1851

I&rsquo;m not exactly what you would picture as an athlete. As my wife is fond of telling just about everyone we meet, my lack of prowess on a basketball court or baseball diamond is pretty legendary. Even I have to admit: most of the time, it&rsquo;s not pretty.

But, despite that reputation, there&rsquo;s a space on the wall in my home dedicated to athletic achievement. Yes, my athletic achievement. And, it&rsquo;s one that I&rsquo;m especially proud of. On a series of hooks engraved with my name hang more than a dozen medals of all shapes, sizes and colors, most bearing the word &ldquo;marathon&rdquo; or &ldquo;half-marathon&rdquo; on them somewhere. They are a daily reminder to me that mind can indeed conquer matter, that effort can equal success, and that perseverance can triumph over talent.

Most importantly, they remind me that most things truly worth celebrating are really hard to achieve.

It&rsquo;s a theme that&rsquo;s run through my career as well. No matter the position I&rsquo;ve held, there&rsquo;s always been one constant: writing. From newspapers and magazines to TV, the excitement of seeing my byline on the page has never ceased to be exciting to me. But, for all the &lsquo;glamour&rsquo; of being on television, winning awards and having people stop you in the grocery store to take pictures with them (no joke), the reality is that being a good reporter&mdash;an effective reporter&mdash;is often also an exhausting, frustrating and thankless job. It takes dedication and a strong work ethic to get through the long hours and stressful deadlines, and sometimes, that can make the future seem pretty bleak.

So, why did I do it?

I did it for the very same reasons I chose to run that first marathon: I wasn&rsquo;t really sure if I could. And, I wanted&mdash;maybe even needed&mdash;to prove myself wrong. I took the tougher road precisely because it&rsquo;s hard, but also because I believed it had the power to improve my life. And, I stuck with it. I set a long-term goal that I knew would take months of serious training to achieve. If I wanted to conquer that goal, I knew I&rsquo;d have to put in the background work to make it happen. Shortcuts weren&rsquo;t an option if I wanted to cross that finish line.

My career trajectory landed me with <a href="http://nolimitagency.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=cultivating-a-marathon-mindset-6161" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Limit Agency*</a> and <a href="http://1851franchise.com/" target="_blank">1851 Franchise</a> for precisely the same reasons: the work we&rsquo;re doing is hard. We&rsquo;re disrupting an industry that&rsquo;s been rooted in tradition for decades. And, we&rsquo;re in it for long-term success&mdash;ours and yours. I&rsquo;m truly proud of the ways that 1851 is shining the spotlight on those driving franchising toward a brighter future through their successes and their connections with the communities they serve.

I&rsquo;ve long believed that storytelling is one of mankind&rsquo;s most important tools. It first connected us to one another when we lived in caves, and it connects us now, in more exciting ways than ever before. The stories we have the privilege of telling in 1851 prove just how important those connections are, because they are helping to change the conventional narrative on franchising. It&rsquo;s an important undertaking, because it&rsquo;s hard, because it&rsquo;s proving skeptics wrong and because it does have the power to illustrate how our industry is truly changing lives.

Next week, I&rsquo;ll have finished my third marathon in three years here in Chicago. Or, maybe I won&rsquo;t. Either way, that&rsquo;s not the point. The point is: I embraced the challenge to do something harder than I thought I could (or should). And, because of that, I&rsquo;ve already won.

So many across our industry are winning their own races, too: the multi-unit franchisees making their mark; the driven entrepreneurs changing the world by bringing their innovative ideas to the masses; the investors putting it all on the line to back the next great thing.

Together, you&rsquo;re pushing franchising to a brighter future. I can&rsquo;t wait to tell the world about it right here on 1851, because&mdash;let&rsquo;s face it: I&rsquo;m probably still a long shot to end up playing in the World Series.

Cultivating a Marathon Mindset

1851 Franchise

The things that are truly worth celebrating are often the hardest to achieve. 


This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

cultivating-a-marathon-mindset

Right at Home

Veterans, Army, Navy, Right at Home franchisees, Veterans Day

Veterans Excel as Right at Home Franchisees: Here's Why

veterans-in-franchising-right-at-home-success

The Cleaning Authority

Why This Corporate McDonald’s Rep Decided To Open His Own Franchise With The Cleaning Authority

cleaning-authority/kent-lewis-franchise-success

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

KidStrong Wraps Up Q3 With First Manhattan Location, 45 New Franchises and Record-High Attendance

kidstrong-q3-growth-2025

Woodhouse Spas

Photo of front lobby area of Woodhouse Spa

Why Woodhouse Has No True Competitor in the Spa Franchise Space

luxury-spa-franchise

Right at Home Expanding In-Home Care Services in Wausau, Wisconsin 

right-at-home-expanding-in-home-care-services-in-wausau-wisconsin

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Slim Chickens Opens R&D Center at World Headquarters To Drive Menu Innovation

slim-chickens-rd-center-fayetteville

Nearly 40% of Americans Are Eating Out Less as High Prices Redefine Dining Habits

nearly-40-of-americans-are-eating-out-less-as-high-prices-redefine-dining-habits

Authority Brands Enters Q4 with Record Momentum

Authority Brands Enters Q4 with Record Momentum, Surpassing 200 New Franchise Owners in the First 10 Months of 2025

authority-brands-enters-q4-with-record-momentum-surpassing-200-new-franchise-owners-in-the-first-10-months-of-2025

Franchises, work-life balance, millennials in franchising, millennials work-life balance

The Best Franchises for Millennials Wanting Work-Life Balance

best-franchises-millennials-work-life-balance

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saved Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

Graphic with arm, holding graduation cap, coming out of stack of books

top-tutoring-test-prep-franchises

Design with image of person using microscope against a pink background

Top STEAM Education Franchise Opportunities for 2025

steam-stem-education-franchise-opportunities

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

The Panos Family’s Role in Preserving Mellow Mushroom’s Character — and Expanding in Atlanta

mellow-mushroom-franchise-panos-restaurant-group-metro-atlanta

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

Cultivating a Marathon Mindset

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS