As the Chicago Marathon approaches this weekend, I find myself reflecting on all the ways that marathon training (this will be my 10th full marathon) has benefited my business, DCM Communications.
While I am 100% on board with anyone who wants to train for a marathon—I am a coach, after all—I think there are some key entrepreneurial lessons you can learn from my experience logging seemingly endless miles in the 18 weeks leading to this race.
Here are the key lessons I’ve learned from marathon training that have transformed my approach to business.
Keep Moving Forward, No Matter the Pace
Why Consistent Progress Is Key to Business Success
“Focus on forward.” This is a refrain my athletes and friends hear endlessly from me because I believe in it that strongly. Whether you’re clocking a six-minute or a 14-minute mile, each step brings you closer to your goal, and the finish line is the same distance away for all of us.
Some days, workouts go really well, and some days, you feel like a water buffalo trudging through mud. Maybe you hit your training plan’s assigned paces, or maybe you don’t.
On those water buffalo days, just focus on forward. We can’t always be going balls to the wall in running, or we’d injure ourselves.
The same principle applies to business. For example, if you’re working on a marketing campaign, it might feel like progress is slow—perhaps you’re tweaking your messaging or optimizing your ads—but every small change is a step toward a successful launch.
Or maybe you see someone else in your industry with more Instagram followers or more press mentions, and you feel defeated.
In those moments: STOP COMPARING YOURSELF!
Just like you have no idea the training, coaching, and nutrition that have gotten the six-minute-mile runner to that level, you have no idea what kind of resources your industry peer has working behind the scenes to create the front-of-house image they project.
Yes, I know it’s hard, but as long as you continue to show up every day and do your best—whatever “best” means that day—then you are moving forward. You are making progress.
The Power of Perseverance: Overcoming Tough Days
How to Stay Motivated When Business Challenges Arise
Let’s be honest: there are days when the journey feels anything but exciting. It just feels like freaking WORK!
In marathon training, it’s those water buffalo days, the “I didn’t sleep well and can’t hit my paces” days, the “I’m on my period and cramps are a b*tch” days (more on that here)…the list goes on.
In business, it’s usually what I call Squirrel Days, which came from spotting this sign one day:
It’s those days when my brain feels all over the place, and focusing on a single task seems like trying to push a boulder up a never-ending hill.
Other times, it’s the marketing campaign that didn’t yield the immediate results you wanted, the media interview that got cut by the editor, or the client you thought would renew but didn’t.
In each of these instances, you have two options:
1. Call it a day.
2. Do one more thing.
I will always advocate that physical health takes priority over any workout, in which case Option 1 may be the right call. However, nine times out of ten, the hard days aren’t that dire, so instead, Option 2 is the answer.
Here’s what the internal dialogue looks like:
[RUNNING] One more mile. Just do one more mile and see how you feel.
[WORK] One more task. Just do one more task on the list, then you can take a break.
In either of these instances, it never ends up being one more mile or one more task. By focusing on only one more thing, though, the weight of what comes after that is lifted.
And guess what? All those tasks/miles STACK!
Which leads me to the next lesson…
Trust the Process: Results Take Time
Why Patience and Persistence Pay Off in Business Growth
Silly Instagrammers aside, most people don’t wake up one day and decide to go out and run a marathon. Instead, they wake up and decide to train for a marathon—a process that takes anywhere from 16 to 20 weeks.
They find a coach (🙋🏻♀️), get a training plan, follow the plan, and on race day, it all comes together.
Throughout that process, it’s both normal and expected to feel like you aren’t progressing.
Some weeks, you are just exhausted and can’t hit the prescribed paces. Other weeks, your hunger is voracious, and you wonder if you’ve actually got your nutrition plan figured out.
And then something magical happens: it all clicks.
That magical week comes along where every workout is perfect. The paces are there. Your breathing is under control. You start to FEEL like a marathoner.
And that happens as the result of two key factors:
1. Trusting the plan
2. Continuing to show up
As a business owner, I have had more than my fair share of days doubting the plan and moments when I question, “Do I actually know what my ideal client wants?”
These doubts usually follow a marketing campaign that didn’t get the response I expected or an Instagram Reel that I had been sure would blow up but fell completely flat. Womp womp.
While doubt and questioning are normal, what I NEVER do in these moments is feel like a failure or consider quitting, because I know that in the long game of business—just like in marathon training—there are going to be off weeks.
I also know that what comes after these moments of what appears to be a setback is often a new lead, contract, or speaking engagement request.
Despite my desire for instant gratification for my genius marketing plans, sometimes they are more about planting seeds for future growth (i.e., farming) rather than getting an immediate response (i.e., hunting). (More on the hunting vs. farming principle of marketing here.)
Crossing the Finish Line—Achieving Business Success Through Consistency
Business success, much like crossing the finish line of a marathon, is the culmination of countless small steps.
It’s about staying focused, trusting the process, and continuing to show up every day—even when the path feels steep.
By approaching business with the mindset of an endurance runner, you’ll set yourself up for long-term growth and stability.
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