The Power of Perseverance Pays Positive Dividends – Part I

In the last few weeks I have been reminded that the power of perseverance in a legitimate pursuit will pay positive dividends for your life. In other words, performing the same reasonable activity at the best of your ability over a consistent period of time will eventually yield the best conceivable result.

Felix was a poor Irish-Latino boy who grew up fatherless in the ghetto streets of Los Angeles. Despite his difficult circumstances Felix dedicated his heart to make the most of his life. He worked hard in school and at an early age began taking odd jobs to help his mother make ends meet.

In 1960 at the age of 24 Felix went to work for a nationwide company that sold commercial dishwashers to restaurants. In order to acquire the position Felix had to take a route sales job with Dad’s Root Beer for one year to gain experience and prove that he had the mettle to cold call and develop business from scratch. Felix did well with Dad’s, so the commercial dishwashing company finally said yes. Felix did not disappoint them. Felix gave it everything he had and then some. Soon the company brass began to sit up and take notice of his ardent effort. That the officials of the company would take notice might be surprising because Felix was a fairly dark-skinned Irish and Latin American and the nationwide company was based in the South in Memphis, Tennessee. Due to the Civil Rights Movement, the sixties were a tumultuous time in the South and racial relations were strained at best. The Watts riots did not make interracial relationships any easier in Los Angeles. Bigots from the South and LA rarely saw a difference between dark Latinos and blacks.

In spite of the ethnic tensions, Felix’s unrelenting work ethic continued to impress his superiors and Felix began to climb the corporate ladder. First, he was promoted to manager of his local branch, then to another branch in San Diego. Finally after 20-something years he was moved to Memphis to become an executive vice president with the promised intention to be president when the then-current president retired. Felix’s dogged determination and perseverance had put him in a spot that no one could have imagined for this little Latino boy from the ghetto.

Unfortunately, when the president stepped down Felix was not chosen to replace him. And, two years after the new president took his seat; nearly 30 years after he began with the company, Felix was asked to leave. Not only so, in order to receive severance pay, Felix was made to sign a letter of no compete.

Obviously Felix was devastated. For the next several years he floundered and had difficulty finding his bearings. But Felix’s commitment to his family and his work ethic drove him on to overcome his daunting circumstances. Felix continued to persevere in the face of adversity.

As he searched for a new position most were reluctant to hire him. The only companies that would were commission only. In 1996, Felix was hired by an office furniture company specializing in refurbishing office cubicles and systems workstations. The pay was commission with an unforgiveable draw. This meant that each month if Felix did not sell anything the company would loan him a predetermined amount of money which he would have to pay back. After eight months, Felix was close to $8,000 in the whole. Felix did not quit. He kept pressing on, canvassing the local business complexes, cold calling, picking up cards of potential clients and making follow up calls. One day Felix’s perseverance paid off and the rest as they say is history.

When Felix started with the firm 12 years ago, he was the only sales staff in the fledgling organization of 10 or so employees. Today, mostly due to Felix’s hard work and perseverance, the enterprise has grown to more than 160 employees, and he has a six-figure income.

Felix’s life is an awesome example of the virtue of perseverance. Perseverance pays huge dividends.