Only You Can Define Success
"Are you thinking about ending your podcast?"
Interesting question, I thought, after a friend dropped this suspicious little gem on me. "Why would we end it?" I was so curious about what would happen next.
"Because you haven't figured out how to make money on it."
"What makes you think that was our goal?"
"Well, why else would you do it?"
The world does a great job of telling us what success looks like, and typically, it involves a $ symbol. Sure, I suppose money can (and should) be one definition of success, but it's a gravely materialistic perspective to define everything through the lens of dollars and cents.
We're more than 400 episodes into our podcast, and I can count the money we've made from it on zero fingers. In fact, that's never really been a discussion. Cole and I each support our families from our respective businesses, and we view the podcast simply as a way to serve people. Through it, we've helped thousands of people from all over the world. We've hit the top business podcast charts in Ukraine, Belize, and Italy. We've connected with countless people who cited our podcast as a turning point in their financial journey.
Our definition of success is to help a lot of people and perhaps start to bend the culture around the way that we humans view and handle money and work. And for that, it's been a massive success.
Northern Vessel is another example of this. I get asked at least 2 times per week when we'll open a second location. The answer is always the same: Never. Our definition of success isn't to create a multi-location empire or maximize economics. Rather, it's to redefine what hospitality can (and should) be in the coffee world, and strive to be the single best coffee shop in America. That's it. No amount of money or number of locations will define success for us. We control the definition.
Whatever you do, don't let others define success for you. YOU define what success looks like. When you let others decide what it means to be successful, you might give up or punt on an otherwise successful endeavor. However, when you control the definition of success, you're in the driver's seat. It gets to be whatever you want it to be, avoiding the cultural narrative around you. That's when you make meaning your true north, ignoring all the noise that would otherwise prevent you from reaching it. Never lose sight of that. Go be successful; your version of successful.
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