After a Hurricane Comes a Rainbow
Maybe the reason why, all the doors are closed, so you can open one that leads you to the perfect road — Katy Perry “Firework”
The life of a dreamer (in my case an entrepreneur and investor) is filled with disappointments and rejections at every turn. The very concept of pitching a business idea to multiple investors implies seemingly endless amounts of rejection. There is an inherent disconnect between what WE think we can accomplish and what THEY think we can accomplish. It puts us in a position of wondering why the doors are closed.
This can do damage to our psyche and confidence. But who better to lift our spirits than one of the greatest singers and girlbosses of our time Katy Perry.
I’ll admit, I was a reluctant Katy Perry “Stan”. I can remember distinctly the time in my life as a parent when her album “Teenage Dream” was a dominant album on the charts with hits such as “Teenage Dream” “California Gurls” and the aforementioned “Firework”. I was a youngish parent whose kids loved pop music, which ran contrary to the indie, punk, grunge, metal bands of my youth. But this music is so infectious. The one song that gets me every time is “Firework.” The music and lyrics are empowering and inspiring.
Baby you’re a Firework, Come on let your colors burst, make em go up up up, as you shoot across the sky
As I have gotten older I have seen more meaning in other parts of the song — the ones dedicated to failure and rejection. I guess, as I have gotten older, I have become more and more acquainted with failure and rejection. I have failed many many times in my life. I fail as a parent constantly. I have had failures as a brother, a husband, and a son. I have had failures as an employee, a manager, as an investor, and as an entrepreneur. Sometimes I ask myself if I have squandered my opportunities for success.
Recently, I dusted off some of my kids old piano books and tried to teach myself “Firework”. I found myself floored by the lyrics as I was playing:
Don’t you know that there’s still a chance for you, there’s a spark in you, you just got to ignite the light and let it shine
I was floored. I’m 44 years old. I’ve had some successes in life, but a ton of failure. 2019 was a rough one. It had gotten to the point where I was not sure what to do next in my career. I had a couple of work relationships that had soured and it seemed like everywhere I looked, the doors were closing in my face. My confidence was at the lowest it had ever been.
You don’t have to feel like a waste of space, you’re original, cannot be replaced, If you only knew what the future holds after a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe the reason why, all the doors are closed, so you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Holy crap! Is Katy talking directly to me? These were my feelings. My personality has all these layers. There is the layer of self-doubt that covers the layer of confidence that covers the layer of fear etc etc.
But I’ve come to realize, these thoughts are universal. We all struggle with failure and rejection. There are always doors closing around us. But with faith we can find the perfect road.
I eventually was able to find my way out of my own personal tailspin. I realize now that all the other doors that were closing around me were limiting my options so that I could turn my focus on my current project Tacoma Venture Fund. If you have been reading my earlier blog entries, I have teamed with some great investors to make meaningful and impactful investments in PacNW startups. It is my dream job.
Like a lightning bolt, you’re heart will glow, and when it’s time you’ll know
For all those reading this who deal with fear, rejection, disappointment, I know how you feel. I have dealt with more than I could ever wish on anyone else. And I still deal with it on a daily basis. It never really ends but as Katy Perry says “You just got to ignite the light and let it shine, just own the night like the 4th of July”
Come on Let Your Colors Burst
