Last week we were most fortunate to have Kevin Tomlinson (KevinTomlinson.com) as our featured Guest Expert.  In addition to having his best years ever in the worst of markets (Miami High-Rise Luxury Condos), he had a great deal of wisdom to share about success in general.

Here are some of the things he said that really stood out:

• Get smaller to get bigger (i.e. specialization works!);
   
• Success online is not rocket science, but it is a constant state of tweaking and improvement;
   
• If you say you are the expert (in a niche) then you had better be THE expert;
   
• If you currently are not THE expert —fake it till you make it!

What really came through loud and clear is that he is always learning and never afraid to try to improve what already works well.  Instead of looking at failures along the way as roadblocks, he sees them as stepping stones to ever greater success…

Success is not the absence of failure. Success is what happens when you choose to move on beyond failure. Learning what not to do is an important part of knowing what is most effective to do. Every mistake can spotlight a way to improve.

        Ralph Marston

If you are truly engaged and committed to what you do and specialize in, then the things you try that don’t quite work out as planned are merely interesting stops along the path to success.  Each one is a gift of insight as to what doesn’t work and a pointer to what likely will.  There are no shortcuts on this path, there never were.  As long as you let your passion and commitment be your guide, you will always be heading in the right direction, albeit with a few detours along the way.  Learn to enjoy them because they are the most effective teachers…