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One Step from Failure
April 18th, 2012
by Bill Boyajian

I have known many successful executives and entrepreneurs. I admire what they have accomplished. Each has taken risks and harnessed success. But none have been successful in all their ventures.

One of my friends built a huge business over several years with an innovative concept that revolutionized an industry. He sold the company for millions and took some time off to enjoy the fruits of his considerable labor. Being a “serial entrepreneur,” as he calls himself, he jumped back into business and tried the same concept in another industry. What he said in essence, was that while the business was successful initially, he had taken his eye off the ball by getting embroiled in another venture and leaving the leadership to a newly hired CEO. Before long, the company experienced financial problems and had to be restructured. My friend left, but it didn’t get him down. He’s back in the game using a similar concept in yet another industry.

There are lessons to learn here. One is to stay focused on the task at hand. We must do whatever it takes to lead and manage the company we are building. And that takes discipline. Every leader is just one project, business, or endeavor away from failure; but failure can be our greatest teacher. Know that our greatest achievements may not be as instructive as our greatest failures. As Malcolm Forbes said, “Failure is success if we learn from it.”



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“I needed help orchestrating a succession plan for our business. I had heard that Bill Boyajian specialized in assisting owners to transition their business to the next generation. He knows how to bridge the generation gap and deliver what each needs to hear. I would recommend Bill to any business owner who needs advice on succession planning from a trusted outside professional.”

–Charles Denaburg,
Managing Partner,
Levy’s Fine Jewelry
Birmingham, AL

"Our family needed some guidance on business transition and succession planning. We asked Bill Boyajian to help us because we knew we could trust him to tell us what we needed to hear. Bill became a valuable resource for our company and our entire family. He has the ability to meet each of us where we’re at and it has served us very well."

–Ceylon Leitzel
Leitzel Fine Jewelry
Hershey & Myerstown, PA

“We needed a plan to transition our business to a non-family member and we asked Bill Boyajian to help us. His experience in the area has really paid off, but we didn’t expect the added value of putting us together with a financial planner who helped organize our retirement needs. We now have the fundamentals to transition our business successfully, and we have Bill to thank for it.”

–Ernie & Debbie Cummings
Kizer-Cummings Jewelers
Lawrence, KS