Although over the last 20 years I have been a Cubs fan living in Chicago, I grew up a Boston Red Sox fan in Connecticut for the first 20 years of my life. I remember in 1967 when I was 7 years old, I had the pictures of all the Boston Red Sox players hanging in my room. Those were the days when you went to the gas station where they filled up your car FOR YOU and gave you something as an incentive for coming…these Red Sox posters were that incentive. When I was 7 years old, I remember listening to Game 6 of the World Series in 1967 (Red Sox vs. Cardinals) after I had gone to bed secretly with a small transistor radio under my pillow. Carlton Fisk hit a home run to win that game for the Red Sox and I screamed out from my bedroom. My mother got scared and rushed in to find out what was wrong. She was relieved and dismayed to know it was Red Sox delight.

Fast forward 37 years to 2004 where the Red Sox came back from 3 outs from being defeated by the Yankees in the American League Championship Game. They won the next 8 games to become baseball’s world champions. The 7 year old boy in me finally can celebrate a victory.

How did they do it and what can we learn? Curt Schilling, the Red Sox pitcher said, “Why Not Us?” The players first knew that it was possible, despite Babe Ruth’s 1918 curse to win the championship. They believed in themselves. Next, they won one game at a time. I try to teach my son’s in their sports games that no matter how far they are behind you always have a chance to come back. It may seem improbable but there is always a chance. It starts with scoring that first run then the next.

Business is very much the same way. You almost always can come back. Believe in yourself and your ability. You can learn from the bad times. You need to take one business day and sell one client at a time. Don’t try to look at too big a picture or it might be seem daunting. Ask yourself, Why Not Us?

Guess there is hope for the Cubs…Maybe next year?