Overnight success stories are unicorns

Bruce Springsteen was not an overnight success story. 

“Born to Run” was a major hit when Springsteen was 26-years-old, but he had spent nearly a decade playing universities, prisons, and seedy bars.

Billy Joel’s relationship with Columbia Records was on its last legs before he released “The Stranger”, which featured hits like “Vienna” and “Only the Good Die Young”.

These are both examples of people who persevered despite some difficult times and dreams that looked like they would never materialize. 

Those experiences allowed Springsteen and Joel to learn, improve, experiment, and become consummate entertainers. 

When you see Springsteen in concert, he makes it look so easy and natural. But it has taken him a lifetime to become a master.

In an ultra-competitive world. It’s easy for marketers to get discouraged when success doesn’t happen. Campaigns don’t work. Content falls flat.

But the key is continuing to learn and grow. 

You need to take courses, build relationships with people who have been there and done that, and experiment and take risks.

Most successful people have done a lot of heavy lifting. It hasn’t been easy but they kept their heads down long enough to see the work pay off.