Two Factors of Success.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about the two factors of growing into a successful career.

I urge you to notice in today's fortune, the order of its promise. Your labor always comes first. The fruits you gain, whether they be of capital, recognition, or satisfaction, can never exist if labor does not first exist. The sweet fruit of your labor is a reward you earn. It's not something you can borrow on credit or a handout you're entitled to receive.

We had a small grove of peach trees in the side yard of my childhood home. By "small grove," I mean that we had two peach trees. Every spring, my mother and brothers would get trash barrels of fertilizer from a local dairy farm to spread on our vegetable garden. Somewhere along the way, they saved a little fertilizer to place near our peach trees. Although the trees grew quite vigorously, they didn't yield much fruit for several years. By "much fruit," I mean we had less than enough to make a few of those tiny jars of jam they serve at restaurants.

One year, my big brother returned home from The Stockbridge School of Agriculture, where he was attending college. By this time, the peach trees had grown proud and full of foliage. So, he set his ropes, strapped on his climbing saddle, and ascended into the crown of the tree, pruning away many of the branches, which were less likely to bear fruit. By the time spring repainted our valley with life, our peach tree redirected its energy and was dressed with more blossoms than could be counted. When the tree came into season that year, we had more peach cobbler, peach pancakes, and peach jam than we could eat, store, or give away.

There are two key factors in this story, which made all the difference.

First of all, my family worked to nurture those trees while they were still too young to bring value. They put in the extra effort because they believed it would eventually pay off. By "eventually," I mean they must have cared for that tree for ten years or more before it would be fully matured. If you are a marketing intern and still early in your career, I urge you to work toward the promise of your future. While the work is hard and the patience bitter, the fruit will be sweet when you get there.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, is the value of a mentor. They are a master of their industry and can recognize your potential. You see, after a decade or more of working in your career, and being left to your own devices, you will likely have a head full of knowledge, some of which serves no purpose. Even if you are generating some favorable results, the yield is likely not all it could be. A mentor can give you focus and prune away the distractions, which stand in the way of your success. If you are willing and coachable, a mentor can help groom you for excellence.

Whether you are just starting your career and working to establish yourself, or you're ready to take your career to the next level, always remember that labor comes before reward. Not even peach trees, which have but a single purpose, are suddenly successful. And so it is with you. It will likely take years of hard work, patience, and some careful pruning for you to realize your full potential. Today's fortune is a prediction of your future and a promise to hold for today, as it says, "Your labors will bear sweet fruit."