This is a short story about about my old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher, making women cry (and thank you for it) and a lesson on entrepreneurship.
He was a charming 5'4 old white-haired guy with a buddha-belly.
And his specialty was making women cry and thank him for it.
At the start of every first class he addressed all the girls.
Told them he'd make them cry. All of them.
Warned them that at least once during the year, they'd end up hiding and crying in the bathroom.
In 15 years there had been no exception.
Why?
Because class theory and real life are two completely different scenarios.
Class training won't keep you alive in the streets or help if a 6 foot tall goon grabs you by the neck and forces himself upon you in a dark alley.
It won't help against a skinny dude with a knife either.
Guys are rougher. We learn to fight early on. We are used to watch for and switch into "aggro" mode as soon as our spider sense tickles.
Girls aren't. They freeze up. They get confused. They get scared. They don't fight back. By the time the initial shock is over and they snap back to reality, it's already over.
So one by one, he'd sneak up behind them and throw them to the ground when they least expected it.
They cried. And they thanked him for it.
Because by the second or third round of this, they had started building the reflex to react. They didn't freeze in shock anymore. They didn't forget. They hit back.
Now, a lot of this applies to entrepreneurship. It doesn't matter if your goal is to build an empire or just carve a little place for yourself as a self-starter.
We've all been raised to be employees, thanks to the media and the education system. To minimize risk-taking. And when shit hits the fan, we freeze. We panic. We forget everything. And we take bad decisions.
Because it doesn't matter how many books you read, podcasts you listen to, or how many notebooks your fill with ideas and flowcharts.
Life is going to fuck you over when you least expect it.
And you'll cry like a bitch. You'll hurt. You'll lose big.
I've been there. I can't think of any entrepreneurs who hasn't.
I cried. And I'm thankful for it.
Because after a while, you grow a tough skin.
You learn to think under pressure. You learn to change course and hit back.
When it comes to entrepreneurship and success, the smart ones seek mentors who can beat that shit into them early on.
The others waste years walking around dark alleys at night, hoping all the classes they've taken are going to help when life kicks them to the ground.
Take risks daily, find a mentor, know that you are never safe, and learn to think on your feet.
I should have been smarter.
You should be too.