Peter Rahal wanted to make a protein bar that was healthy, portable, and had enough protein in it to support an athlete after a work out.
Peter complained to his dad that he didn’t have everything he needed to start a successful protein bar business:
He needed manufacturers.
He needed distributers.
He needed a marketing team.
He needed a high end kitchen to make and sell bars out of.
And he didn’t have any of it.
His dad famously replied,
“You don’t need any of that. You just need to shut up and sell 10 bars.”
So Peter launched RX bar out of his parents basement.
He made the bars in his family home kitchen.
He designed the labels in Powerpoint.
He printed the labels at Staples.
He sold the bars at his local gym.
He gathered customer feedback by putting his own cell phone number on the labels, and asking customers what they thought in between bites.
And it worked.
In the first year, he did $2 million in revenue.
In the second year, he did $6.5 million.
In the third year, $36 million.
In the fourth year, $161 million.
That same year, 2017, he sold RX Bar to Kellogg for $600 million.
Peter’s story is a good one.
He wasn’t an
overnight success.He didn’t have
investorsbacking his business.He didn’t have a
board of directorsor asophisticated strategy.He just had a good idea and the will to do the work.
“Make bars and sell bars” - that was the RX Bar business strategy according to Peter, and let it be your strategy too.
If you’re a writer, write.
If you’re a sales person, sell.
If you’re a artist, create.
If you’re a marketer, market.
If you’re an engineer, build.
We learn by doing, not by planning.
Stop planning.
Stop watching.
Stop wishing things were different.
Start taking small, intentional action.
Just do what you can with what you have today. and tomorrow. and the next day.
You have everything you need to achieve the things you’ve always wanted to achieve:
You have every skill.
You have every tool.
You have every opportunity.
You have every connection.
You have everything you need, right at your finger tips.
It’s all right there for you. All you have to do is take it.
You don’t need another certification.
You don’t need to take another course.
You don’t need to complete an apprenticeship under someone who is an expert in that field.
You don’t need to travel great distances, to study in accredited universities, to have a quiet office, or extensive backing from investors.
You just need to start today.
Start now.
Start where you are.
Start with what you have.
Trust yourself.
Trust that you have everything you need to start, and everything else will fall into place.
The right people, the right opportunities, the right tools will appear right before your eyes, at the very moment you need them.
And if they don’t:
You will find a work around
You will find a way through
You will realize you never needed the things you thought you needed, you just needed to start.
I have wasted so many years of my life lamenting about:
the degrees I don’t have
the certifications I wish I took
the industry experts I don’t know personally
the experiences I wish I had under my belt to bolster my expertise
So, I went back and got those accredited certifications, and I completed expensive degrees, and I worked at some of the most recognized companies in the world.
I thought these things would prop me up as some kind of expert and skyrocket my success…
But, the truth is…
I am no different than when I started.
The truth is…
I could have started my writing business 8 years ago instead of waiting until I finished those courses and degrees to start writing…
and if I had started 8 years ago & skipped my masters degree, I would have a much larger body of work
& I would be tens of thousands of dollars richer from the money I spent on tuition.
Take it from me:
Don’t waste another minute.
Don’t waste another dollar.
Trust that you have everything you need right now to do the thing you most want to do.
You have everything you need right now to take the first step, and the second step, and the third step.
It will be messy at first.
You will stumble and make mistakes.
You will feel awkward and embarrassed.
You will think about quitting.
There are still days when I think my writing sucks and no one will want to read it.
And RIGHT when I’m about to give up and delete my Substack forever, I get a comment that says “I love your writing. You’ve inspired me”
So take it from me. As you put yourself out there, and put one foot in front of the other:
You will find your voice
You will build your confidence
You will sharpen your skills
You will bolster your expertise
You will make the connections you need to make
You’ll realize it’s not actually about selling your work for millions of dollars, or being on magazine covers.
It’s about living life on your terms.
It’s about doing the thing you’ve always wanted to do.
It’s about the happiness you feel in your heart
You’ve Got This.
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Monday Pep Talks is a new series I’m trying. It’s a cross between story telling, mindset work, and meditation.
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