Do you have the tenacity of Abe Lincoln?

When my fellow entrepreneurs opine to me that starting a business is hard, I certainly agree but I also know that its some of the most rewarding work one will do.  The one thing that really defines success for entrepreneurs is tenacity.  Sure, you need a talented team, a great idea, and some luck. 

We all know the stories of the young wunderkind that hits on that great idea, lands on the cover of Fortune and amasses huge sums of money.  The reality is that it takes time and most of us entrepreneurs spend many years building real businesses.  The "quick" flips that you hear Joe Startup talk about at industry parties certainly happen but are not the way to build a real business (especially when quick flips don’t happen that often or that fast). 

You’ve got to be tenacious about your companies vision and goal.  Whenever, I have had a tough day I think about Abraham Lincoln.  Man, you’d have to be tough to run this marathon of failures and/or absolutely believe that you are on the right track.  Check this out:

Failed in business – 1831
Lost election for legislature – 1832
Failed again in business – 1834
Sweetheart died – 1835
Nervous breakdown – 1836
Lost second political race – 1838
Defeated for Congress – 1843
Defeated for congress – 1846
Defeated for congress – 1848
Defeated for US Senate – 1855
Defeated for vice President – 1856
Defeated for US Senate – 1858
Elected President – 1860

So, the next time you feel like you are having a tough time.  Just look at the career timeline of
Honest Abe.