• J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel was rejected by 9 publishers prior to being accepted.
• Thomas Edison tried more than one-thousand filament objects before discovering tungsten to create the light bulb.
• Henry Ford’s early businesses failed and left him broke 5 times before he founded Ford Motor Company.
• Walt Disney went bankrupt after failing at several businesses. He was even fired from a newspaper for lacking
imagination and good ideas.
• Albert Einstein was thought to be mentally handicapped before changing the face of modern physics and winning the Nobel
Prize.
• Dr. Seuss’s first book was rejected by 27 publishers before it was accepted.
• American author Jack London received 600 rejections before his first story was accepted.

If you think you might have one to submit please do so. And of course, keep on persisting!

In case you are unfamiliar with what happened the San Francisco 49s quarterback, used the hashtag #7stormsComing to purportedly warn opponents and observers alike of his improved game. Clearly this was not done in malice but nevertheless, it was still done.

Don’t get me wrong, I think there is great value to social media. But like I tell clients, before you tweet, post, whatever read it one last time and think if it will offend anyone (unless that is your intention). We all do things in the spirit of anger at times but it’s often best to count to ten and hold our breath before saying, posting, etc.

So the next time an issue comes over you that you want to post, tweet, etc., think about it! Are you just coming up for air or spouting!

But the most rewarding experiences have been those working with emerging companies, i.e. helping a small gate manufacturer become the leader in its space, educating the business community about the value of search engine optimization (SEO), assisting a small fulfillment company get on a course to become a world leader in the call center space or creating great awareness of a pioneering private driver service.

Not to take anything away from the Goliath’s of industry but frankly, mention American Express, Ford or the like and you really don’t have many obstacles put in your way.

Not so easy when you aren’t pitching household names, the little Davids. But that’s the fun and excitment of the challenge. Most of all, that’s where persistence comes in. You can’t take no for an answer. If you do, you’re in the wrong profession.

If you are unfamiliar with the term a silverback is a senior male gorilla named for the characteristic “silver hair” on their backs.  The silverback is the center of the troop’s (5-30 gorillas) attention, making all the decisions, mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group, leading the others to feeding sites and taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of the troop.

You see in the animal world, and in the one closest to the human race with DNA highly similar to that of Homo sapiens, age is highly respected. True, there have been some remarkable achievements by millennials but that doesn’t discount the successes of other silverbacks i.e. Warren Buffet still going strong at 84, Carl Icahn at 79, Michael Bloomberg at 73 not to mention some of the world leaders past and present who have flourished deep into their 60’s and beyond.

Dinosaurs are extinct.  Silverbacks are only threatened by its most dangerous enemy; humans! We “human” silverbacks will continue to strive and thrive with or without the blessings of others!

Persistence has always been a mantra in my professional career and recently cemented that position with the launching of Persistence PR.

There’s no question I’ve crossed that line a few times most likely because of a passion I have for a client.  However, as a former journalist I’m usually very sensitive to the demands of members of the fourth estate and try not to invade their space.

As this whiteboard opening to this website says, you can have all the skills, experience, etc. but he you don’t have persistence in the world of public relations, you have nothing.

Just be careful not to cross that line!

Rarely does a public relations effort take off from day one (it has occurred with a significant news announcement or regrettably if a person/company/organization is cited for something that garners bad press). Most often it takes time and quite frankly, if the client isn’t helping pushing the rock, it makes it even harder.

So whether it be with Persistence PR, another firm or even a personal effort, push hard and give it some time.  You’ll be pleased with the results.