At least once in your lifetime, you’ll find yourself at a crossroads. 

One path whispers: Keep going. Just one more step. The other screams: You’ve had enough. Walk away while you still can. 

You’ll often make a decision based on what feels right at the time. And looking back a few years on, you’ll realise that your entire life is a collection of such moments and decisions. Every time you choose to stay or to leave. Every time fear won or courage did. 

As a business owner, I’ve found that in many instances, giving up should not be your immediate response. You might just be 3 feet from gold. 

In my very first business, Travel Blag, I gave up.

I was travelling, doing what I loved to do and making money from it. I was a great young visionary entrepreneur, and for a while, everything I touched turned into gold. 

But it was short-lived, and what came next was possibly the hardest time of my life. I had no plan, no managerial skills, no proper financial skills and no cash flow. 

Eventually, this skillset gap caught up with me. I lost the money, and with it, my mental health. 

When I picked myself back up, I vowed never to give up again and to help businesses not to make the mistakes that I did. It became my life mission to help as many businesses as I could to survive their first and hardest years. 

Years later, my business has supported thousands of business owners. Our mastermind groups have attracted businesses of all sizes. We’ve witnessed people quadruple their revenue, hire more staff, take proper breaks from their businesses, lead with more confidence, and most importantly, feel less isolated in their businesses. 

I’ve won multiple awards, including Networker of the Year and Business Hero of the Year. And my team has grown from a one-man band to a team of eleven. 

Recently, four of our clients reported their best business quarters back-to-back, and I’ve never been more proud of myself. 

Now looking back, the biggest lesson for me is and has always been one. Don’t give up. You might just be three feet from gold. 

Peter Mols,  Mastermind9