12 June 2009

"Success is a continuous journey": Richard St. John on TED.com

In his typically candid style, Richard St. John reminds us that success is not a one-way street. He uses the story of his business’ rise and fall to illustrate a valuable lesson — when we stop trying, we fail. (Recorded at TED U 2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 3:58)

Watch Richard St. John’s talk on TED.com where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks.

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Discuss this Blog Post

Laura Cococcia
Jun 12 2009
Richard’s talk about success not being a one way street is likely a topic everyone can relate to. It applies to personal, professional, spiritual development – and was a good reminder for me personally in my various projects and personal life. I think if we remove the goal of “the story being complete” after we do x,y,z and imagine and realize that our success story is just a circular journey, we’ll probably be a bit more connected inwardly and to others. Great talk to keep coming back to.
Jason Hennessey
Jun 16 2009
When we stop trying, we fail – A very powerful statement from an honorable man which, in my opinion, should be in the mindset of every businessman. Before reaching a successful business or any endeavor for that matter, billions of trial and error will come and test the foundation of the business or person. I do believe that engaging in business means you are involving yourself and your investment in a competition where only the tough remains and survives. Richard is a person full of experiences for him to say that success is not a one-way street. Successful businesses thriving in this economic downturn will always be an inspiration to my wedding company. Glad to watch his video in this post.
Krista A
Jun 18 2009
Right! His talk is something about a life%u2019s journey that for sure everybody can relate to. With this economic recession, lots of businesspeople are crumbling. A lot of people are looking for any economic indicators that there is some hope. Some economic indicators are slightly ridiculous %u2013 a sign that things like the gross domestic product, home prices, or unemployment rates are starting to increase or about to would certainly be a welcome change. Real GDP has shrunk, and a lot of people would love some cash now to float them through tough times. Most experts have predicted that recovery will begin at the end of 2009, and it will take patience and time, rather than quick cash and outlandish economic indicators.
Thyagarajan Venkatasamy
Nov 16 2009
Inspiring recent talk about continuing cycle of success by Richard St John. Though he mentioned the same thing in 2005, he had a brief lapse, got depressed and mentions about being on Prozac. Worth listening again and again. Is this not a typical human fallable nature?!
Thyagarajan Venkatasamy
Nov 16 2009
Inspiring recent talk about continuing cycle of success by Richard St John. Though he mentioned the same thing in 2005, he had a brief lapse, got depressed and mentions about being on Prozac. Worth listening again and again. Is this not a typical human fallable nature?!
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