SUccESS mEANS NEvER hAvING TO WATch YOUR BAck

Chapter 45

sssCCU e MeAns

neveR hAvIng to

WAtCh YoUR BACk

By steVen M. netzel

American Businessman and founder of financial firm Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts, Henry Kravis, said, “A real entrepreneur is somebody who has
no safety net underneath them.” Many of the world’s most successful
entrepreneurs have built their businesses without financial assistance or
help from anyone, and in fact, little more to recommend them than faith
and sheer will.

There once was a young man working for Lockheed on airplanes at the
airport in Albuquerque, NM. He came home exhausted everyday and
smelling of jet fuel. One afternoon, the young man’s roommate was
interviewing for a sales position with an insurance company. The young
man got the name of the insurance company and called the interviewer
to ask, “Can anyone do this business?” After hearing the reply that in
fact, all one needed was a license, the young man promptly bought the
appropriate books, studied all weekend, took the licensing tests, and
passed. He showed up at work with that license and began his new ca-
reer the following Monday.

I was that young man, and since that day, I have shared Henry Kra-
vis’ opinion that one can build a successful business with little more
than hard work and some guiding principles. Please do not misinterpret
this story and assume that everyone can launch an insurance career in