Learning From Failure: An Important Part of Success

"This organization does not tolerate failure"

Failing at something is often seen as a stigma rather than as a learning experience.  It is impossible to succeed at everything at life but the fault is to make any failure seem larger than it actually is.  Treat it as an opportunity for growth, as have these famous personalities!

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something.  But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
Abraham Lincoln


Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.
Bill Gates


Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. 
Winston Churchill

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
 Robert F. Kennedy


The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
Henry Ford

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
Beverly Sills

Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I've met people who don't want to try for fear of failing. 
J.K. Rowling

When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. 
Ellen DeGeneres




People think that the opposite of success is failure, but it's not. Failure is part of the process of success. 
Randy Gage

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. 
Dale Carnegie

 


Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. 
Confucius

Have you ever failed at something in your life?  Just like a child that fails at his first attempt at walking, it's persevering that overcomes all obstacles that may be in the way.




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Star Wars: Some Lessons From the Franchise On How To Achieve Success

It's hard to believe, but it's been 43 years since the original Star Wars was released in 1977. Made for $11 million and debuting initially at only 32 theaters, the movie became a cultural milestone that spawned a franchise worth untold billions of dollars.  It's truly a remarkable outcome for a film set "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...".

Many important business lessons can be learned by the Star Wars franchise, one of the most successful in movie history and still going strong after more than 40 years. 

This all started with a science fiction movie that few took seriously when it was being produced.  George Lucas believed in it and did the work required to make it an overwhelming triumph in movie-making.

What lessons can be learned from his success?

1) Believe in Your Product

Lucas developed the idea for Star Wars when he was making his hit film, American Graffiti.  Made for $777,000, American Graffiti grossed $115 million for Universal Pictures, an extremely high profit margin.  Despite this, Universal turned down Lucas' proposal for the Star Wars movie.

One might see where Universal was coming from since directing a hit teen comedy or a cult film like THX 1138 doesn't necessarily translate to directing a hit science fiction movie. Like the record companies that turned down the Beatles, they failed to see a future moneymaker when they saw it.

Despite the rejection, Lucas kept working on his project and was rewarded when 20th Century Fox agreed to finance the movie.

2) Do The Work Without Reinventing the Wheel

Star Wars was a massive summer hit when it was released but it wasn't a groundbreaking movie in itself.  Lucas used comic books and old movie serials such as Buck Rogers as foundations for the movie's plot.  He would also use old-fashioned inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark and its sequels.  If it worked in the past, it will work in the future - even in outer space.

For the dogfights in space, Lucas went through old war movies such as Battle of \Britain and used the aerial footage as a basis for the battles between the TIE fighters and the X-Wings.  The gunfights between the Rebels and the Stormtroopers wouldn't have looked out or place in any western or war movie.  It was all about rah-rah action with clearly defined good guys and bad guys.

His film THX 1138 was a bleak film for adults about the future which had little action and sparse dialogue.  Star Wars, set in a galaxy far, far away, was a film for kids of all ages with wall-to-wall action scenes depicting the timeless battle of good vs evil- in this case, Luke Skywalker vs the evil Darth Vader.

3) Don't Be Afraid To Tinker

Luke Skywalker was originally supposed to a be a general and an older man.  Lucas thought better of it and made Luke a young man who was learning how to be a true warrior who would defeat the bad guy and save the galaxy, something than every male teen would want to identify with.  Lucas also changed his name from Luke Starkiller to Skywalker.  It was a subtle change but an effective one.

Han Solo was originally supposed to be a gilled alien with green skin.  Lucas wisely changed him into a good-looking quick-draw renegade loner who played by his own rules.  This obviously appealed to teen boys and girls who might have found Luke Skywalker a bit too square.

Stars Wars with an elderly Luke and a green alien Han Solo would have possibly made Universal Studios correct in their initial estimate of the movie's success. A bit of tinkering on Lucas' part turned the movie into a billion-dollar franchise.

