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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve traveled to over a hundred different countries in my life. Many of these places lack the relative comfort and safety of North America. But I\u2019ve also seen this lack of a social safety net drive people to accomplish amazing things.<\/p>\n
Nearly everyone in the developing world is an entrepreneur \u2014 because they have to be. The problems they deal with on a daily basis are more immediate, so they\u2019re under greater pressure to innovate solutions.<\/p>\n
Most North American founders I\u2019ve met are never truly in danger of falling through the cracks. If their startup doesn\u2019t work, most can move back in with the parents who probably paid for them to attend business school.<\/p>\n
But in places where failure is not an option, people work harder to make their dreams come true. I\u2019ve seen it more times than I can count \u2014 but the clearest example is a man named Juan Carlos, the first friend I ever made outside the United States.<\/p>\n
This is his story. I\u2019m sharing it with you to illustrate what he taught me about pushing through obstacles so that you can remind yourself not to give up when you encounter them.<\/p>\n
At 15, Juan Carlos hitchhiked from Mexico City to the Mayan Riviera because he had heard that was where people went to earn money. When he arrived, he discovered it would be impossible if he didn\u2019t learn English.<\/p>\n
So Juan lived on the edge of town, in a hammock, surrounded by dozens of others, making $3 an hour raking seaweed off the beach. He would walk 12 miles to the city\u2019s downtown area every day to eat in a cheap restaurant because it allowed him to save an extra 50 cents.<\/p>\n
With the money he saved, Juan Carlos bought an English-Spanish dictionary. He used his spare time teaching himself how to speak English.<\/p>\n
On one of his trips downtown, Juan Carlos met a man who was creating astounding street paintings using the soot from a candle to stain canvas. This technique, called \u201cfumage,\u201d produces delicate, ethereal textures in ways no other medium can accomplish.<\/p>\n
Juan Carlos knew nothing about painting, but he knew talent when he saw it. He approached the man and announced his intention to start a business with him, selling the paintings to tourists.<\/p>\n
Of course, having a business idea is only half the battle. Juan Carlos soon realized he would need a place to sell these paintings if he wanted his venture to succeed.<\/p>\n
So he traveled to Plaza Caracol, learned who the office manager was, and asked for a meeting with the plaza\u2019s American owner. The manager was dismissive at first, then outright rude when Juan Carlos continued to make requests.<\/p>\n
Still, Juan Carlos continued to visit and politely request an appointment. As luck would have it, the owner happened to be on site during one of these attempts and overheard. He quickly stepped in, and despite his office manager\u2019s protestations, listened to Juan Carlos\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n
Juan Carlos\u2019s dedication impressed the owner, especially after learning how long he had been trying to reach him. They made an agreement: The owner would set Juan Carlos up with a space and the equipment he needed to sell the paintings, but would charge him a small amount of rent on principle. It wasn\u2019t greed; it was a sign of respect \u2014 a vote of confidence that Juan Carlos\u2019s business would prove to be profitable.<\/p>\n
By the time I met Juan, he had eight people working for him to create fumage paintings and could sell them in no less than seven languages. He never gave up, never took no for an answer, and ultimately created his own success.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t pretend that founders from the developed world don\u2019t have significant advantages over those who grow up in dangerous or impoverished environments. That would simply be a lie.<\/p>\n
But one point I\u2019m trying to make with this story is that founders in wealthier countries often squander those advantages. They let the first rejection or minor obstacle stop them dead in their tracks, when the world is full of people willing to work exponentially harder for even a fraction of the success they want.<\/p>\n
Most aspiring entrepreneurs in the United States wouldn\u2019t take the time to learn a single new language \u2014 let alone seven \u2014 if that made the difference between success and failure. And many would avoid following up with a potential partner after being turned away out of sheer embarrassment or hurt pride. What we don\u2019t realize is that it\u2019s a luxury to have these concerns. Embarrassment is not a factor when you\u2019re sleeping outside in a hammock to get your business off the ground.<\/p>\n
Most people who achieve real success respect this because they\u2019ve faced challenges of their own. The owner of the Plaza Caracol didn\u2019t give Juan Carlos his chance just to placate him. He did it because he saw his own determination reflected in Juan Carlos\u2019s willingness to keep trying.<\/p>\n