your last product. You could
provide thousands of jobs, help the needy, send kids to college, and deliver a
perfect quality product 99 times but it only takes 1 bad experience for a
customer to never support you again. However some brands such as Blue Bell Ice Cream
and Chipotle
are exceptions to these rules of loyalty. In spite recent health
concerns many customers remain loyal to these brands because not only has their
product surpassed their customer expectations in the past but, their brand is genuinely
honest and wholesome. So whether you're in a relationship or in the checkout
line, honesty in a person or a brand goes along way.