Lucas also had the last word on casting.  As he relates, “I was under this great pressure from 20th Century Fox to cast ‘names’...They wanted me to take Jodie Foster or Amy Irving – I wanted Carrie Fisher. I wanted new faces. That’s why I chose Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford.”

4) Take Less Now For A Whole Lot More Later

When shooting on Star Wars wrapped up, Lucas was owed about $500,000 from Fox studio in directing fees, up from the $150,000 he made for American Graffiti. 

The film went over budget, from $8 million to $11 million.  When Fox executives were shown an advanced screening of the film, they weren't impressed,  Apparently several fell asleep.  Lucas' friend Brian De Palma said the rough cut was one of the worst things he had ever seen (said in jest but still a bit hurtful).

After all that, Lucas made a request to Fox executives, which went something like this:

Lucas:  About the $500,000 you owe me, let's make a deal that will save you some money.

Fox Executives:  We're listening.

Lucas:  I'll take only $150,000 if you give me the sequel and merchandising rights for the movie.

Fox Executives (thinking any sequels or merchandising revenue were a fantasy):  You got a deal.

What happened next, of course, is on par with Universal's decision not to be involved with the film in the first place.  Fox did save a few hundred thousand dollars but gave up billions in future revenue. They hoped Star Wars would at least make their money back but didn't anticipate the huge success of sequels like Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi or the enormous avalanche of products such as toy light-sabers and action dolls.  Merchandising revenue from movies was seen as being a given for a company like Walt Disney but not for a science fiction film with a cast of mostly unknowns.  Of course, Disney will now make billions in merchandising sales from the Force Awakens.

Sir Alec Guiness, ironically enough, was also paid $150,000 but he was additionally offered 2% of the producer's profits for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi.  He didn't think much of the film, being a classically-trained British actor, but he signed on and would eventually make over $100 million!

5) Know Your Customers

The executives at Fox didn't like Star Wars when they saw the finished product.  They thought it was boring or hard to understand or packed with characters that were too weird.  Some fell asleep during the viewing.  This probably led them to accept the trade of money for future rights.

George Lucas, on the other hand, had a good idea what the general public wanted in an action movie, even if it was set in a far-off galaxy.  He also knew that even a character such as Chewbacca would be instantly beloved, given that he got the idea for him by observing his huge dog in the front seat of his car.

After all, what's cuter than your pet dog riding along with you, whether in a car or in the Millenium Falcon?

In hindsight, the success of Star Wars looks to have been a foregone conclusion but the steps in obtaining that success took both hard work and a lot of determination a vision through, no matter what the 'experts' believed.

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"The Medium Is The Message": It's Not Just What You Say...

Canadian philosopher and noted public figure Marshal Mcluhan coined the phrase 'The medium is the message' in his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964.

According to the entry in Wikipedia, "McLuhan proposes that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study."

What Does It Mean?

Here is one way to look at it:

It's your friend's birthday.  How do you plan to wish him a Happy Birthday?  

The message is 'Happy Birthday'.

The medium determines how good a friend that person is.

There are different ways (or types of medium) to wish him Happy Birthday.

* You send a Facebook greeting - you post on his wall 'Happy Birthday'.

* You send a text saying 'Happy Birthday'.

* You give him a phone call to wish him a Happy Birthday.

* You drive to his house and wish him 'Happy Birthday ' in person.

* You drive to his house with Adele.  You moved heaven and earth to get Adele to sing Happy Birthday in person to him!

A text birthday greeting - very casual friend.

An Adele birthday greeting - best friend of all time!

The message 'Happy Birthday' is the same - the medium is the important part.



Another Example

A man wants to wish his wife a Happy Anniversary.

If he merely sends a text wishing 'Happy Anniversary" - big trouble!

If he hires Rod Stewart to serenade her 'Happy Anniversary' - out-of-the-world reaction.

If he says 'Happy Anniversary' with a kiss and flowers - also a very happy medium.

