{"id":8593,"date":"2026-05-14T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/?p=8593"},"modified":"2026-05-11T13:53:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:53:42","slug":"when-success-gets-dismissed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/when-success-gets-dismissed","title":{"rendered":"When Success Gets Dismissed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When UCLA\u2019s Megan Grant hit her 38th home run of the season this past weekend, she did more than send a softball over the fence. She etched her name into NCAA history, breaking a <strong>31-year-old Division 1 single-season record.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And almost immediately, some people began to minimize the achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She plays in the Big 10 conference, and some felt that if she played in the Southeastern Conference, it would have been more impressive. Some even thought it wouldn\u2019t have happened at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, her <strong>accomplishment<\/strong> was somehow less legitimate because of the environment in which it happened.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8594\" style=\"width:540px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cspxbay-softball-1619396-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve built a <strong>successful business<\/strong>, that response should sound very familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what you accomplish, there will always be someone ready with an explanation for why it \u201cdoesn\u2019t really count.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cOf course she\u2019s successful\u2026she has a big list.\u201d<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cHe got lucky with <strong>timing<\/strong>.\u201d<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cTheir <strong>market<\/strong> is easier.\u201d<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cShe already had <strong>connections.<\/strong>\u201d<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cThey had more <strong>capital.<\/strong>\u201d<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cThat <strong>strategy<\/strong> won\u2019t work in my industry.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The details change, but the message is the same. Instead of studying what it took to achieve the result, people search for reasons the result should be discounted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the most destructive habits in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you explain away someone else\u2019s success, you give yourself <strong>permission<\/strong> to <strong>avoid<\/strong> doing the work <strong>required<\/strong> to create your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Megan Grant did not hit 38 home runs by accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, and it\u2019s important to note\u2026she did it while also being part of UCLA\u2019s national championship women\u2019s basketball team, making her accomplishment even more <strong>extraordinary.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The record is hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Business works the same way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers don\u2019t buy because your industry is easy. They buy because you <strong>solved a problem and communicated value.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Revenue doesn\u2019t appear because conditions were perfect. It appears because you <strong>executed consistently.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways to respond when someone achieves something <strong>remarkable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first is to dismiss it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You tell yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They had <strong>advantages.<\/strong><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their <strong>circumstances<\/strong> were different.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their <strong>success<\/strong> isn\u2019t relevant to you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This response protects your ego but <strong>keeps you stuck.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or\u2026you can <strong>study it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What did they do <strong>consistently<\/strong>?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What <strong>standards<\/strong> did they <strong>maintain<\/strong>?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What can I <strong>apply<\/strong> to my own business?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This response fuels growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Champions and successful entrepreneurs choose the second response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The market doesn\u2019t care about your <strong>explanations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The market rewards one thing \u2013 and one thing only \u2013 <strong>results.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as the scoreboard counts every run, the marketplace counts <strong>every sale<\/strong>, every client <strong>served<\/strong>, and <strong>every promise <\/strong>fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your customers are not buying your excuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are buying <strong>outcomes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of criticizing others for succeeding in a different environment, <strong>ask better questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Megan Grant\u2019s record is not a reason to debate conference strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a case study in what is possible when <strong>exceptional talent meets extraordinary discipline.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In business, the same principle applies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Every successful entrepreneur leaves behind clues.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your job is not to diminish them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your job is to learn from them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many business owners spend too much time evaluating whether conditions are ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is the <strong>economy<\/strong> right?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is my <strong>niche<\/strong> too competitive?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do I have enough <strong>experience<\/strong>?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is my <strong>market <\/strong>harder than theirs?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Those questions are often disguised forms of <strong>procrastination.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The better question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Am I committed enough to do the work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because <strong>commitment beats conditions<\/strong> more often than people realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you see someone break a record, build a thriving company, or achieve extraordinary results, resist the urge to explain it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instead, respect the accomplishment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Study<\/strong> the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Apply<\/strong> the lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And then get back to work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your success will not come from proving someone else had it easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will come from <strong>raising your standards, strengthening your discipline,<\/strong> and <strong>executing with consistency.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Megan Grant hit 38 home runs this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people saw an opportunity to debate whether the conference made it easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Winners see something different.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They see what happens when <strong>preparation, focus,<\/strong> and <strong>determination<\/strong> and <strong>hard work<\/strong> come together over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In business, as in sports, the people who win are not the ones with the best excuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are the ones who <strong>produce results.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And results, ultimately, speak louder than opinions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To Your Success \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/dianesig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"201\" height=\"134\" src=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/dianesig.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4638\" style=\"width:154px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When UCLA\u2019s Megan Grant hit her 38th home run of the season this past weekend, she did more than send a softball over the fence. She etched her name into NCAA history, breaking a 31-year-old Division 1 single-season record. And almost immediately, some people began to minimize the achievement. She plays in the Big 10&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style:italic; text-align:right; font-family:Georgia;\" class=\"readmore\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/when-success-gets-dismissed\"class=\"readmore red-clr underline\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[599,58],"tags":[709,13,10,30,1232,708,216,59,1034,104,44,101,102],"class_list":["post-8593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-general","category-business-strategy","tag-business-strategy","tag-complete-marketing-systems","tag-diane-conklin","tag-entrepreneur","tag-hard-work","tag-articles-marketing","tag-marketing-plan","tag-marketing-strategy","tag-preparation","tag-results","tag-small-business","tag-success","tag-success-in-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8593"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8595,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8593\/revisions\/8595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}