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Eglin 2/13: First Day Failures & Business Perspective

Peter Stancato III
Jul 18, 2017
1 min read

New

The active duty guys I joined forces with today have been working together for 2+ years. I've been here for 2 days. I'm new to the crew and botched a lot just in case no one knew.

Little Fails

#1. I broke the first tool I touched yesterday. The guys gave me a hard time, "You're so strong." #2. I didn't know where the "blocks" were on the Halvorsen K-Loader. And the K-Loader is supposed to be my speciality. #3. Sergeant Ramirez asked if I was 5 years old when he saw me with a sucker. #4. The commander asked if I was Chase Utley:

Business

I asked a question about failure a couple years ago at the Lorain County Community College

Entrepreneurship Seminar. There was a panel of entrepreneurs sharing perspective, including the owners of Melt and Great Lakes Brewing Company. "I've got a question for the whole panel. What's the wisest way to avoid failure?" The treps stared silent. One of them eventually took the mic and struggled for words, "You're going to fail, just do it as quickly as possible." One sentence answer. No clarification. The other business owners didn't even look at the mic to chime in because it was such a stupid question.

Conclusion

For new guys on the job and new businesses on the block, failure is certain. There's no wise way to avoid it. What's wise is accepting it.

Practical Suggestions