Lesson 78: Persistence
About the Searcher
Persistence is the plant that grows through concrete even though concrete is heavy and strong. The accomplishments we see - the branches and leaves - are what sprout from the seeds we plant and tend to daily. I saw the power of persistence this summer at my internship:
This summer, I learned about persistence at my internship at Sterling Labs with CEO and owner Tim O’Donnell. Sterling is a full-service environmental and industrial hygiene laboratory acquired by Tim after graduating from Chicago Booth. His team of lab technicians and project managers work around the clock to test water and soil samples for unsafe compounds - a critical service I took for granted before this internship. For his team to deliver reliable results on time, they operate with persistence.
Watching Tim this summer was a masterclass in how to operate a business as a CEO. I shadowed his daily meetings with his managers where he provided the critical thought partnership needed to help the lab increase capacity and reduce the margin of error. In a small business, CEO’s need a sustained discipline with their team if they are ever going to help their company break through concrete to see the light of day.
About Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
I will apply the same daily discipline as I begin my journey. Before becoming a CEO, the Searcher needs to generate leads (meaning opportunities to speak with serious Sellers), which can be challenging. My strategy for this difficult task involves a combination of 1) email, 2) phone, and 3) in-person outreach:
I plan to attend FABTECH in Chicago next month, a conference for people in the fabricating, welding, and metal-forming industry. While this tactic is in-person, all three strategies are necessary to generate strong leads when searching for an acquisition.
About the Bigger Picture:
Each path requires persistence for days, weeks, and months at a time. My vision is to leverage my influence as a Black business leader to pursue economic justice. If the only thing standing between me and realizing this vision is not quitting then I will keep going. I consider myself an extrovert, energized by interactions with people. However, most of this outreach will go unanswered and the rejection can be taxing. It requires a secure person with mental fortitude to never give up.
The plant that cracks the concrete is not stronger than cement, but continues to push through the cracks until reaching the surface. It is a testament to the power of persistence.
This is Lesson 78: Persistence. Next week is Lesson 79: Presence.
