Embracing Discomfort: How Grit and Determination Shape the Path to Success

In business, as in life, we often seek comfort and avoid adversity. It’s human nature to steer clear of challenges and retreat when faced with friction. For those who choose to start their own business, breakthroughs come from embracing discomfort. I’ve discovered this truth through my journey as an investor, senior partner at a private capital firm, a co-founder on the frontlines of building multiple companies, and on the mat training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The principles of resilience and tenacity from training on and off the mat have shaped my career. 

Grit, Determination, and the Entrepreneurial Journey

The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with obstacles, and building a business from the ground up requires immense perseverance. Every day, from financial pressures to intense market competition, brings a new challenge. As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned firsthand the sacrifices required: sleepless nights, economic uncertainties, and an ongoing commitment to a vision that often demands every ounce of energy.

In 2009, I moved from Virginia to Newport Beach for a new role in real estate investment banking, but my life took an unexpected turn when the company restructured only 75 days later. This experience was a stark lesson in how quickly external sources of stability can disappear. Realizing the precarious nature of relying on a single income, I committed to building diverse revenue. While it was a period of uncertainty, this experience ultimately set me on a path of self-sufficiency and adaptability that would serve me well in future ventures. 

At its core, entrepreneurship is about solving problems and pushing through discomfort. Over the years, I’ve been part of founding teams for three companies that achieved successful exits. This includes building one of the largest CBD brands in the country, leading innovation in a rapidly growing industry, and creating a spirit company that secured national distribution and became a recognized name in the market. Each venture has taught me invaluable lessons about scaling businesses, navigating competitive markets, and fostering strong teams that drive success. Building and scaling a company is about having a great product and putting the right processes, teams, and mindset in place. Those early struggles were my proving ground, helping me develop the grit needed for sustainable growth and the ability to face setbacks head-on. The challenges were a crucible for testing my limits and demonstrating that discomfort is necessary for success.

Black Belt Mindset

Today, at 44, I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a sport that doesn’t allow shortcuts or comfort zones. Approximately 90% of people who start training in BJJ never receive their blue belt, which is just the second rank in the belt system. The reason? It’s mentally and physically tough and tests every ounce of grit and determination one possesses. The lessons I’ve learned in business are deeply connected to my BJJ experiences on the mat. In BJJ, you have to learn to be comfortable with discomfort, choose to get slammed on the mat with every training session, and willingly face tough opponents while embracing the challenges that come with it. It’s the same story for entrepreneurs—you’re choosing your hard work and pushing through the difficulties because you know it will all pay off one day. This sport doesn’t allow shortcuts; it requires patience and a willingness to endure discomfort.  Taking shortcuts can lead to mistakes, injuries, and setbacks. It has been a crucible for personal growth, teaching me humility, adaptability, and mental clarity—qualities that have directly influenced my approach to business.

In BJJ, we talk about “mat time”—the hours spent on the mat pushing through exhaustion, frustration, and defeat. You face opponents who are stronger, faster, and more experienced, testing your resolve and sharpening your skills. These experiences compound over time, shaping one’s resilience and honing the mental toughness needed to push through difficult moments. 

In business, like in BJJ, success is not about how quickly you can achieve your goals but rather about the commitment to consistent effort and improvement.

As I shared in an interview with Authority Magazine, “There is no substitute for real competition, for testing yourself in a situation where your opponent is not there to make you better.”  This mindset—learning from failure and persisting through adversity—is at the heart of both BJJ and successful entrepreneurship. 

Choose Your Hard

The harder the path you choose, the stronger you become. Voluntarily putting yourself in challenging situations rewires your thinking, enabling you to face even greater challenges with confidence. Whether preparing for a BJJ competition or launching a new venture, embracing discomfort reshapes your perspective and helps you develop an unbreakable will.

Throughout my journey—founding a consulting firm in 2015, building multiple companies, training in BJJ, and stepping into my role as Senior Partner at Solyco—I have consciously chosen to embrace challenges rather than shy away from them. Life experience and good advice from people I trust has taught me that challenges can be our greatest teachers. Choosing the harder path has enabled me to thrive in dynamic environments, ready to tackle any obstacle.

The Power of Friction

Friction isn’t just a challenge—it’s a catalyst for growth. True progress and transformation occur in the resistance, the struggle, and the grind. It’s human nature to give up when there’s friction, but that friction is where the real work begins. Over the past eight years of training in BJJ, a sport known for its relentless nature, I’ve learned this lesson firsthand. Training in one of the grittiest sports has taught me that the more difficult things you add to your life, the easier everything else becomes. BJJ isn’t for everyone. Only a small percentage even make it to an intermediate level before throwing in the towel, mainly because it’s extremely difficult. It’s in the struggle that innovation is born, new strategies are forged, and true resilience is developed. Friction pushes us to the edge of our comfort zones and reveals our potential. For an entrepreneur, friction is where new ideas take shape, new solutions emerge, and breakthroughs become possible.

In athletics, friction is what builds endurance, strength, and mental fortitude. In business, it fosters adaptability, tenacity, and innovation. And in life, friction reveals what we’re truly made of. Embracing discomfort means facing these challenges directly rather than sidestepping them. This willingness to endure difficult moments and keep going is what sets successful people apart from those who give up.

How do people achieve success or a lofty goal so quickly? I believe the answer lies in the countless hours and the willingness to remain uncomfortable long enough to realize true growth. 

When we lean into friction, we allow ourselves to grow. Those who avoid discomfort or quit when things get tough miss out on the value of these difficult experiences. When we accept that discomfort is a fundamental part of progress, we unlock our potential to achieve things that once seemed impossible. 

Conclusion: “Do Hard Things!” as a Way of Life

“Do hard Things!”  is more than just a motto for me; it’s a mindset that has shaped every aspect of my journey, both in business and in life. It’s a reminder that the path to success is often littered with obstacles, and overcoming them defines who we are. 

As the saying goes, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” So, if you’re on the journey of entrepreneurship, pursuing athletic goals, or striving for excellence in any field, remember this: embrace the friction, accept the discomfort, and let it propel you forward. In the end, it’s not the easy paths that define us but the difficult ones we choose to walk.

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