11 Million People Heard the Judges from America's Got Talent tell her... "You're Not Good Enough!"4/20/2018 
Yes, it's absolutely true -- Pop-violinist Lindsey Stirling was actually told that she was “Not Good Enough” in front of a live television audience of over 11 Million people on the nationally televised show America’s Got Talent in 2014. In her own words... “I was devastated.” She went on to say that she had to admit that “It was not my best performance… as a matter of fact I collapsed under the pressure.” It would be very safe to say, that she has gotten past all of that... as a matter of fact, she is way past it. You may, or may not even know the name Lindsey Stirling, but if you watch YouTube videos at all, her videos are a phenomenon. Many of her videos have well over 100,000,000 views – YES, that’s 100 MILLION!! Most Entrepreneurs can only dream of having that kind of exposure. When you think of a violinist, the first thing that comes to mind is NOT that she would have a following on YouTube of THAT magnitude. But, Lindsey Stirling is NOT your average violinist. Spend a few minutes and watch the video below, and you’ll begin to understand what I am talking about. Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend a sold-out concert with Lindsey Stirling -- one of many she does these days -- at the university our daughter attends. Let me just say, it was the most amazing, emotional, creative, visually stimulating concert we have EVER witnessed. It was an evening of pure joy that we were honored to be able to experience! If you ever have opportunity, I recommend it highly. You won’t be disappointed! Now, I thought there would largely be a younger college-age audience, but that was not the case. In fact, there were people from all age groups in attendance – from 9 and 10 year-olds, all the way up to many senior citizens. She has a following (think "customers") today that transcends age. From that devastating performance in 2014, Lindsey Stirling could have just as easily crawled into a hole, and given up on her dreams and ambitions. As a matter of fact, she was told on national television that she needed to be part of a performance group, that she just couldn’t be unique enough to be a solo-performer that could fill music halls and arena's. Wow, the judges certainly got that one wrong! Here are three key questions for you:
Obviously, Lindsey Stirling didn’t give up. She continued to have confidence in her abilities and her dreams. That failure on national TV propelled Lindsey to work harder, to keep at it, and most importantly, to ignore “the experts” that were judging her that day. In the process she has now perfected her style, her talent, her violin playing capabilities, while simultaneously using perfect ballet-style dance steps at a level that is simply unparalleled. Lindsey Stirling has become a star in her own right and a professional performance artist par excellence. So, how did she pick herself up from that devastating appearance on America’s Got Talent, to become what she is today? I certainly don’t know all the details, but I know that she has grit. She has confidence in her abilities. She was not willing to listen to her detractors. She was not willing to give-up on either herself or her dreams. She was simply not willing to quit! And in the process, she found an audience (customers) that was willing to embrace her for who she is, the talent she portrays and performs, the message she delivers, and the emotions she is able to draw out through her performances. The message for you is exactly the same, and being successful in your own business is no different. In fact, it requires the same grit, persistence, confidence, ignoring your detractors, and not being willing to quit. The bottomline: There are no secrets nor shortcuts to success. If you are to achieve the success you see for yourself, those that you have dreamed about for months and maybe even years, dreams that you are actively pursuing right now – then you will need the same resolve and determination as Lindsey Stirling. Once you’ve done that, it’s simply a matter of getting up every day, figuring out the details, pursuing the next opportunity that is before you, creating more opportunities than you have now, building a team of business professionals, and a following of exuberant customers who love what you do and will buy what you have to offer. By the way, Customers are your following, if you haven't picked-up on that by now. Don’t take them for granted, continue to give with all you have, and they will reward you beyond your wildest dreams and imagination!! Until next time… I look forward to seeing you in the trenches, where we're building businesses and living the Entrepreneurial dream!
