Shoes Without Heels from Entrepreneurs With Grit

6 Lessons About Grit in Entrepreneurship

I was introduced to Olguy and his father Etienne earlier this year through a friend of a friend. They’ve been working on a new product for over 20 years.

Their journey has literally crossed 4 continents (Australia beware — they’re coming soon!). Olguy slept on a factory floor in China for weeks to make sure that their first production run was the highest quality. They’ve met celebrities, made a custom shoe (size 21.5!) for an NBA player (who Olguy met in an elevator in China!) and turned down investment and parternship offers that most entrepreneurs would kill for. They’re trusting their own instincts.

Making it happen in China

I don’t know whether they’ve always made the right decisions — probably not, like every other business. But, I do know that there are some real lessons about entrepreneurship in their story.

Here are my takeaways:

• Don’t get lost in what could’ve been. If they spent their energy looking backwards at missed opportunities, they’d never be able to focus so much on going forward
• No is the beginning of the process…