Success isn’t complicated. After years of building businesses and mentoring entrepreneurs, I’ve collected plenty of advice, but the most powerful insight came from an unexpected source: Seth Rogen. His observation cuts through all the noise about success strategies: “The difference between people who make it and people who don’t is the people who made it never quit.”
This might sound simplistic, but its truth is undeniable. If you quit, your failure is guaranteed. It’s mathematical certainty. The path to achievement in any competitive field—whether it’s marketing, entrepreneurship, or entertainment—follows this fundamental principle.
The Power of Constant Pressure
What separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest isn’t just talent or ideas. It’s sustained pressure. Think of success like breaking through a wall. Some people hit it once or twice, then walk away when it doesn’t immediately crumble. Others keep hammering, trying different spots, using different tools, but never stopping.
My journey building multiple businesses, including growing Hawke Media into what it is today, wasn’t a straight line of victories. For every success story I can tell, there were numerous setbacks that could have been ending points if I’d allowed them to be.
The entrepreneurial path requires:
- Consistent effort even when results aren’t visible
- Adaptation when strategies aren’t working
- Resilience when facing rejection or failure
- Patience when progress seems painfully slow
Each of these elements supports the core principle of never quitting. When I grew Ellie.com to a million dollars in just four months, it wasn’t because I had some magical formula others didn’t. It was because I applied constant pressure to the right points in the business.
Breaking Through Eventually Happens
The beautiful truth about persistent pressure is that something eventually breaks. Markets shift. Opportunities emerge. The right person finally notices your work. Your skills reach the tipping point of mastery. But none of these breakthroughs happen if you’ve already walked away.
I’ve watched countless entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas and even solid initial execution ultimately fail for one simple reason: they stopped pushing. Maybe they ran low on funds, faced harsh criticism, or simply grew tired of the grind. Whatever the reason, the moment they stopped applying pressure was the moment their chance at success ended.
Consider what happens when you persist:
- You outlast less determined competitors
- You accumulate valuable experience that compounds over time
- You build relationships that eventually yield opportunities
- You refine your approach through continuous iteration
Each of these benefits only materializes through continued effort. The marketplace rewards persistence in ways that aren’t always immediately visible but become powerful advantages over time.
The Guaranteed Path to Failure
Let me be blunt about the alternative: If you stop, it definitely won’t break. This isn’t pessimism—it’s reality. When I founded Swag of the Month before eventually selling it, there were countless moments when quitting seemed reasonable. The same was true in the early days of Hawke Media.
What separates failed ventures from successful ones often isn’t their potential or even their execution—it’s simply that someone decided to keep going with the latter while abandoning the former.
The entrepreneurial journey tests your commitment constantly. The market doesn’t care about your potential or your plans—it responds to sustained action. When faced with obstacles, many talented people rationalize stepping away: “The timing isn’t right,” “The market isn’t ready,” or “I’ll come back to this later.” These may sound reasonable, but they’re often just comfortable exits from the discomfort of persistence.
Success requires embracing this simple truth: the only guaranteed way to fail is to stop trying. Everything else—strategy refinements, skill development, network building—stems from your decision to keep applying pressure, day after day, regardless of immediate results.
So when you face the inevitable challenges of building something meaningful, remember that continuing forward—even imperfectly—keeps you in the game. And staying in the game is the only way you’ll ever win it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you maintain motivation during extended periods without visible progress?
I focus on process goals rather than outcome goals. By celebrating consistent action rather than just results, I create small wins that sustain motivation. I also surround myself with other persistent entrepreneurs who understand the journey and can provide perspective during challenging periods.
Q: Is there ever a right time to pivot or abandon a specific approach?
Absolutely. Persistence doesn’t mean blindly continuing with strategies that consistently fail. It means maintaining commitment to your larger goal while being flexible about your methods. Smart entrepreneurs regularly evaluate their approach and make data-driven adjustments without abandoning their core mission.
Q: How do you distinguish between healthy persistence and unhealthy stubbornness?
Healthy persistence involves continuous learning and adaptation. You’re committed to the destination but flexible about the path. Unhealthy stubbornness means ignoring feedback, refusing to adapt, and continuing with proven-ineffective approaches. The key difference is whether you’re evolving as you persist.
Q: What role does rest play in a persistence-focused approach?
Strategic rest is essential for sustainable persistence. Constant pressure doesn’t mean working yourself to burnout. It means maintaining consistent forward momentum in your business, which sometimes requires stepping back to recharge. The most effective entrepreneurs build rhythms of intense work and meaningful recovery.
Q: How long should someone persist before seeing meaningful results?
This varies dramatically by industry and venture, but I’ve found that most overnight successes are actually years in the making. Rather than focusing on timelines, focus on whether you’re seeing incremental improvements and learning. If you’re growing in capability and gradually improving outcomes, you’re on the right track—even if the big breakthrough hasn’t happened yet.
