By Johnny Black, Managing Partner
This is a section I’ve thought about sharing for quite some time. If you’ve ever walked past my office, old space or new, you’ve seen the quote wall. It’s quirky, a little chaotic, but an opportunity of thought and release.
The wall of yellow sticky notes: my collection of small phrases gathered from moments that mattered. Some are my own words, some came from people I love, and others were borrowed from voices that reached me at the right time.
Each quote has a story behind it. A memory. A lesson. A feeling I didn’t want to forget. This collection isn’t just about the words themselves, but about the moments that gave them meaning.
“You Need to Work Hard to Be Lucky” – Fortune Cookie.
This one came from a lunch meeting very early in my career and has always stuck with me. I’ve shared it more times than I can count. I still have it taped to the inside of my old Stephen James Associates leather portfolio, the same one I’ve brought into countless meetings over the years.
In any production-driven environment, success isn’t handed to you. You chase it. And there are stretches where nothing seems to go right, where the effort feels heavy, and the results feel distant. Early on, I learned that those moments are part of the process.
For me, this quote has nothing to do with ‘luck.’ Some don’t believe in luck at all. What I’ve seen is that “luck” tends to show up after you’ve stayed in the game one more day, made one more call, pushed through one more challenge, and stayed focused one more round.
Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but it creates the space where a win can finally catch up to you.
Did this quote resonate with you?
I share one reflection each month in the CSP Engagement Report, along with insights from the work we are seeing across the market.
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