The same concept works with a marriage proposal.  A marriage proposal on bended knee with an expensive diamond ring or proclaimed on a scoreboard at a Major League baseball game is a lot different than a text message saying "Will you marry me?".

What Is The Message?

Pay attention to the medium.  In business, how a message is conveyed is the same as what the message actually is.  It works the same in social media.  A Tweet is different than a blog entry which is different from a Google+ update.

And so on.

Of course, a lot has been written about 'The medium is the message' in much greater detail than in this blog.

This blog was merely a medium!

So, listen to the message but also pay attention to the medium.


Steven Ratnik


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Exploring The Meaning of Success

"Nothing succeeds like success!"

Success can be described in one way as the opposite of failure althought there are many shades of grey in between these two concepts.  In an earlier post, I talked about Overcoming the Fear of Failure through quotes by famous people.

In this blog, you can read some quotes by famous people about achieving success.  Most successful people will tell you that a lot of hard work is involved along with a bit of luck.  It is there for the taking to those who put in the effort and know what they want.


 Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
David Brinkley

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
Henry Ford

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
Booker T. Washington

 
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
Abraham Lincoln

Action is the foundational key to all success.
Pablo Picasso

Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.
Oscar Wilde

One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Benjamin Disraeli

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie


They succeed, because they think they can.
Virgil

There are also quotes such as "I'm rich because I won the lottery!" or "I inherited my parents' success!" but these apply only to the fortunate few. Read about the people you admire who have achieved success and the methods they used to achieve it. There's a good chance that you can apply the same principles and do likewise. Take a chance and work hard!

Steven Ratnik


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A Look at Bruce Poon Tip's 'Looptail'

Looptail is the new book by Bruce Poon Tip. founder of G Adventures.  It's his story about how the company was formed by an idea and a couple of credit cards.  The book gives some pointers about how to run a company using the Looptail, a process in which you get what you give.

Looptail is indeed a fascinating look at Bruce Poon Tip and the formation of his travel company, G Adventures (formerly GAP).  He doesn't pull any punches about the difficulties he encountered growing up facing prejudice after his family moved to Canada, the difficulties he faced while starting up his travel company and the difficulties he ran up against from the travel industry in forming a company that ran against the grain of basic tourist packaged trips.  He even encounters resistance from his own workers as he tries to bring forward his vision as to how the company should run, one that goes beyond mere numbers.

It is a story that can be shared from many entrepreneurs who started up companies that ran against the grain.  You have to convince yourself that your idea will work,  You have to convince family and friends that you're not irrational.  You have to convince people and financial institutions that your idea is worth funding and you have to convince those you hire at first that the company will succeed and prosper.  Bruce Poon Tip tells his story in a very entertaining and insightful manner, such that the book reads like a can't-put-down thriller.

What do you do when you're told that your ship, carrying 154 passengers, crew and staff, is sinking off the Antarctic and the world is watching your every move?  How would you react if you were offered $70 million for your company?  Could you manage an escape if you were arrested and held prisoner in Burma? How Poon Tip handles these instances and many more gives great insights into what made him successful.  The book also shows other aspects of his career such as the best ways to give back to communities all over the world and how to deal with employee issues, including handling the bottom 10% of  workers who are most involved in the company's extra-curricular activities but do the least actual work.  He makes it clear that being unpopular (to the point of actual threats) comes with the territory when you're trying to take your company in a new direction and shake employees out of their comfort zone.

Bruce Poon Tip writes, "To me, someone creating a company isn't any different than an artist who writes a song or creates a painting or a magnificent sculpture. Art is about putting your ideas, thoughts, heart and soul into your work."  He definitely put all those elements into Looptail, a book that is recommended for anyone looking for insights into how to run a successful business while maintaining one's positive karma.  It is not your typical book but, then again, Bruce Poon Tip isn't your typical person.  Read Looptail and find out why.

Bruce and myself at the beach

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