Jerry Weintraub: How To Persist in the Face of Failure
A story about Elvis, a nobody, and the longest cold-calling campaign in history.
Jerry Weintraub was one of the most influential talent agents and film producers in the history of Hollywood.
You can thank him for any concert you’ve attended in a large arena, a concept he came up with in the 70s. He managed tours for Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond.
But what can the late producer of the original Karate Kid and Ocean’s 11 teach you? What if you’re not in the show biz?
Well, no matter if you’re a writer, manager or art merchant, we all need one thing. Something without which, we’ll never reach our goals:
Persistence.
More than anything, persistence was the defining factor of Jerry’s life. My favorite line from his biography, When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead, is the following:
“The person who makes it is the person who keeps on going after everyone else has quit.”
…and no other story highlights it better than this one.
