Success for Maximus, the Roman general who was forced to become a gladiator in the movie The Gladiator, came when he won the crowd.  Too often self-employed business owners are looking for that one big client that is going to push them over the top and on the road to great success.

Very often what they miss is that success is many small, positive steps accumulated over a period of time.

Success Comes One Challenge At A Time

In The Gladiator, Maximum, portrayed by Russell Crowe, had been banished fromRomeand had become part of a traveling gladiator group in what is today Spain.  In a way, the gladiator circuit was the forerunner of what is today the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

Maximus hated being a gladiator.  One day, he was talking to the leader of the gladiator group who was very high on Maximus’s feats as a gladiator.  But Maximus was despondent.  As he said in reference to being a gladiator it was “either kill or be killed.”

The leader pointed out that Maximus had succeeded in overcoming every challenge and that his presence enhanced his gladiator group.

Success—Win The Crowd

Still Maximus was depressed.  He had no exciting vision of the future.  Every day was going to look the same as yesterday and today.  As a personal business coach one of the big challenges of being a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur or solo professional is to continually have a vision of the future and future success that excites you.

Without that vision your business and your life becomes a slog through the mud.

As a despondent Maximus sat there the leader started to tell his own story.  He too had been a gladiator.  He had done well.  And, he had done well enough that he and his troop were invited toRometo perform in the Colisseum in front of the Emperor.

If a gladiator survived the Emperor would turn to the crowd and give a thumbs up sign and the crowd would cheer.  If most of the crowd was cheering then the Emperor would grant the gladiator his freedom.  The leader then told Maximus that his gladiator group was going toRometo perform before the Emperor in the Coliseum.

Maximus got excited.  He now had a vision of future success.  He knew his abilities and that he could perform well in the Coliseum and win his freedom by winning the crowd.

Success Is Not Overnight

As in the case of Maximus, small business success is not overnight.  Running a small business or starting up your own business is not like making instant coffee.  You have to do more than add hot water and stir.  You must keep the water hot, keep stirring and of course, add coffee as needed.

To have the small business success and small business growth you desire you must have many small successes.  But without a vision of what a successful future will look like it is hard to stay motivated and focused.

Once Maximus got his vision of success for the future his focus, motivation and energy all ramped up.  Do the same for yourself.  Get your vision of success.  When you do every day will have meaning.  The excitement will return because every day is moving you closer to your dream.

And with each new success and each new customer or client you are working toward winning your freedom.  When you have enough individual successes, then those turn into a crowd.  You will win your freedom to have the business and life you want when you win the crowd.  Now that is success.