| What is your definition of the word "luck", | | | | investors lost their investment in equity in |
| not the Webster's Dictionary definition, your | | | | these firms. And yet, none of the accused |
| definition? Is it being in the right place at | | | | executives knew anything about what was going |
| the right time? Picking the right dealer in a | | | | on (they claim) inside their businesses while |
| casino? Turning up at a party where you meet | | | | they were taking tens of millions of dollars |
| your current wife (could be good or bad | | | | in annual compensation. Responsibility is an |
| luck)?Entrepreneurs seem to be so lucky, so | | | | endangered quality in a modern world that has |
| often. People see their success and attribute | | | | embraced the psycho-babble of endless |
| much of their good fortune to luck. What luck | | | | victimology!If I was the Earth Czar, and |
| that they thought the idea would work. The | | | | could re-engineer one physical feature of the |
| luck of the Irish for old Doyle, don't you | | | | human body, it would be this: the palm of |
| think? It was his great good luck to file | | | | every human being's left hand would have a |
| that patent when he did.The passengers in | | | | small mirror permanently attached. And |
| life attribute so much of fate and successful | | | | everyday, several times per day, we could |
| outcomes to random luck. "Lightning strikes | | | | look at the mirror and see the reflection of |
| for others, just never me," is a bromide that | | | | a man, or a mouse. Successful people, |
| covers the view of people that are | | | | including every fine entrepreneur I have ever |
| perpetually success challenged. The masses | | | | known, assume full responsibility for every |
| that think like this can not see, or | | | | decision that they take. The assignment of |
| comprehend, that luck has little to do with | | | | blame on another person, or an outside |
| achieving real success as an entrepreneur.In | | | | condition is a diversion.As human beings we |
| business, luck is created. Luck generally | | | | have the unique ability to make choices, free |
| evolves from capitalizing on a risk taken. | | | | will and the ability to reason. These tools |
| Entrepreneurs are not passengers: they are | | | | are denied every other form of life. A lion |
| drivers. The drive to succeed and overcome | | | | or a fruit fly operates solely on a |
| obstacles inherent in attempting to create | | | | pre-programmed set of instincts. A lion is |
| any new business requires drive, courage, and | | | | nor responsible for what it kills. It is on |
| passion. Not luck!This is not to say that | | | | earth to kill. However, if a person kills, |
| luck never occurs and is not appreciated. It | | | | they are solely responsible.Entrepreneurs |
| does occur and it is appreciated. However, | | | | assume full responsibility for their success, |
| when luck rears its happy face it is usually | | | | and failure. The luck so many would subscribe |
| the confluence of hard work bumping into | | | | to a successful entrepreneur is actually a |
| opportunity! If an entrepreneur accidentally | | | | manifestation of the ability to make reasoned |
| bumps into a funding source while enjoying a | | | | decisions and abide the consequences of those |
| latte tomorrow morning at Starbucks, is this | | | | choices.PerseveranceImagine a boy, dreaming |
| luck or the result of a business proposition | | | | of playing and starring at professional |
| that is properly seasoned?My experience is | | | | football, and suffering 10 years of |
| that entrepreneurs create luck by stirring a | | | | indignity, disappointment and failure in |
| unique brew of personal qualities. Some or | | | | trying to achieve this goal. After an average |
| all of the following traits are obvious, in | | | | high school career, playing in a rural town |
| every success from the Wright Brothers to | | | | with no exposure, he is not offered a single |
| Mary Kay Ash. These qualities are the true | | | | scholarship to a Division-1 NCAA school. He |
| ingredients required that make luck | | | | plays for four, largely undistinguished years |
| occur.ConfidenceEvery entrepreneur is | | | | at a small school in Iowa. After graduating, |
| perpetually afraid. The fear of failure is | | | | the National Football League does not draft |
| palpable. They can not stand the thought of | | | | him and he is not offered a free agent |
| failure and will do anything possible to | | | | tryout. He goes to work in a super market and |
| avoid it. The need to succeed is demonstrated | | | | catches on with an Arena Football League |
| in a confidence that they develop in their | | | | team. The pay per game is $400.Interestingly, |
| novel product, their ultimate success, and | | | | his growing success in the Arena Football |
| the benefits their product will produce for | | | | League over several seasons makes his name at |
| consumers. Confidence smothers fear. Fear | | | | least a point of conversation in one NFL |
| creates inertia. Failures are always afraid, | | | | office. He is scouted, thought to be a bit |
| to try, to fail, to be criticized. The | | | | too old but maybe worth a test in NFL Europe. |
| confidence necessary to succeed in a brutal | | | | After one very successful season in Europe, |
| marketplace is earned through hard work, | | | | he is invited to a NFL training camp. As camp |
| study, preparedness and finding answers to | | | | began, he was listed as the fifth quarterback |
| obstacles.We all have doubts. However, | | | | on the team's depth chart. An injury to a |
