You fell down the first time you tried to walk.

You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn’t you?

Did you hit the ball the first time you swung the bat?

Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot.

R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.

English Novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books.

Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he also hit 714 home runs.

Don’t worry about failure.

Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.

My grandmother sent me a copy of this poem 20 years ago, and I had it hanging in my room for years. I recently shared copies with a class I’m teaching and thought it was worth posting here. I hope you enjoyed it.

Don’t be afraid to fail.

This poem, Don’t be Afraid to Fail, was published in the Wall Street Journal as part of an advertisement from United Technologies Corporation.

If you liked this post, you’ll also enjoy the story of Jack Andraka, who as a 15-year-old created a pancreatic cancer test that is 100 times more sensitive and 26,000 times less expensive than current tests. He received 199 rejections before a lab finally allowed him to use their space to develop his test.

1) Go for it. “Today, my father told me, ‘Just go for it and give it a try! You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product. Amateurs started Google and Apple. Professionals built [and sailed] the Titanic.’” From Makes Me Think.

2) Keep it simple in life and business. “In the late 1920s, United Fruit and Sam [Zemurray’s] company were trying to acquire the same piece of land, a fertile expanse that straddled the border of Honduras and Guatemala. But the land seemed to have two rightful owners, one in Honduras, the other in Guatemala. While U.F. hired lawyers and commissioned studies, trying to determine the legal property holder, Zemurray simply purchased the land twice, once from each owner. A simple problem deserves a simple solution.”

From WSJ article about the book The Fish that Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King.

3) It’s never the right time. I was recently asked by a recruiter to consider a new job. I said, “it’s not the right time,” and then realized that it never is. Is there something you’ve been thinking about, but it’s not the right time? Is it not the right time to start a business, leave your job or start doing community service? The time will never be perfect, so don’t continue to wait. If it’s something you want to do, right now is usually the right time.

4) Don’t trust the experts. See for yourself. “In the 1930s, with United Fruit staggered by the Great Depression—its stock price fell … [dramatically]—the company’s executives, in search of a game plan, consulted experts, solicited reports and interviewed economists. [Sam] Zemurray wanted answers to the same questions—by then, he was the biggest holder of United Fruit stock—but he went instead to the New Orleans docks, where he buttonholed the sea captains and fruit jobbers who really understood the situation on the ground.

“He learned, for example, that banana-boat captains had been ordered to cross the Gulf of Mexico at half-speed, thus saving fuel. He also learned that, in the course of the extra days on the water, a large percentage of the cargo was going from yellow to ripe. One of Sam’s first orders when he took over U.F. in 1932 was: Don’t slow down; cut the number of crossings. Within six months of Sam’s ascension, the stock had rallied and reached $50 a share.”

From WSJ article about the book The Fish that Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King.

5) You can do anything. You can start over, change your mind, try something completely different. You’re not too old, too young or whatever reason you believe is holding you back.

15-year-old Jack Andraka invented a test for pancreatic cancer that is 100 times more sensitive and 28 times cheaper than current tests.

My grandfather decided he should start working out when he was in his 90s. He got a membership at a gym (thankfully, attached to a hospital) and went (walker and all) regularly. More advice from my grandfather here.

71-year-old Hiroshi Hoketsu will represent Japan in the 2012 Summer Olympics in dressage, an equestrian contest.

6) Don’t do things because you think you’re supposed to do them.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition… Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement address, 2005.

I hope this business and life advice was helpful. I’d love to hear your life advice in the comments below . . .

If you liked this article, you’ll also like Advice from Grandpa–7 Easy Ways to be a Better Person

The teen entrepreneurs were participants in Startup Corps, a Philadelphia nonprofit that helps high school students become entrepreneurs. The students often join the club even if they don’t have a business idea. They come out with confidence, companies, and in many cases, revenue. It’s exciting that 34% of this year’s kids chose to start nonprofits as their businesses.