Following are a few highlights about myself and my background:
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Welcome to my brand… the Business School of Hard Knocks™ What’s in a name… why have I chosen to use the name of the Business School of Hard Knocks™? If most Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners were completely honest with themselves, they would agree that part of the process of building a successful business – and this applies to virtually ANY business – is that they have been run through the business wringer of adversity on their way to the success they have achieved. And the reality is, this happens to one degree or another, regardless of how much preparation or education an Entrepreneur and small business owner may have had prior to launching their first business. As you already know, because you’ve lived it, there’s no such thing as a straight line upward to success. Part of the challenge we face as Entrepreneurs is, more often than not, we don’t know what we don’t know… until we have been through it. So this reality forces us to make decisions without all of the knowledge and specifics we might otherwise like to have, and some of those decisions will inevitably be bad decisions that we have to “pay” for one way or another. If you're like me, then I know you’ve had some successes, many challenges to overcome, and likely, even some abject failures along the way; all leading to the success you enjoy today, or sometime in your past, as an Entrepreneur. So, all of these amazing experiences - what I like to call the good, the bad and the ugly - are an unavoidable part of the Entrepreneurial process of achieving success, that should not only be recognized, but even celebrated! Instead, more often than not, the difficult and challenging part of the entrepreneurial journey and experience are simply swept under the rug as though they never even happened. However, it is my contention that ALL of these experiences contribute to your self-made education, and, as a whole, make up what I am calling the Business School of Hard Knocks™. It's net positive for you, and for the world as a whole by going through it. Now, if you’ve been an Entrepreneur for any length of time, and have experience in launching and building a business, or businesses, as the case may be, then you know what I am talking about. Thus, this is an introduction to what I plan to become a very major brand, and frankly even a movement, with the goal and mission to honor, celebrate, educate and support small business Entrepreneurs of all stripes. As a matter of fact, if I could look down the road just 10 short years from now, I want to have 100,000 Alumni members of the Business School of Hard Knocks™. Now, wouldn't that be a movement of "Entrepreneurial Power" worth Celebrating? Just imagine how many lives would be positively impacted in the process. I can't wait to get this going, and I hope YOU will be one of the thousands upon thousands who will join me in this cause! Whether you are a relatively new Entrepreneur who has embarked on your very first business venture, or if you’re more like me, an Entrepreneur who has been around the block a few times – or somewhere in between – it is my goal to be able to provide some great insights for you through the various touch-points available on this website, and within this Blog, which I am titling "Success... Against All Odds!", that will inspire you to continue building your business, overcome whatever challenges may come along, provide you some needed honor and recognition, and allow you the opportunity to thrive and achieve the success you both desire and deserve. This brand incorporates several touch points that will all work together toward this end including:
Let’s start by focusing on the content of this Blog. The core of this Blog will be about Entrepreneurs. Preferably as time goes by, I want this to focus on you and your story as a loyal follower of my brand. you and your story. Until I have a large enough following to do that, I will be posting other related and inspiring stories where I feel the content and the inspiration is appropriate for our purpose here. And, our purpose here is to Empower and Inspire you to just keep going, working through your difficulties - "Success... Against All Odds!" - whatever they may be today, or tomorrow One thing I want you to understand is that I do not profess or purport to be “all knowing” when it comes to business – even with nearly 30 years of being an Entrepreneur, small business owner and business consultant. As it seems appropriate, I may even have an occasional guest author. If you would like to be a guest author, and have a particular expertise you would like to lend to this Blog, please contact me directly by clicking here, and we’ll see where you might best fit in. Keep in mind, I be validating your business experience, and will ask you for samples of writing you have done previously to assure that the quality of your work will meet the appropriate standard. We reserve the right to approve or reject any work submitted. In conclusion for this inaugural Blog post, thank you for your interest and please share this blog with your contacts and associates about what you have found here that is most meaningful to you. Until next time… I look forward to seeing you in the trenches, where we're building businesses, and living the Entrepreneurial dream! About Kyle Robinson Following are a few highlights about myself and my background.
I welcome your comments and feedback, and if you know Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners that will also benefit from this Blog, and my products and services, I invite your to share my website and Blog with your friends and colleagues. Thank you and once again Welcome to my Blog and my Brand!
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