BUSINESS BUZZ: Persistence can pay off during risky choices

He has moved halfway across the world to start a new life, but the most inspiring aspect for me was he was initially overlooked for the role he now has.

He saw it advertised again, decided to reapply - pushed his case as to why he would be a good fit - and was ultimately successful.

It took a high level of conviction to go and bat for himself the second time around. He was clear on what he wanted and went for it.

There was no real downside in not having another go. Lots of people don't though. I admire those that do keep persisting.

For me this conversation was quite uplifting. This person didn't listen to self-talk inside his head - that would have come up with a myriad of reasons why reapplying wasn't going to work.

We all have these voices of doubt inside all of us. The trick is to not listen and to push forward. Of course, this is easier said than done.

In a farming context, I have witnessed many examples of where people have achieved great things in their farming businesses by refusing to give up at the first setback.

As we all know, in agriculture there will inevitably be roadblocks along the way.

Having a long-term plan, and a roadmap to achieve the farming business's goals, will assist greatly when obstacles are put in the way.

Keeping your eye on the prize is a key ingredient for success.

Another factor is not listening to the naysayers.

There will always be people that try and impart their own self-limiting beliefs on you.

The trick is to listen graciously, but don't take any notice and push on anyway.

Getting counsel from those you know will provide honest feedback, and also keep you accountable for action steps you've committed to, are the best people to have around.

Select those that are your cheerleaders, both publicly and privately, and those who you know support you regardless.

Whatever you're trying to achieve in an agricultural sense will most likely have a capital component that will require funding, and there will be a lag time between capital expenditure and when revenue is realised.

In this case, it's imperative solid financial modelling is undertaken to ensure the business doesn't run out of cash first.

I have seen plenty of occasions where solid business ideas were ultimately unsuccessful due to funding issues.

Sometimes it is a case of so close, yet so far. Lack of cash will trump resilience every time.

I quite often talk to non farming people, and they don't understand why farmers take such big risks.

My response is it's all relative, and what seems risky to one person isn't to someone else.

Often, if you take the risk, and go for whatever it is you want in life, it will all turn out fine in the long-run. If it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be, but at least you had a go.