Today is January 11 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How many rejections could you tolerate?”
Those who navigate the chaos understand that rejections will often be a part of their journey.
Figuring out a way forward after many rejections take a strong heart, a determined spirit, and a dedication to translating one's dream into reality.
Howard Schultz had all three characteristics.
After operating Starbucks for 15 years, the original owners sold the small coffee shop with just six stores to former manager Howard Schultz with a vision to expand across the globe.
It was during this time that Howard Schultz went searching for investors who believed in his vision.
Of the 242 investors Schultz talked to about his vision, 217 rejected him.
During these 217 rejections his father-in-law came to see him.
As Schultz recalls
“He asked me to go for a walk. I knew what was coming. We sat down on a park bench. As God is my witness this is exactly what happened. He says: ‘I don’t want to be disrespectful but I want you to see the picture I’m looking at. My daughter is seven months pregnant and her husband doesn’t have a job, just a hobby. I want to ask you in a heartfelt way, with real respect, to get a job.’ “I started to cry, I was so embarrassed. We went back to the house and I really believed it was going to be over. That night in the privacy of our bedroom, I told my wife the story. I was so disappointed. Not angry, disappointed. She was the one that said: ‘No, we’re going to do it. We’ll raise the money.’ If she’d said: ‘He’s right,’ it would have been over. I’m sure of it.”
With a tremendous belief in his vision and a relentless amount of perseverance, Schultz convinced enough investors to give him the money he needed and soon Starbucks opened its first locations outside Seattle at Waterfront Station in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Chicago, Illinois.
By 1989 Schultz had opened 46 stores across the Northwest and Midwest. Today there are over 20,000 Starbucks locations around the globe.
As Schultz observed "I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see and pursuing that vision."
Do you see what others fail to see?
As you go about your day, consider asking yourself "How many rejections could you tolerate as you talked to people about investing in your dream?"