Weathering the storm means persisting through the hard parts.
Some entrepreneurs grow up dreaming about their passions, while others may discover them along the way. This is what happened to Tod Wilson, founder of Mr. Tod’s Pie Factory. Although he didn’t always see himself opening up his own bakery, it wasn’t until one college summer, while working at his godfather’s bakery, that he realized he had a true passion for pies and a plan to start his own company.
As with most entrepreneurs, Tod didn’t initially have enough capital to live out his dream of opening his own pie factory. At one low point, he was even forced to live out of his car. But his passion produced a fire inside of him, and he was committed to following through with his plan. Nothing was going to hold him back – talk about true persistence.
After a debut on ABC’s Shark Tank, he was finally able to garner enough money to jumpstart his bakery (not to mention some great national coverage, too!) He says he didn’t hold anything back, as he stood in front of billionaires and expressed his hunger to succeed. He truly believes that if you are yourself, people will want to invest in you.
While reflecting on his experience and struggle, Tod has offered advice to new entrepreneurs who remind him of himself in his younger days – “You have to have persistence to weather the storm.”