I spoke with many of the young entrepreneurs before and during the event, and one thing is for sure—they’re hustlers. They’re constantly selling their products and services, and they can teach us a lot.

Here are 11 lessons from the teenage entrepreneurs:

1. Lack of funds shouldn’t be an excuse. It should be an inspiration. There was a student who made bio-fuel and used it to drive a teacher’s car. Another student created a wind-powered cell phone charger to mount on bicycles. There were kids with businesses selling food, jewelry, and clothing. None of these students found investors. They all started their businesses with under $50. Don’t let a lack of resources be an obstacle. Let it be an inspiration to be resourceful.
2. Take one achievable step at a time. “Sometimes little steps don’t feel significant at the time, but when everything comes together at the end, you recognize their importance,” said Morgan Marant (age 17), founder, Uniquely Me. Uniquely Me is a nonprofit that helps teenage girls develop a sense of identity and self-esteem.
3. Focus. “Stay focused; figure out what’s important and ignore the rest,” said Marina Musgrove-Pyfrom (age 17), founder, Full Plate. This nonprofit brings fresh foods, and awareness of food inequities, to areas where there is no access to fresh foods.
4. Partner. Create more opportunities by partnering with other companies. Sharif Tarver (age 18), CEO of Philly’s Future Talent, convinced a recreation center to let him use their space for his lounge—at no charge. The lounge will be a place for teens to develop themselves and their talents. Because of this partnership, Sharif has a built-in audience and an excellent location.
5. Solve your own problems. Khari Evans (age 16), CEO of Kcorp, was frustrated that his cell phone ran out of batteries, and he couldn’t charge it when using his bike. So Khari developed a wind-powered cell phone charger. Khari’s company will have a better chance of succeeding because he’s addressing a problem he understands.
6. Prove it. DJ Scorpion, Rapper Quaa Lovee, and designer Gibron Wynne provide talent for parties and events. They said that they sell with demo reels and CDs because telling people about their talents wasn’t enough. They had to prove it. By the way, all profits generated by their company, Scorpion’s Musical Hope, goes to Philadelphia public schools that no longer offer music. The funds are to be used to reinstate music classes.
7. Be committed. Richard Taylor (age 18), founder of USB Initiatives, which sells solar-powered phone charging kits that students can build themselves, said he learned that potential investors didn’t want him to be distracted. They didn’t want him doing other jobs. They wanted him working on only his business.
8. You have to ask for the sale (or donation). Jocelyn Velasquez (age 16), CEO of Hermana Mi Amor, was selling cupcakes at an event to raise money for her nonprofit. The event organizer gave Jocelyn a chance to speak (the first public speaking event for this shy student). Jocelyn’s ask—not just for cupcake sales but also for donations to her nonprofit—resulted in her first donation, $50 for her organization. She said that entrepreneurs must to learn to ask for the sale and always be selling. Hermana Mi Amor provides supplies to families in Mexico.
9. Get started and don’t give up. Briana Jackson (age 17), CEO of A Taste of Life, said that people will say you can’t succeed and you’ll face plenty of business obstacles. She said to keep going and start young. Don’t wait to start your business. Her fashion design company has already had a fashion show and sold clothes.
10. Embrace karma. Aaron VanBuren (age 16), partner of pastry company Tannie’s Tastries, said that he found ways to help his Startup Corps classmates, and he discovered that it was actually a great way to achieve his goals. They all found ways to help him back.
11. You have to have fun. Aaron gave a second piece of advice that’s a great way to end the article: you have to always have fun, because having a business takes up way too much time not to.

If you’re interested in another amazing teen, you’ll love the story of Jack Andraka, who as a 15-year-old created a pancreatic cancer test that is 100 times more sensitive and 26,000 times less expensive than current diagnostic tests.

You might also be interested in 23 Killer Business Lessons from Shark Tank.

His diagnostic test earned him first prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science research competition (the photo is from the competition).

