Are you the type to Keep Agoin'?

Keep a-goin'!

Kind of catchy huh?

Well it's Monday about 9:02 AM
on May 9th.

So if you're ready for another blog post,
here you go.

Over the years I have discovered that most people fail in business because they
give up too soon. It doesn't require anything to give up and quit, but it does
require some courage and stamina to "keep a-goin'". I don"t know if you've ever
heard the story of Charlie Lubin or not, but perhaps more than any other, it
exemplifies the point of this blog.

Again, remember the name Charlie Lubin. It's important as you read the story.

Charlie made a great cheesecake.

In fact, it was so good that he decided to
open a cheesecake store on the north side of Chicago.

The store was so successful that in time, he decided to open a second store on the south side of the city. Unfortunately that store did not do well and because of overwhelming expenses, he eventually lost both stores.

One night he sat in his room eating some of the great cheesecake that he made
and thought, "I know this is good cheesecake!"

He decided to try again. He opened his original store on the north side of Chicago and decided to just stick with one store.

However, after a while, he opened a second store and once again,
fate struck. He ended up losing both stores because of the financial drain that
the additional store was on the entire business operation.

Still convinced that he had a great product, a few months later he opened shop
for a third time, and guess what? It did extremely well. Business was booming!
So, for the third time he opened a second store and for the third time, it
failed!

I know this sounds ridiculous and without driving you crazy as you read this
story, believe it or not, it happened a fourth time! That's right, four
different times Charlie opened a store that succeeded and a second one that
failed, causing him to lose them both. After the fourth time, he was ready to
give up.

However, Charlie was certain that he made a great cheesecake and that everyone
would love it, so, he decided to open a store - one more time. Only this time,
he changed the name of his store and named his cheesecake and bakery after his
daughter, Sarah Lee. And the rest, as they say, is history. It became one of
the world's largest bakeries.

What amazed me about that story is not that Charlie failed four different times,
but that he failed in the same way four different times. You would think after
one or two times, he would have learned his lesson. But, because he was
convinced that he had a good product, he decided that he would keep a-goin'.

I think Charlie must have memorized the poem that by Frank L. Stanton. His life certainly demonstrated it!

If you strike a thorn or rose,
Keep a-goin'!
If it hails or if it snows,
Keep a-goin'!
'Taint no use to sit an' whine
When the fish ain't on your line;
Bait your hook an' keep a-tryin'--
Keep a-goin'!

When the weather kills your crop,
Keep a-goin'!
Though 'tis work to reach the top,
Keep a-goin'!
S'pose you're out o' ev'ry dime,
Gittin' broke ain't any crime;
Tell the world you're feelin' prime--
Keep a-goin'!

When it looks like all is up,
Keep a-goin'!
Drain the sweetness from the cup,
Keep a-goin'!
See the wild birds on the wing,
Hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like singin', sing--
Keep a-goin'!

I have to tell you, it's been a difficult last three years.

I've had to more or less reinvent myself.

Have there ever been times I wanted to throw
in the towel and quit?

Oh yeah. You bet!

There have been some huge challenges along the
way and it has not been easy, but it has done more
to mature me than just about anything else that has
transpired in my life.

I plan on continuing to be an encouragement to as many people
as I can until the end comes.

I have come too far to turn back now, so I guess, like Charlie,
I'll just keep a-goin'! And whatever your endeavor, I hope you
will keep a-goin' with me!

Today's BIG Tip: Keep a-goin'!

Have a great week!

See you on Wednesday.

God bless you!