Sometimes the biggest opportunities in life come from the most unexpected relationships.
And sometimes, when you make a mistake, you have to go the extra mile to put it right.
I first met Category Director Energy Marcel Devereaux in 2017 when he attended a Mental Resilience Masterclass I delivered for NSG Group Pilkington.
It was a fantastic group of future leaders from around the world, including the USA, Japan, Germany, Poland, Argentina, China and Brazil.
At the end, Marcel came over and said he thought my masterclasses could be of interest in Germany.
Just before Christmas, he emailed me. He had shared my details with several people, and there was genuine interest.
I told him I would get back to him after Christmas.
And then I forgot!
January, February and March became incredibly busy. I was travelling, delivering masterclasses globally and trying to manage everything that went with it.
It was exciting.
But regarding Marcel, it was a disaster!
When things slowed down in April, I came across his email.
My heart stopped.
I felt shock, embarrassment and disbelief.
How could I have forgotten?
I immediately emailed him.
Nothing.
I tried again.
Nothing.
I called.
Nothing.
This continued for several weeks, and part of me thought I should simply accept that I’d blown it.
But I decided there was one more thing I could try.
I put together a parcel to send directly to Marcel in Germany.
Inside were my two books, some Robin Hood memorabilia, a tea towel featuring the sights of Nottingham and some rather luxurious fudge I’d discovered in a high-end garden centre!
I sent it off.
A week passed.
Nothing.
Then, a few days later, an email arrived.
It was very short:
“My children love the fudge. Let’s talk.”
That little box of fudge changed everything!
Over the next few years, Marcel invited me to Germany several times to speak at conferences and later asked me to deliver my three Mental Resilience Masterclasses to his global team.
Since then, I have also coached 13 procurement managers and delivered further masterclasses across NSG.
Through this journey, I also met Chief Procurement Officer John Wilgar and Marie Gresko, who have regularly booked me and with whom I have developed wonderful relationships.
All of this because of one man.
None of it would have happened if Marcel hadn’t been prepared to forgive me.
But equally, none of it would have happened if I’d allowed my embarrassment to stop me from trying again.
I recently came across the story of an entrepreneur called Sam Sisakhti.
Most people will never have heard of him.
When Sam was trying to raise investment for his online fashion business, he endured around 150 investor rejections over 18 months. But he kept going. Eventually, investor Tim Draper backed him with $1 million, and the business went on to work with thousands of designers worldwide.
Sometimes a “no” doesn’t mean never.
Sometimes it simply means not yet.
And sometimes, as I discovered with Marcel, you don’t even get a “no”.
You get silence.
That’s when you have to decide what that silence means.
But this story teaches another lesson that means even more to me.
Never forget the people who helped you along the way.
Business isn’t simply about contracts, invoices, targets and opportunities.
It’s about people.
People who believe in you.
People who recommend you.
People who open doors.
And occasionally, people who forgive you when you get things spectacularly wrong!
Marcel has been all of those things for me.
The extra mile can be a lonely place, but very often that is where success is waiting.
Thank you, Marcel, for your friendship, your support and for giving me that second chance all those years ago.
It means a great deal to me.
And I’m so pleased that, after all these years, I’ve finally told you just how much of an impact you have had.
3 Key Learnings
1. Don’t let embarrassment stop you from putting something right.
We all make mistakes. What matters is what we do next.
2. Be prepared to try one more time.
Persistence sometimes means finding a completely different way forward.
3. Never forget the people who helped you.
Success is rarely achieved alone.
Thoughts for the Week
Well, that’s it for this week.
Have a brilliant week ahead and keep believing in yourself.
Warm regards
John
Off the Wall https://tinyurl.com/3tvr892z
100 Days https://tinyurl.com/4vsejtur