I love Jack’s modesty. Interviewed before the fair, he said, “I’m incredibly excited. It’s like the Olympics of science fairs. It’s just amazing to be here—even if I don’t get a prize.” Well, Jack Andraka did win, receiving about $100,000 in prize money ($75,000 from the grand prize and over $25,000 from other smaller prizes).  The high schooler said he will put the money toward college tuition.

It was after a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer that Jack became interested in finding a better early-detection diagnostic test. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is usually detected too late to save the patient.

Jack said the solution came to him during his high school biology class. He was secretly reading an article about nanotubes while the teacher was talking about antibodies. Jack said the two ideas came together in his head, and he thought he could combine what the teacher was saying with what he knew about nanotubes to create an early detection test for Pancreatic cancer.

Jack Andraka used what he found through Google searches and free online science journals to develop a plan and a budget. Jack contacted about 200 people including researches at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health with a proposal to work in their labs. He got 199 rejections and then finally got an acceptance from Dr. Anirban Maitra, Professor of Pathology, Oncology and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. It’s at Maitra’s lab where Jack worked daily after school, on weekends and over holidays until he developed his test.

Why did a 15-year-old beat out billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies with his diagnostic test? Perhaps as a young person with no experience, he hadn’t yet learned what everyone else in the industry “knew couldn’t be done.” Certainly, it was in no small part because Anirban Maitra gave him a chance. Not to mention that Jack had an idea and went out and gave it a try.

Think about Jack Andraka the next time you hear that something can’t be done, someone asks you to help out with his project, you receive numerous rejections (close to 200 in Jack Andraka’s case) or you’re hesitating to give one of your ideas a shot. Also, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need a giant team, billions of dollars in resources or even more than 15 years of life experience to do something amazing.

The results of Jack Andraka’s diagnostic test were published on the Society for Science and the Public web site, and Jack has patented his discovery.

If you’re interested in hearing Jack Andraka talk about his pancreatic cancer diagnostic test breakthrough, the video below is Jack Andraka’s 2012 TED talk about his discovery.

This video is from an interview with Jack Andraka at the science fair.

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also like: Don’t be Afraid to Fail about how the most successful people fail…a lot. Let this post inspire you to join them, and  Grandma’s Great Advice on Sex, How to be a Better Person and the Perils of Tight Underwear and  Nicholas Winton An Ordinary Person Doing Extraordinary Things–How a 29-Year-Old Stockbroker Saved 669 Lives on Nights and Weekends.

Also check out Security Camera Video Catches People Being Amazing a 1.5 minute video that is touching, heroic and funny.

Although the type of job Mia wanted was low- (or no-) paying, it would’ve been extremely difficult to find a restaurant willing to take her on with no experience. Yet, shortly after beginning her search, she landed an apprenticeship at Le Bec Fin, which was considered one of the best restaurants in the country.

How did this happen? Mia shared her goals with everyone she met. It turns out that her grandfather’s neighbor had a cousin who was the White House pastry sous chef. A conversation with her grandfather led to a conversation with his neighbor, which led to a conversation with his cousin.  Turns out, the White House chef knew someone at a restaurant in Philadelphia, and that led to Mia’s apprenticeship.

There is one essential way to get people to help you achieve your goals. Whether your goal is huge, like starting a nonprofit to help change people’s lives, or something smaller, like getting more traffic to your blog, most people want to help. What you have to do is share your goal. If you’re not comfortable asking for help, you can mention what you’re trying to do and wait for people to raise their hands. They will.

And tell everyone. Keep in mind that most of your friends know the same people you know. So it’s important to share your goal with strangers you meet (at parties, events, etc.) and with acquaintances who aren’t in the same social circles. Who would’ve predicted that the path to Mia’s apprenticeship in Philadelphia would be through her grandfather’s neighborhood in Washington, DC?

This approach has been helpful to me numerous times. Most recently, I was at a conference and shared over lunch that I was trying to find a publisher for my book. A woman immediately offered to introduce me to her book agent and later emailed me an introduction to a publishing company as well.

