Fashion Business Owner Musings: Yes, You Are Lucky. So Am I.

Dear Designers,

There’s something I want to talk about that really gets under my skin. It’s the idea of luck. And, more accurately, how much of a role it plays in our success as business owners.

There are some really famous successful people who have been quoted as saying something about how their success has nothing to do with luck, how it’s all the hard work they’ve done over the years that made them successful.

I have a real problem with this.

Because I believe that very single person who has reached goals and successes in business is lucky.

You know why?

Because the mere fact that you were born into a position that makes it possible for you to even try to own a business, makes you lucky. 

Think about it. If you own a business, that means that you were able to take risks, try something difficult, be okay in the case of failure. Most of the people in the world are not born into a situation that allows them to do that. That, right there, makes us lucky.

I don’t care if you grew up poor, worked 18 hour days for 7 years straight, or had to sell everything you own. If you have a business, then you are lucky.

No one is arguing that hard work and skill don’t come into play. Of course they do.  And if someone implies that the only  reason you’re successful is because you’re lucky, then sure, argue that point and stand up for yourself. But if you are someone who believes that luck played no part in your success, I think you are very naive.

You are probably wondering why I am sounding so passionate about this.

To be honest, I’m not exactly sure. I got fired up while listening to a podcast with a very successful woman who said she gets insulted when people ask her if luck played a part in her success. This, after having just told all the listeners that she was able to leverage her relationship with college students from her alma mater to skyrocket her brand and connect with thousands of millennials. And who also mentioned during the interview that, when offered a job from a well-known company, she said “no, I’m going to do my own thing.”, and they instead offered to partner with her.

Are you kidding me?!  How can you say with a straight face that luck is not a factor.

I think I’m getting so worked up about this because I think gratitude is an incredibly important thing to embrace. I think that we all need to acknowledge what we have, what we’re thankful for, and how lucky we are in so many different ways.

When every time we open up the news we’re smacked in the face horrible stories, suffering, and hate, and we’re not suffering those same fates, we’re pretty freaking lucky.

Be grateful.  Feel lucky. Because you, we, are.

This is a bit different than my normal Musings, admittedly sounding much more like a rant. And  reading it back, I’m seeing that it is. But you know what? It needed to be said.  I needed to say it.

Thanks for listening.

As always, lots of love and encouragement,