“Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Work ethic, persistence, and a tremendous fear of failure has driven me my entire life to whatever level of success I’ve ever been able to achieve. I wonder how many people still understand that they too are where they are, wherever they are, due almost entirely to their work ethic and persistence.

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.” ~ Michelangelo

I don’t believe my work ethic is that much more than many people. In fact, whatever it is compared to others is completely unimportant to me. On the other hand I believe my persistence can be something others can learn from. I can be quite stubborn.

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

I began my radio career making $600 per month, working 6 days per week in as tiny a radio market as you can imagine in Raymond, WA. Over seven years I moved up and through five different radio stations, constantly increasing my income, until I was on the verge of working in a major market, Seattle. Working in Everett, WA at the now defunct KWYZ Radio 123 taught me I was on the right track. I was a kid amongst radio luminaries. Every on-air person at the station had considerable work experience in Seattle, and other major markets. I was the exception. I had to put in long hours just to keep up, and not look like I didn’t belong. While still not even making $20,000 per year, I was happy.

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers

KWYZ went bankrupt in 1991. Radio 123’s business failure led me into a new career; sales. My wife was 8 months pregnant with our second child and I felt I couldn’t afford to stay on unemployment waiting for the next on-air gig to open that I may or may not land. I often feel our current recession has been made much worse by an unwillingness of many unemployed Americans to change careers like I did, because they were willing to take unemployment for 99 weeks. Starting over again, at the bottom of the barrel ended up leading me to higher income and higher living standards than before.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” ~ Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

I made only $22,000 my first year in sales. But I made $30k in year two, $40k in year 3, $50,ooo in year 5 and more every year until year thirteen when I left someone else’s employ and started Total Broadcasting Service. Had I not persisted those first two years when my income was not high, the other higher income may never have come. And my beloved self-employment may never have materialized.

The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.  ~Author Unknown

Total Broadcasting Service made more revenue each of its first four years until the nationwide recession nearly sunk us in 2009. Since 2009 we’ve put together consecutive years of improved sales and nearly halfway through 2012 are on pace for our best year.

And in having taken that detour into sales for 13 years I was led back to the microphone. My voice is now heard regularly all over the country in the radio spots I write and produce, and the narrative I voice in the Total Broadcasting marketing videos we produce. My voice and my written words are now seen and heard by 10s of thousands, possibly 100s of thousands of people each week; far more than how many were aware of me before the necessary detour 20 years ago.

Like many Americans these days, we have struggled the past few years and built up too much credit card debt early in the recession which makes getting healthier and stronger more difficult. I am personally sick and tired of the struggle the past 3-4 years has been. But, not so sick and tired that I can’t persist.

When should YOU quit you may ask yourself in times of despair? Someone once wrote:

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.” ~ Richard Bach

For me, and maybe for you too, it’s taking too long. But we’ll get there. We’ll persist and work our way through it, happily.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

June 4, 2012
Categories: Business . Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Ethics, History, Muhammad Ali, persistence, Richard Bach, Seattle, Theodore Roosevelt, United States, work ethic . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Work Ethic- What it’s done for Me.