From setback to step-up

Three years ago today I climbed into this lean, green ocean rowing machine. As I swept her ash oars across glassy water, I knew this was the boat for me. I would cross the Atlantic in a SpinDrift rowing boat. Little did I know how much the journey would require, how many setbacks and failures I would have to overcome.

The very next week, I sold my car, took my 2017 tax returns, and deferred my student loans and made a down payment for my own ocean rowboat. And then I began pitching corporate sponsors to fund the rest.

Months turned into years, and I failed to bring sponsors on board. Companies offered products and occasionally a small gift, but that’s all. Meanwhile I kept making whatever payments I could towards my boat and the Atlantic Challenge, the rowing race I aimed to compete in in December 2019.

But it wasn’t enough. I tried to go at it all alone. But by July 2019, my illusions of endless self-reliance came crashing down. After years of working day and night, trying to balance my day job and the row, I was burned out. My back ached - I couldn't row for more than 5 minutes on a rowing machine or even sit in a chair. My eyes twitched from stress. I felt depressed and defeated. Citing mental health disability, I took 3 weeks off work. Rest helped my nervous system rebalance, and with a fresh perspective, I reexamined my approach to chasing this dream.

For months, some of my advisors and friends were telling me to launch a crowdfund. But asking friends and family to support the row felt like failure. I wanted public donations to support the scholarship fund, and for corporate sponsorship to cover costs. But I realized I couldn’t get to the starting line alone, and sponsors just weren’t on board. I needed help, and I reluctantly opened a GoFundMe. 

Hundreds of people chipped in, giving me both financial support and much needed inspiration and belief. At the same time, I took a personal loan to match the gifts. I put crowdfund donations towards equipment and my loan towards the boat, which had been stalled for over year while I looked for cash to pay for its build. 

Suddenly there was wind in the proverbial sails. The crowdfund's success gave the project more legitimacy, and my first corporate sponsors came on board with small cash gifts. Things were coming together - but not fast enough. In October, after nearly 3 years planning, I was forced to postpone competing in the Atlantic Challenge race beginning that December. My boat and other prep just wouldn’t be done in time. I failed - or so I thought. 

But these countless setbacks with fundraising, project management, sponsorship, they were all key steps in helping me reorient to a more challenging, more inspiring, more rewarding (and not to mention, less costly) mission: rowing solo to Hawaii. And we know how that turned out - 71 days at sea, becoming the 8th person ever to row that route, and the first novice to complete it on his first attempt. 

The ocean taught me countless lessons about patience, honesty, adaptability and compassion - but I encountered some of the biggest insights from this journey before I even left shore.

Looking back to that fateful day rowing Icha under this dreamy sky 3 years ago, I’ve learned to see setbacks as step-ups. To know that what seems like utter failure may just be the stepping stone to the biggest success. And with the right stories, I know others can embrace this idea and thrive, too. 

Do you want to hear more stories from the journey? Reach out - I’m booking speaking gigs now and would love share lessons from the United World Challenge with you. 

Cheers,

Tez

#adventure #fundraising #entrepreneurship #mentalhealth #community #crowdfund #strategy #publicspeaking