Rainmaking Recommendation #260: The Four Ds of Rainmaking

I am a fan of Ernestine Shepherd. 

Who, you ask? 

Ernestine Shepherd is the World’s oldest female bodybuilder; at what she says is a young 85 years old.  She is incredible.

 At the age of 56, while trying on bathing suits (which women around the World dread doing), she and her sister starting laughing at the image in the mirror, albeit horrified by what stared back at her.  From that moment, she vowed to get into shape.  Unfortunately, her sister died shortly after they started to work out from a brain aneurysm.  To honor her sister, she continued to work out only to find that she loves it.  And so she started competing and winning.

But the main reason I love her, besides the fact that she shows it is never too late to start anything, is her motto – Dedication, Determination, and Discipline. 

Wait, you must be thinking – what about the fourth D? 

Well, for me, the fourth D is Decision:

• Decision
• Dedication
• Determination and
• Discipline.

What does this have to do with business development? 

You will never become the Rainmaker you want to be without adhering to those four Ds. 

You must decide you want to be a Rainmaker.

You must be dedicated to doing the tasks necessary to become a Rainmaker.

You must have determination that nothing will stop you from achieving your goals, even the little bumps along the way.

And, you must have the discipline to do what you need to do DAILY (maybe it should have been 5 Ds?).

This little motto is hanging on my bulletin board to remind me, every day, to do the things I need to do to grow my book of business. 

This harkens back to Rainmaking Recommendation #155.  You have to want to become a Rainmaker. 

This is not something that you just become; you have to do the work.