LIFE IS A DO-OVER, AND SO IT IS WITH BUSINESS

Lesson: We are lectured that life and business are full of failures, but we have to realize some of these failures may completely upend or even destroy everything you hold to be true, right, and solid. Then we must do a do-over!

Author

Jeff Martinovich
April 27, 2025

Lesson: We are lectured that life and business are full of failures, but we have to realize some of these failures may completely upend or even destroy everything you hold to be true, right, and solid. Then we must do a do-over!

This Lesson is an excerpt from my upcoming new release, ICARUS: From Zero to a Billion to Zero, Ash Press, 2026.

After receiving so many kind emails last week from people speaking of their own challenges and resurrections, I wanted to continue the theme to drive home the lesson that life truly is a do-over. Remember Mitch lecturing Phil in City Slickers that all is not lost even after Phil just lost his marriage, job, reputation, and more. By the end of the 2-week cattle drive, Phil finally realized this truism and committed to re-enter the competitive game of life with more courage, self-respect, and passion.

In our companies, I repeatedly lecture the entrepreneurs, “If you’re not having any failures, you’re not trying!” And, unfortunately or maybe fortunately, sometimes these failures are existential to our current careers, relationships, and life as we know it. Definitely for Phil, it was very fortunate in his life, even though it sure didn’t feel like it as he went through it.

I’d like to think the same about my own nuclear meltdown. Once the government knocked on our front door, seemingly overnight everything in my life was destroyed, or was it? I lost my billion-dollar investment company. My community reputation as the guy who took care of all the charities evaporated when every charity kicked me off the board, even the ones I started (I related to Lance Armstrong!). My significant net worth immediately went below zero with millions of millions in debt and restitution. The homes, automobiles, and anything of value were gone. Of course, the marriage collapsed, totally my fault. My debit card was declined over and over, most embarrassingly when taking my son to the grocery store. The hate mail was brutal. The 37 newspaper articles describing me as a fraud and a villain seemed surreal.

But as many of you know, the universe gave me the courage and strength to resist 3 separate plea offers to stand up for the truth, battle the federal government on my own, weather 7 years in a violent prison, and 7 years later to finally reverse the court decisions 5 times, remove two federal judges, and make it home.

Now, through most of the fire (it never truly leaves you), my life is a DO-OVER! A beautiful family, more business opportunities than I could have ever imagined, and a circle of long-time friends who are the best in the world.

I know so many others are battling huge challenges, and I use my story to hopefully let everyone see the impossible can be overcome, but many times it’s a long, long battle. I urge you not to give up but to literally take one day at a time. The universe won’t let you die, but it will give you the full limit of what it knows you can bear. Strangely, this makes you tremendously stronger than before. One day you will barely notice the subtle shifting of the tides, with a break going your way, and this momentum will build without you realizing why.

Please hang in there and give it a tremendous positive effort daily, at whatever level you can summon. Life and business are do-overs!