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[ARP]

As of late I have been studying the habits and mannerisms of those who have achieved great success and reached the pinnacle of their respective fields. Much of what separates them from the rest of the pack surrounds a few key tenets; sacrifice, perseverance, purpose and drive. I recently finished a terrific book, Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable, by Tim Grover (trainer to world class athletes of such prominence as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant) which provides a simple pathway to preeminence – becoming what Grover refers to as a “cleaner”. Being a “cleaner” means “never being satisfied. It means creating new goals every time you reach your personal best. If you’re good, it means you don’t stop until you’re great. If you’re great, it means you fight until you’re unstoppable.” (Grover, Tim) This ideology surrounds a core strategy and mental state that is the linchpin of the system; finding comfort in being uncomfortable and doing everything that others are unwilling to...

[ARP]

“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” This aphorism from the masterful English conductor, Colin R. Davis, could not ring truer in our experience. As the gap that separates the haves and the have-nots continues to grow from a fjord to an abyss, we have taken note of the pathway that leads to either camp. Every day we engage with funders in the alternative lending marketplace (both merchant cash advance and corporate finance) and with increasing regularity we are approached by individuals that fall into one of two classic archetypes: those who lead and those who follow. With the latter, our conversation usually begins with a broker or mid-level representative of the company. The individual is trying to break out of the mold they are resigned to, usually by getting creative with the ideas they can pitch to the C-level executives. Their hope is that this will curry favor with upper management, who will love the idea and help to elevate the representatives...