It began with a role that only proved his ability to act like a juvenile delinquent. It ended Oscar night with an Oscar for Best Actor in a leading role. To win, Sean Penn had to out-duel the likes of swashbuckling Johnny Depp and break free from the branding he received by playing a party animal in his first movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Most of us start at the bottom. To work your way to the top, you need to improve your skills, take a few risks, meet a few of the right people and most importantly, stick with it! For Penn it took 12 years, for Johnny Depp it took 20 years (his first movie was "A Nightmare on Elm Street" – 1984) just to get nominated. The highly honored Harrison Ford has said that the only reason he’s been so successful in movies is that he hung around long enough and kept working.

Like Hollywood, most people in the car business start at the bottom. And because there are seasons of hard times, many of them drop out long before the rewards have a chance to flow in. But those who stick it out find both rewards and a satisfying career. It just takes time to learn and grow and develop a base of people (customers) who believe in and trust you.

Before you decide to give up on the car business, consider just one of the stories that have come out of the gold rush era. In many cases, owners of claims would abandon them just a few days or a few feet away from striking it rich. So don’t give up your dreams because of a few setbacks. Stick to your goals and keep working the process and eventually you’ll take home the gold!

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