When you’re having conversations, and someone asks what’s going on, let them know what you’re trying to accomplish. Most people will want to help, and you never know who can help you achieve your goals.

For a great post about grandfathers, check out: 7 Easy Ways You Can be a Better Person — Advice from Grandpa. This was one of the two most popular posts on this blog.

Darius is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). One in every 3,500 boys is born with this fatal disease and generally lives only into his teens or twenties (WebMD). It’s the disease that Jerry Lewis’s telethons raised money to try to cure.

In 2005, Darius and his friends wanted to raise awareness of DMD among young people and raise money to research a cure. Darius realized that the younger generation didn’t watch Jerry Lewis, or even know who he was, so Darius sought a more relevant way to connect with younger kids.

That’s why he went West. When Darius was 15, he and his friends took a road trip from his home in Athens, Georgia to Los Angeles to try to get MTV to feature him on their hit show “Pimp My Ride.” This show regularly tricked out cars and had a huge following. Darius had written to the show about pimping his wheelchair but was told they wouldn’t do it. Darius and his friends wanted to visit the show in person to convince MTV that it would be fun and a great way to raise awareness of DMD.

To pay for their trip, the friends had barbeques and got $10 sponsorships from local businesses and citizens. In return, the boys promised to make a movie about the trip, giving each sponsor a credit in the movie. Their trip west was filled with fun, adventure, and a slew of great people who helped along the way

MTV ultimately said “no,” so the trip didn’t result in a wheelchair pimping. Not until the kids got back to Georgia, that is. There, businessman Clifton Duffie, who heard about the adventure, had a pimped-out wheelchair waiting — complete with spinners, a video game system, stereo, subwoofer, and more. Children’s Wish and Mobility Design had given the wheelchair to Clifton, and he tricked it out.

The kids made their movie, Darius Goes West, with all proceeds going to DMD research. Who would have guessed that the movie would win 25 awards, raise over $2 million for DMD research, and be distributed on over 85,000 DVDs even though it was available online for free? Not to mention that Darius Weems would tour the country, visiting hundreds of schools to talk about DMD.

It’s an incredibly well-done movie, especially considering that Logan Smalley, the director and one of Darius’s friends, had to buy a book to learn how to edit their footage. At the end of the movie, Clifton, who customizes cars, said about Darius, “[He is] a true customizer. [He] sees something for what it could be, versus what it is.”

Darius can teach us a lot:

1) Nothing needs to hold you back. Certainly, nothing is holding Darius Weems back.

2) The journey is more important than the destination. They were travelling to LA to meet with MTV. That meeting didn’t turn out as they hoped, but the trip was an amazing success because of what they learned, the fun they had, and the awareness they raised along the way.

3) Having a purpose keeps you going. The RV had a breakdown, they drove through a tornado, and they lived through other adventures. Their purpose – to raise awareness – kept them focused and kept them going.

4) Don’t give up. MTV wound up airing Darius Goes West on two of their stations.

5) Treat physically disabled kids like anyone else. In one part of the movie, the kids offer Darius $10 to eat a spoonful of Wasabi in a restaurant. Darius is tearing up, snot is coming out of his nose, and he needs a ton of water. Apparently, some of the patrons thought it was mean. Darius said it was great to be treated like a normal kid. That’s all he wanted.

6) Most important, you can make a difference. Darius Weems traveled around the country and raised over $2 million for charity when he was a teenager. Now he’s 22 and launching his rap career.

See what could be, not what is.

Let’s do something that matters.

Keep up with Darius Weems on his blog and Facebook.

If you liked this post, you’ll also enjoy the post about Jack Andraka, an inspirational 15-year-old who invented a cancer diagnostic test 100 times more sensitive and 28 times less expensive than what’s currently available.

Persistence – For this trait you can imagine Freddy Krueger or any horror movie villain for that matter. You know the type; you shoot them ten times and throw them into the ocean to die and they still come back for more. Entrepreneurs have to be just as resilient. Your company’s crises and catastrophes must be mere flesh wounds that would only destroy a weaker businessperson.

