My dad has always loved the word gumption.

He was an entrepreneur through and through — always building something, always finding a way. That entrepreneurial spirit definitely rubbed off on me. I can still hear him saying, “If you want to do anything meaningful in life, you need gumption.”

And honestly? He was right.

If I had to name just one quality every entrepreneur must have, it’s this:
The belief in yourself and the ability to keep going — even when nothing is working (yet).
That’s where the magic happens.

The Early Days: Building Without Support

When I launched my retreat business back in 2006, I didn’t have much support.

No one came right out and said, “You’re crazy.” But I could feel it — the unspoken doubt, the hesitation in people’s voices, the subtle side glances. And still… I didn’t care.

I knew what I wanted. I knew I had something special to offer. I could see the vision long before anyone else could.

Here we are, nearly 20 years later, and that retreat business is still going strong — hosting guests from all over the world and changing lives in the process. Why?
Because I had gumption.
I believed in what I was building, and I wasn’t willing to give up. And I’m not willing to give up now or ever. I wake up daily and tell myself that it’s going to be the best day ever and that I always get what I want.

Starting Over, Sort Of — The Digital Chapter

Over the last year, I’ve built a digital product arm of my business to support people that aren’t able to attend a retreat, reach a broader audience, and develop a somewhat passive stream of income. Starting this digital product arm of my business has felt like déjà vu in the best (and hardest) ways.

Once again, I knew what I wanted to build. I knew I had the experience and the knowledge. I saw the vision so clearly. But still — the same resistance showed up, this time in a quieter form.

Not loud criticism, just the shrugging kind of feedback… the “well, good luck” energy… the you better get creative side-eyes… the you know the market is so saturated statements.

(P.S. I don’t subscribe to the market is saturated, people aren’t spending, people won’t spend that much on xyz. I tell myself the opposite and I get the opposite. More on that in a later post.)

But here’s the truth:
None of the hesitation or lack luster comments from others have phased me.
Because this time, I have evidence.
I’ve developed a traffic growth strategy using Pinterest. I’ve been pinning to Pinterest consistently for over a year now. I’ve watched my website traffic climb — from slow, steady beginnings to real, measurable growth. I’ve seen sales come in consistently. I know what I’m doing is working. In fact, as I’m writing this, I just had another Stan Store sale come in.

And just like before, I won’t stop. I don’t need outside validation to keep going — I’ve got results, and I’ve got gumption. What I want to say is that – If I can do it, so can you.

This Is Your Reminder: Don’t You Dare Give Up

If you’re in a season where you’re not seeing results yet — don’t quit.
If you’re building something and it feels like no one else gets it — keep going.
If it’s slow, if it’s frustrating, if it feels like no one’s watching — they will.

But only if you keep showing up.

Success doesn’t belong to the most talented or the most supported.
It belongs to the ones who don’t stop.
The ones who show up day after day, even when it’s hard.
The ones who develop the inner grit it takes to keep going.

The ones who have gumption.

One thing is for certain – if you give up, you’ll definitely fail. I’m guessing if you’re still reading this – that’s not what you want.

5 Practical Tips to Stay the Course

If you’re building a business — especially a digital one — here are a few things that have helped me stay grounded and focused when results were slow:

1. Get clear on your vision.
Know what you want and why it matters. That clarity will anchor you when things get messy.

2. Develop your systems.
Have daily, weekly, and monthly routines for creating, promoting, and reflecting on your work. Systems create consistency.

3. Show up for yourself — daily.
Even when no one’s clapping. Especially then.

4. Track your wins and your struggles.
I use a journal every single day to reflect, regroup, and remind myself of how far I’ve come. Your growth is happening — write it down.

5. Stay the course (but adapt when needed).
Pivot if you need to, but don’t quit just because it’s taking longer than expected. You’re building something real.

You’ve got what it takes.
The dream you have? You have it for a reason.
Just don’t give up before it clicks.

Because when it does… it’s everything.

Wishing you the best! – Margot

Ready for change? Check out My Tools & Courses:

The Morning + Evening Mindset Journal/Workbook
A 30-day challenge and guided journal designed to help you build consistent morning and evening practices that support mindset growth, accountability, and lasting change. It’s packed with daily prompts, education, mindset tools to experiment with and so much more: The Morning Evening Mindset Workbook

Wealth Aligned: Money Mindset Kit – Get the Mini Course

Mindset Momentum: A 12 week full mindset deep dive – Get Mindset Momentum

Coach with Me – Book your initial session HERE (additional packages offered for accountability/follow up sessions)

Additional Tools & Courses:

Pinterest Prosperity – This is the course I used to develop my Pinterest strategy. It’s not my course but I love giving other entrepreneurs credit where credit is due. She definitely deserves credit. Check it out HERE

Stan – I use Stan Store to host all of my digital products. You can sign up for a 14 day free trial HERE