| Watching the Chicago White Sox win the World | | | | opened a spot on the Milwaukee Brewers. The team |
| Series for the first time since 1917, I was struck | | | | took a chance on Scott Podsednik, believing he would |
| again how wondrous this beautiful sport still can be. | | | | be a back-up player until the injured star returned. |
| The purest American game, baseball teaches so | | | | This was the chance he dreamed about since Little |
| many of the values we appreciate in all areas of life. | | | | League in West, TX. He never looked back. |
| Hard work, doing the little things, hustle, overcoming | | | | Rookie Record Breaker |
| adversity and never quitting are lessons we learn | | | | As a 29-year old rookie, Scott Podsednik hit over |
| playing Little League baseball. | | | | .300, scored over 100 runs and stole over 50 bases. |
| My firm specializes in small business | | | | He played the game with drive, hustle, smarts and |
| development and boot strapping entrepreneurs. The | | | | courage. Mr. Podsedniks value has rapidly escalated |
| virtues we see in every baseball game are directly | | | | and during the off-season he was traded to the |
| applicable to success or failure for inventors and | | | | White Sox for power hitting Carlos Lee. The White |
| companies. The Chicago White Sox, and one player in | | | | Sox had not won the World Series in 88 years. |
| particular, are wonderful endorsements for the | | | | Hitting in the key leadoff spot, stealing bases and |
| baseball/success ethos. Scott Podsednik is the poster | | | | playing sparkling outfield defense, Scott Podsednik is |
| boy for every virtue essential to positive | | | | the emotional leader of the new champions. |
| entrepreneurial achievement. | | | | A Model for Entrepreneurs as Well |
| It Took Nine Long Years | | | | Scott Podsednik heard the dreaded word "NO" for |
| Scott Podsednik was born and raised in tiny West, | | | | years. Every business start-up, inventor or |
| TX. West is a hamlet, founded, and still principally | | | | entrepreneur faces the same hurdle at various points |
| inhabited by Czech immigrants. No great sports | | | | in time. Mr. Podsednik did not like hearing the cursed |
| traditions here. As a 150-pound outfielder, Mr. | | | | word, but it did not deter him from seeking and |
| Podsednik was drafted and played minor league | | | | attaining his goals. It is the same for every successful |
| baseball for nine, very long, frustrating years. Every | | | | entrepreneur. "NO" has to be handled as a temporary |
| year in spring training, Mr. Podsednik would be | | | | roadblock, not a final, death knell for opportunity. |
| returned to the minor league camp, traded from | | | | Success is very seldom linear. Setbacks, stumbles, |
| team to team and generally stuck with the label "not | | | | mistakes happen, will happen and must be handled as |
| a prospect". | | | | challenges, not disasters. Thomas Edison performed |
| Several times he considered giving up and seeking | | | | over 1000 experiments before perfecting the electric |
| another calling. Nevertheless, he knew, believed in his | | | | light bulb. That is a lot of "NO"! He never thought of |
| heart, that given a chance he would be a success at | | | | stopping his pursuit of success, and no successful |
| the Major League level. Three years ago an injury | | | | entrepreneur ever let NO stop the drive to succeed. |