Business Success — who deserves the credit?

teamworkIt’s been a crazy-busy couple of weeks.  From:

  • Keeping my Fly on the Wall members up-to-date on the behind-the-scenes of what’s going on to
  • An impromptu interview with a colleague to
  • Getting ready to leave tomorrow to speak at Shannon Cherry’s event this weekend to
  • Finalizing and signing the contract for my own event venue to
  • Putting the final touches on a new website to
  • Being “head down” on a new product
  • . . .and doing all the things we do to keep our business running each and every day

Almost all of the above are the result of compounded successes in my business over the years.

I was recently asked about my success – after all, as you likely know, over 60% of small businesses fail in their first 5 years and the percentage is much higher for online-based businesses.  This month marks 7.5 years for my business.

So who deserves the credit for this success?

Honestly, there are too many people to name here, from:

  • My family who believed in me when I left a high paying corporate job to
  • My team without whom so much would be good intentions rather than completed actions to
  • My clients who, by their very trust in me, inspire me to continual learning and testing to
  • My colleagues who have offered ideas and brainstorming – some spot on and others not-so-much, but all helpful in sparking ideas to
  • Hype-mongers who make it real easy to know what I don’t want to
  • Pretty much everyone I come into contact with as there are content and lessons everywhere.

So when I’m on a call, as I was recently, and tell a colleague that I wouldn’t be where I am without her support, ideas, presence, etc., it’s the truth.  And when I say the same words to another colleague, it’s the truth.

So, if things had been different (or change), and the business wasn’t successful, who deserves the blame…if blame has to be assigned?

Just one person.  Me.

I take full responsibility for all actions, inactions and decisions.

It’s embracing the responsibility, rather than running from it, and knowing that ultimately, all things come back to me, which is the greatest contributing factor to success.

Do you agree?  Disagree?  Something in between?  Please share below. . .