| successful entrepreneurs overcome fear and | | | | quarterback, then another quarterback injury, |
| doubt and grow in confidence as they master | | | | and now third on the depth chart, he has |
| their task. The confidence earned is a great | | | | realized his dream. He is signed to a |
| key to attainment of success. There is no | | | | contract.Now the tale could end here. He is a |
| luck involved.Learn From MistakesMy first | | | | real NFL quarterback. Goal achieved. However, |
| sales manager had only three basic bits of | | | | our struggling quarterback has persisted and |
| wisdom for a youngster starting out on a | | | | now that he has made a team he wants to play, |
| sales career:1. Make all of the mistakes you | | | | and knows, really knows that he will be a |
| must, once!2. Study and learn from each | | | | star if given a chance. It takes another |
| mistake you make!3. If you are torn between | | | | season, a few more injuries and he gets his |
| choices, and face a choice that might lead to | | | | shot. At the age of 28 he leads his team to a |
| a mistake, make the most aggressive | | | | Super Bowl championship, is the league Most |
| choice!Everybody makes mistakes. Coca-Cola | | | | Valuable Player, is named All Pro and signs a |
| brought out New Coke and almost murdered a | | | | multi-million dollar contract.Kurt Warner, |
| world famous brand. Merck was seriously | | | | our quarterback, is the most unlikely of |
| harmed by the failure of the prescription | | | | football successes. Every college team, every |
| drug Vioxx. What was the Ford Motor Car Co. | | | | scout and every professional team missed on |
| thinking in 1958 when the Edsel was | | | | him. In a sport where players are computer |
| introduced? There was the matter of a | | | | rated, graded, tested, weighed, timed, |
| President of the United States and an intern. | | | | quizzed and probed from high school onward |
| Pete Rose has lost his almost certain place | | | | not one assessment rated him a player of |
| in the Baseball Hall of Fame over | | | | potential. And yet, he is one of the best |
| gambling.The key is not the mistake, but | | | | players in professional football.Perseverance |
| learning from and not repeating the mistake. | | | | can not be taught. Some people quit at the |
| The only way we avoid mistakes (almost | | | | first sign of trouble. Edison tested over |
| impossible in all but the most sedentary | | | | 1000 versions of the light bulb before he |
| lives) is to never try anything new. | | | | perfected his invention. Kurt Warner would |
| Entrepreneurs are always going to try. The | | | | not listen to the experts telling to get on |
| successful ones make aggressive mistakes, | | | | with his life's work and that work would not |
| learn from their errors and this minimizes | | | | include football. He made his own luck |
| the probability of repeat errors.A baseball | | | | through work, sweat, sacrifice and |
| player is considered a star if a .300 batting | | | | perseverance.Geoff Ficke has been a serial |
| average is achieved. This means that failure | | | | entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small |
| is a result 70% of the times they bat. | | | | boy, earning his spending money doing odd |
| Players hate to make outs. No one could | | | | jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the |
| succeed at baseball unless they seek and | | | | value of selling himself, offering service |
| obtain a psychological comfort zone that | | | | and value for money.After putting himself |
| enables them to filter and balance the | | | | through the University of Kentucky (B.A. |
| mistakes in making outs and the positives | | | | Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in |
| they learn from making a base hit. | | | | the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke |
| | | | commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. |
| After an out is made, players can not wait | | | | After rising to National Sales Manager for |
| for their next trip to the plate to get | | | | Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then |
| another chance. This is the way entrepreneurs | | | | launched a number of ventures, including |
| think after a mistake is made.ResponsibilityA | | | | Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, |
| Congressman drives while drunk, crashes his | | | | Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.Mr. |
| car, hits a parked police vehicle and then | | | | Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa |
| claims amnesia. Did the dog ever eat your | | | | Marketing, Inc. ( has assisted businesses |
| homework? The NBC television news magazine 20 | | | | large and small, domestic and international, |
| 20 has run several shows showing men using | | | | entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new |
| the inter-net to organize meetings hoping to | | | | product development, capital formation, |
| conclude a sexual encounter with very young | | | | licensing, marketing, sales and business |
| girls. The men, caught in the act, always | | | | plans and successful implementation of his |
| deny intent, knowledge or responsibility. The | | | | customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow |
| top executives at Global Crossing, Enron and | | | | at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial |
| Adelphia scandalously bankrupted their huge | | | | Studies, Business School, Miami University, |
| businesses, costing thousands of employees | | | | Oxford, Ohio. |
| their jobs and pensions and millions of | | | | |