Making a success story isn’t as easy as most make you think

Joshua Davidson
Startups.com
Published in
3 min readJun 6, 2017

Most do not realize the amount of work, dedication, and purpose that goes into something to be recognized by the outside world as a success.

For almost everyone on the outside, they will only see one thing and one thing only; the result.

Many will be amazed.

A few, jealous.

Some, wanting to learn what it took to become that overnight success.

This mentality is built into our culture. Movies have been made about entrepreneurs-turned-legends. Articles on Inc and Entrepreneur about how an individual is making millions a month, and how you can too.

Tips and advice on maximizing sleep habits, health, and other trends to hack your way into success.

They all claim to focus on the “right” thing, and worse, breed the next generation of wantrepreneurs. Fakes, phonies, egotistical individuals. Whatever it is that you want to call it.

The reality is if you want to be a successful entrepreneur, business leader, manager, executive; it’s not as one-dimensional nor as pretty as the media will make you think.

When you’re a freelancer and receive that $5,000.00 check from a customer; from the outside looking in, people seem amazed at you for receiving that for what could be only a few hours of work. What they do not realize, though, and no one except those who are putting in the work realizes, is the amount of time, effort, and work that got you to that point.

The sleepless nights wondering if you’ll be able to afford to eat tomorrow.

The years you were learning your craft and trying to improve.

The months of pure hustle, going door to door, selling yourself to get that one customer.

The hours put into delegating tasks with your team, your vendors, your partners.

The decades poured into keeping yourself sane, balanced, healthy and committed.

Success on the outside is black and white.

If you’re reading this blog post, you’ll realize, it is more than that.

It’s multi-dimensional. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes purpose, dedication, a commitment.

Think of how much work professional athletes put into their game before they step onto the field.

Think of the years of schooling and practice an attorney, doctor or engineer must complete before they can begin fully practicing their area of expertise.

Think of how long it took the greats in the entrepreneurial and execution world to get to where they are; all of the trial and error, failure, successes, networking, relationship building, portfolio creation, selling.

When you’re on the outside looking in, what we as entrepreneurs, creatives, leaders, business-folk do is sexy. It’s attractive. It looks attainable.

Here is the thing, it is.

It’s incredible.

It’s rewarding.

It gives purpose, and unlike many professions in the world; we have ways to track real success.

However, it isn’t “easily” attainable.

The very best, have taken years to get to this point. Years of real sacrifice, hardship. Forgoing social lives, health, family, income, stability, for the chance of something more. To be something greater.

Lives dedicated to their crafts.

Success is real in our field. The ability to create something great is in our grasps. However, don’t be naive. Don’t believe you can make success instantly happen. It takes years; it takes lifetimes, it takes purpose. The sooner you understand this, the more likely you’re able to put your ego to the side, block out the outside noise; and focus on what is most important, your craft.

www.ChopDawg.com

About Joshua Davidson: I’m a passionate student of entrepreneurship. I also build apps and help grow companies. Founder and CEO of ChopDawg.com. Co-host of #thePawdcast on iTunes. I’ve been featured on FOX, MSNBC, CBS, Technically, StartupGrind, Startups.co, StartupDigest, AOL, EliteDaily, Mashable and much more. Keynote speaker. Soon-to-be author (mid-2017).

Are you or your company looking for a talented development/design team to help build + scale your app? Email me personally (and directly) at Joshua@ChopDawg.com for a free consultation! I’d love to help you.

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Joshua Davidson
Startups.com

CEO of @ChopDawgStudios. A passionate student of entrepreneurship. 📚 Author of The Entrepreneur’s Framework. Speaker, radio & podcast host 📲 Philly sports fan