Naysayers… just say NO!

Mar 03, 2008 - 10:38 AM PST

There are a lot of people who are going to rain on your parade or burst your bubble when you’re first starting out. You can take the negative critiques and make a choice to use them to encourage you or discourage you.

Are you a do-er? Can you envision something greater than most while seeing the bigger picture and thinking outside the box? I have seen many people take the guidance of the naysayer; they are the ones who never achieve much, due to their lack of vision. They’re the lemmings; they follow the herd and advice of the majority. I'll tell you what, if I had followed the advice of the majority when I first started my clothing line I would still be working for someone else and not following my true ambitions. I would have listened to jaded store owners who told me my line was not suitable and had no direction. It’s important to go with your gut feeling and risk discovering a new world out there because it may just lead to a life of success and pleasure.

When I first ventured to start my own label, nearly everyone I met had at least 5 reasons why I shouldn’t be in this business. I had to remind myself the most important factors that go into creating a successful business -- desire, passion, consistency, and attracting the right people. Success is partly a mind-set; the person who can't be worn down by failures won’t be brought down by any other reason. Almost every successful person in fashion triumphed because he or she kept trying. Imagine if designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne, Christian Dior, and Yigal Azrouel listened to naysayers, the ones telling them the only way they could succeed is if they went to a professional school for their craft. They are all self-taught, self-made millionaires; it’s an understatement to say they proved them wrong! These people believed in themselves and never gave up on their goals. Many people would have given up at the first no or glitch, but these doers kept on going, even in the face of hundreds of setbacks.

Admit it… Isn't your greatest fear-- besides death-- the fear of failure? There is no success that has been reached without the risk of failure. Failing is not the end of the world. It is an attempt at something dignified. The only difference between the ones who succeed and the ones who fail is what they do after they fail. They have two options -- lie down and stay defeated, OR try again until you succeed! People, who have accomplished many great and wonderful things, had to go against what was taught as traditional thinking. So the next time someone tells you that you will fail at your dreams, leave them in their box, because that is where they will stay. The truth of reality is, there is so much more going on than what is really right in front of your face. It’s amazing that, more often than not, people will succeed not on the basis of their merits but on the basis of their beliefs? Belief precedes knowledge; so what is it you believe? Are you listening to the "naysayers" or do you believe in yourself?

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