I’m spending the next week in Disney World with my family.
Last night I watched my kids sing & clap to The Silly Song with Dopey & Grumpy.
After dinner, I couldn’t stop thinking about Walt Disney’s story.
Here’s what most people don’t know:
(Side note: that was my best attempt at a grumpy face)
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination and having no good ideas.”
His first animation company went bankrupt.
302 banks rejected him before he got financing for Disneyland.
302 rejections!
Most people would’ve quit after rejection 5.
But Walt understood something that separates winners from losers.
You never lose if you never give up.
Every “no” was just data, not a verdict.
Every rejection was moving him closer to the right opportunity.
Every failure taught him something he needed to know for the next attempt.
This is exactly what I see with successful entrepreneurs:
- Their first location barely made money for 6 months
- Their first hire quits after 2 weeks
- Their marketing isn’t converting
They see this as part of the process
But the ones who fail?
They quit after the first rejection.
They tolerate mediocre employees because they don’t want to go through the hiring process again.
They interpret every challenge as proof they “aren’t cut out for this.”
The business doesn’t care about your timeline.
It only cares about your persistence.
Every problem you solve makes you stronger.
Every rejection teaches you something valuable.
Every month you stick with it compounds your advantage.
Most people give up right before the breakthrough.
Don’t be most people.
Be like Walt.
Build something magical.
Cheers!
Brian
