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Does Persistence Truly Pay Off?

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”
-George Friedman

A few years ago, I decided to commit myself to a ten-year vision of producing a podcast. This podcast would add value to (and hopefully challenge and change) our industry. 

I’ve committed to recording 1,000 podcast episodes. That’s two per week for ten years. 

It’s a long-term commitment that I take very seriously. And you can check out what I’m talking about here.

But, I’ve got to be honest with you. It hasn’t been easy. The conversations and people are some of my favorite parts of the week. Yet, there are days I consider moving on from my commitment.  

We’ve spent thousands of dollars recording and publishing podcasts. We’ve recorded over 50 episodes but have a long way to go. 

The listener growth is a slow trickle. 

It seems daunting. And sometimes, I wonder if I can do it…

…while running a company…

…while being a father…

…and while leading non-profit efforts. 

Luckily, like my golf game, a few good shots keep me in the game. Just when we think listeners have fallen off, someone reaches out with a review like this one:

“Absolutely can not wait for more episodes to be released! The flow, format, and content of all the episodes have been amazing to listen to and worth the time. Ok, if you ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of the A/E/C world, this is the best I’ve found.”

Or this one:

Inspiring People and Places is going to revolutionize infrastructure project planning and the people who are part of this industry.”

You are working with people who are persisting. They are grinding away and not always getting those immediate returns.  

Be the person they can lean on. Encourage their persistence.  

Reward the effort. Be their cheerleader. 

And if you’re persisting with an effort and can’t find someone to lean on, first watch this video. And if that doesn’t shift your perspective, reach out to me. I’d love to talk with you.  

BJ Kraemer, President