“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” ― Thomas A. Edison

Food For Thought

Tenacity + The Right Thing = ?

It’s easy to be right about something when other people don’t see what you see.

It’s easy to be bold once.

It’s not actually that difficult to have a pretty good idea.

It’s a lot harder to do all those things a thousand times.

Two thousand.

Three.

If you’re looking to change the world – or heck, even just change yourself – being right isn’t enough. Having a great idea isn’t enough. Being bold isn’t enough.

You have to do all those things over and over. (And over.)

When Alex Mashinsky, CEO of the Celsius Network, talked to us on IT Visionaries, he gave us a glimpse into this idea. He was working on technology that would eventually replace traditional phone lines, and many people scoffed at the thought of that industry giant ever taking a tumble:

“They’d say: ‘You can’t bring down the phone companies, they’re the strongest, most powerful companies on the planet.’ And those companies used to charge us three dollars a minute to call our friends and family. And now we are having this phone call with you for free. So tenacity, and doing the right thing, does pay off.”

It’s not just being smart, and it’s not just having a good idea. It’s sticking to it. The haters were so busy telling other people they couldn’t subvert the powers that be, they didn’t see when it got done.

Go into today with that knowledge. With that grit. You have the power to change things. Even if they seem impossible at the time –

They might not be impossible always.

Deep Dive

Building The “Impossible”

Hey. Things can seem impossible until they’re done. Here’s a list of long-shot tech ideas that are now a part of our reality. Thanks, Tenacity.

Further Reading

Got Grit?

If you’re looking for the deciding factor in success, don’t look at IQ. Don’t look at creativity. Look at Grit. In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Dr. Angela Duckworth looks at the factor that most accurately determines success. Can you guess what it is? ?

Marketing Trends

Purpose-Driven Marketing

Marketing has always been about more than just marketing for Paul D’Arcy. Throughout his entire career, Paul has sought to understand the purpose behind the messaging that he delivers. That passion for purpose has led Paul to serve as the CMO of MessageOne, Executive Director of Americas Marketing and Global Demand Gen at Dell, and now serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Indeed.

On this episode, Paul discusses his entry into marketing and what he has learned thus far in his career, including the importance of being purpose-driven, creating long-term customer memory, and maximizing creativity.

? Listen to the episode. ?

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(This was originally published on June 4, 2019 as the Mission’s daily newsletter. To subscribe, go here.)