You're only a failure if you don't try.

Stop hiding behind yourself and just do the thing!

I was sitting at the bar in 1982, nursing my shattered ego. I had just gotten fired from my radio job (that’s another story) and was trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to make it. My mentor was with me, talking me down from the ceiling. We discussed the possibility of me starting an ad agency. There was no service like that in my Midwestern town. I had strong relationships, I was creative, a fast learner, and a good salesperson.

BUT what if it bombed?

The bartender had been listening to our conversation. He finally said, “Look, so what if it bombs? You’re only a failure if you don’t try.”

And so it began. We ordered another drink and started scribbling down possible names for my new venture on the back of a cocktail napkin.

I was off to the races.

WHAT AM I GETTING MYSELF INTO??? 😳

Seriously… what in the hell was I thinking? I had no college degree. I had worked in retail, tended bar, done radio sales and on-air work. I had zero agency experience. Just chutzpah. And a desire to buy groceries.

I might still be tending bar if I hadn’t been for Pam. Pam, my feisty Italian pal who had also been my boss at the radio station (she left before I got the axe), was invaluable with her free advice and astute observations. And today, she’s 80 years young and still supportive of my ambition. We hooked up a few years ago for drinks (the woman can drink wine!) and she’s still bad ass.

Remember, the year is 1982 when I took the plunge into entrepreneurship. I got a Mac computer (the original one, by the way…I thought I was the shit!), some business cards, letterhead, and a printer. What more did I need? Turns out, I needed a designer. I found one waiting tables in a steakhouse in the mall. She would show up after her lunch shift smelling like grilled t-bones and design the newspaper ads we needed. (Ah, the cut and paste days.)

OMG… THE MONEY!!!

I got a loan for a whopping $3000 and bought a Tascam 4 track reel-to-reel, mixer, microphone, and a two track so I could record radio and television voice overs. But if I needed to cut a spot, we had to unplug the phones and be very quiet! No booth yet. Dear God. 😂

As we grew, I took on two partners. Using our houses as collateral, we got a loan for $165,000, and started the video production company. Talk about scared to death. That was a big-ass loan payment. We set up a studio, and I worked the phones until the first prospect said yes! Damn, there’s no more exuberant feeling like that first sale!

Yes… this is me in a suit with shoulder pads, our Betacam (state of the art back then “I got that B Roll!”), and red lipstick. 🤣

Pam had told me, “Surround yourself with people smarter than you and they will push you to the top.” And man, I had the best… graphic designers, web designers, a superb videographer, office manager, and a revolving intern program. They put up with my mistakes and missteps and I made sure they were part of the successes. We won awards, got nominated for two regional Emmy awards, drank a lot, cussed constantly, and had all the fun.

Until it wasn’t fun… at least for me. After 32 years, 7 months, 14 days, and 7 hours of being in business for myself, (but who’s counting) I was done. Making payroll, paying taxes, worrying if that new campaign is going to be successful, took its toll. Managing creative people and clients is mentally draining. Lucky for me, I was able to sell the company, though it didn’t last but a few years under the accountant mentality that took it over. Still breaks my heart.

My little ad agency was the engine that didn’t know it could. Stubborn determination and a genuine desire to do a good job fueled that engine, qualities I still possess.

The lesson here? Listen to your bartender. 👍