In searching for ideas to motivate my students at Self Defense Academy I came across the tale of the pencil.

Imagine an old master pencil maker standing in his workshop. He just finished crafting his finest pencil, and before placing it into the box to send it out into the world, he sets it on the workbench. He looks at it and says, ‘There are five things you need to know before I send you out. Remember them, never forget them, and you will become the best pencil you can possibly be.’

The five rules were simple:

  1. You will do great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone else’s hand.
  2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but it’s required to make you better.
  3. You will have the ability to correct the mistakes you make.
  4. The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.
  5. No matter what surface you walk on, you must leave your mark. You must keep writing.

The pencil listened, promised to remember, and went into the world with purpose.

Now, we aren’t pieces of cedar and graphite. We are business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs right here in Colorado Springs. But if we want to build businesses that last, we need to live by the exact same five rules.”

Lesson 1: Allow Yourself to be Held (Community & Trust)

“The first lesson: A pencil only does great things if it allows itself to be held in someone else’s hand.

In business, we love autonomy. We like being the boss. But the truth is, absolute independence is a myth(controversial statement about women). The greatest things we achieve happen when we allow ourselves to be supported by others—when we trust our team, when we partner with our clients, and when we lean on a network like this one. We are here at Pikes Peak Pros because we know we can’t write our success story entirely alone. To do great things, you have to open your hand and collaborate.”

Lesson 2: Embrace the Sharpening (Growth through Adversity)

“The second lesson: You will experience a painful sharpening.

Every single one of us has gone through a ‘sharpening’ season. Maybe it was a market shift, a lost contract, a business relationship gone south, or an economic downturn. It feels grinding. It feels like you’re losing a piece of yourself. But remember what happens to a dull pencil when it goes through the sharpener: it comes out refined, precise, and ready to work. Adversity doesn’t consume a true entrepreneur; it sharpens our edge. When business gets tough, you aren’t being destroyed—you’re being prepared for the next chapter.”

Lesson 3: Correct Your Mistakes (Agility & Accountability)

“The third lesson: You have the power to correct your mistakes.

A pencil is built with an eraser for a reason. In life therefor in business, perfection is a myth. You are going to make the wrong call, launch the wrong marketing campaign, or misjudge a situation. The difference between failure and growth isn’t the mistake itself; it’s the willingness to flip the pencil over, erase it, and begin to rewrite. True professionals don’t hide their errors; they own them, fix them, and pivot quickly. An error is just a rough draft for a better strategy.”

Lesson 4: It’s What’s Inside That Counts (Character & Core Values)

“The fourth lesson: The most important part of you is what’s on the inside.

A pencil can have a beautiful gold foil stamp, a bright coat of paint, and a pristine eraser. But if there is no lead inside, it is completely useless. In our businesses, the ‘paint’ is our branding, our fancy websites, and our social media metrics. All of that is great, but the ‘graphite’—the core—is our character, our integrity, and our commitment to service. When clients do business with us, they might be attracted by the paint, but they stay because of the substance on the inside. Keep your core values unshakeable.”

Lesson 5: Leave Your Mark (Impact & Perseverance)

“Finally, the fifth lesson: No matter what surface you are on, you must leave your mark. You must keep writing.

Some days in business, we are writing on smooth, easy paper. Everything clicks. Other days, we are trying to write on rough cardboard or uneven stone. The terrain changes. The economy changes. But our mission doesn’t. As professionals, our job is to leave a positive impact on every client we touch, every transaction we close, and every room we walk into. No matter how tough the surface gets, you don’t stop. You keep pressing forward, and you leave your mark.”

Wrap up

“So, let’s go back out into the market this week with a fresh perspective. Be willing to collaborate, embrace the sharpening, fix the missteps, guard your core integrity, and above all, keep writing your legacy.

Thank you, let’s have a great week of business!”