Krueger was actually killed in some of his movies, but that didn’t stop him from appearing in new ones (5 or 6 total). Your business may die, but that shouldn’t stop you from starting another one; you only need one to work to be a success.

Focus – Krueger didn’t try to branch out and move in on the movie market for evil possessed dolls or villains in hockey masks, did he? No. He created six or seven films all pretty much about a wacko who attacks people while they’re sleeping.  Don’t try to be everything; focus on what you’re great at.

Obsession – Krueger wasn’t just focused, he was obsessed. He thought about his business (as gruesome as it was) all day and even in dreams where he did most of his dirty work. To succeed as an entrepreneur you should be obsessed about your ideas. You should be dreaming about them.

Partner – Krueger could have viewed hockey-mask-wearing lunatic Jason as a competitor for audiences.  Instead, he saw working together as an opportunity. In Freddy vs. Jason, Krueger appeared in one of the Friday the 13^th movies to battle with Jason. I’m sure this raised awareness and introduced both Krueger and Jason to a whole new crop of fans. When your resources are limited – to take their case, only a metal claw and a hockey mask – partnering can accelerate your “success”.

Perhaps we can learn from Krueger, and, if our road to success happens to make our competitors a little nervous when they’re sleeping, that’s not so bad, is it?

If you’re interested in advice from someone who uses hockey equipment to actually play hockey, you might want to check out, An Awesome Customer Service Lesson from the Greatest Hockey Player of All Time.

This video is about an entrepreneurial 9-year old who built an elaborate arcade entirely out of cardboard boxes. You’ll love him and the thoughtful kindness of stranger Nirvan Mullick, the first customer of Caine’s Arcade.

The video made me tear up a little bit (I’m serious about the tears – this isn’t just a cover for my secret life as a Navy SEAL). Let this inspire you to do something great today.

Visit the web site for Caine’s Arcade. Video made by Nirvan Mullick, who is clearly a skilled filmmaker.

Here’s an update: Mullick built a web site for Caine’s Arcade and included a small box that says, “Chip in $1 or more to help Caine go to (& prepare for) college. Also, to help more kids like Caine, the Goldhirsh Foundation is matching your donations to Caines Scholarship Fund dollar-for-dollar (up to $250K) to help us build the Caines Arcade Foundation – which will help find, foster, and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in young kids.” So far, over $195,000 raised.

I think you’ll probably also like these blog posts: Jack Andraka about an amazing 15 year old who has invented a game changing cancer diagnostic test,  7 Easy Ways You Can Be a Better Person (the second most popular post in this blog’s history) and Mission Statement for Life .

We shouldn’t blame them for leaving. We should embrace them, wish them well and avoid talking behind their backs. We should participate in the celebration surrounding their next move. Universities know how to embrace their alumni and get great returns from that. We should learn from them.

Former employees could rejoin our team, refer potential hires, become a client, or help us in any number of ways. They’re also going to be our brand ambassadors. Once you’ve been in business a while, you may even have more alumni than current employees.

Individual managers use email, social media sites and even phone calls to keep past employees engaged. I’ve seen companies use Linked-In Groups, Facebook, email or events. Larger companies like Microsoft and KPMG have invested in stand alone web sites, branded social media sites and full time employees who serve as a hub for tens of thousands of alumni.

Demonstrate to your employees, former employees and retirees that they’re part of a family, and that you still care once they leave. Then they’ll care too.

What has your experience been like? What do you think?

Click the image below to visit Holstee’s web site. By the way, code “newfriend” will get you 20% off. (I have no affiliation with Holstee. I just find their mission statement inspiring.)

I think you’ll probably also like these blog posts: Grandma’s Great Advice on Sex, How to Be a Better Person, the Perils of Tight Underwear — And Other Life Lessons, and How a Frosty Strengthened my Marriage .