As Gary Vee aptly states, “without hustle, your talent will only get you so far”. During my 10+ years working with hundreds of startups it has become very apparent who is not going to make it. It is those who may have great talent or a great idea, but do not have the patience and passion to see it through to the end. They do not respect the hustle. The true winners in any field, be it sports or business, are always looking to achieve more. Think of Ronaldo in soccer, Steph Curry in basketball, and Sarah Blakely and Elon Musk in business, they never stop.
“Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anais Nin
Because they never turn off great things happen to them or more likely they make great things happen. The lifelong winners never stop to rest on their laurels. They celebrate their successes and enjoy life to the fullest, but are always looking for ways to improve and find the next opportunity.
“Contrary to popular opinion, the hustle is not a dance step – it’s an old business procedure.” – Fran Lebowitz
The world “hustle”, can often have negative connotations. To clarify, in the context of entrepreneurship and business, I refer to “hustle” as the act of obtaining through energetic activity.
It’s the art of being on. Whether I am at the Accelerator meeting with a founder, on a zoom call with an investor, or playing soccer on Sunday mornings, I always focus on being my best self and creating positive exchanges with people. I try to bring the best out of myself and the people I interact with.
Always hustling signifies that you are always working hard and that you are always moving forward. One of my all-time favourite quotes is from the remarkable Pablo Picasso:
“Action is the foundational key to all success.”
In entrepreneurship, indecision is death and action is life. Those who become hugely successful and remain successful, know this secret. Because they are constantly moving forward, they are continuously evolving.
If you want to build a successful company and more importantly a successful life, remember “Always Hustle”