Keep Going

In all of my years in this life, I have had a tremendous amount of success. I became a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces and learned to speak three languages. I married the woman of my dreams and had a family. Academically, I obtained my masters degree in design and have had the opportunity to work with some incredible people along the way. My designs have been fortunate to win actual awards and become featured in some of the most reputable publications in the soft goods industry. Those same opportunities allowed me to traveled the world and learn about different cultures across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. I started my own company and my home is in one of the most beautiful places this country has to offer. If I'm being honest, I have achieved most goals that were set for myself. But the only thing that got me there, were my failures. 

For every success story in my past, there are dozens more failures behind the curtain. They are simply not what is in focus when it's time to share. For me, the failures are what mean the most. That is where we learn, adapt and grow. We become something or achieve something that wasn't previously thought possible. The failures mold us and create new pathways to success.

The lessons I have learned from failure were more impactful than any award or achievement ever earned. This is simply because failures hurt. They sting in a peculiar way and tend to stick with you. They become a part of you and resurface every time you are about to make the same mistake again. Forcing you to find new solutions, new strategies, and unthought of combinations to reach your goal. The failures in life are the driving force to our success.

The advice that I always present to young men that want to become Green Berets, my peers, my children, and young designers looking for wisdom.. Keep going. Don't stop when it gets hard. Keep going. Keep sketching, keep writing, keep pushing, keep running.. keep failing. Whatever it is, don't stop. Because the only way you truly fail, is to quit. 

Keep Going. You your breakthrough is coming.

Drew