Back in January, when my friend Jay texted me about a job, he pitched me on the idea of being a customer success rep. I’d manage marketing projects and engage clients. The idea was sound and I was excited to take the position. I’d spent the previous three years my skills in project management and client relations. Then, a few weeks after my conversation with Jay, I say down with his partner Tim. And he pitched me a completely different job. After a few moments, my head began to spin as I realized this is a sales gig.

I hated sales. mostly because I was convinced I’d never be good at it. When I was 20, I was roped into selling second-hand telephone services door-to-door. That illustrious career ended after two days. More than a decade later, I tried sell fresh fish and walked out, mid day, a few months later. Not long after, I found myself hocking thin clients via phone to poor school districts, and then rapid app development to huge corporations like GE and Whirlpool. And at each stop, I felt like a loser, always at the bottom of the rankings, always struggling to keep up. And there I sat across from Tim, after months of prayer, listening to him describe a new sales role to me. And deep in my chest I knew this is the opportunity I wanted. Don’t run. Don’t self-sabotage.

It wasn’t until this week that I understood what truly bothered me about sales: the losing. And the losing happens a lot. The best sales people lose at least 50-60% of the time. But, they don’t back down. They cope and learn and go back out into the fray. And this is what all winners do. No champion is undefeated or unscarred. The difference between winners and losers is how they handle losing, because everyone loses. Winners use the disappointment and pain to regroup and improve. Losers lick their wounds and run from the next fight.

I’ve been a loser. I’ve run from many fights and battles because I didn’t believe I could win. So, I shrunk and hid behind rationalizations like sales isn’t my thing or that’s not my skill set. In truth, it’s about the winning and losing. And I hate losing. I hate that feeling of not good enough. And now, the Lord has given me the opportunity to laugh at those lies, everyday of my working life.