How to Manufacture Your Own Lucky Break

BY Tyler King Jun. 06, 2010 19 Comments

It seems like virtually all successful entrepreneurs have at least one story about how they caught a lucky break. They were in the right place at the right time and now they’re rich and famous.
It’s certainly true that luck plays a major role in almost all success stories, but that doesn’t mean that we should attribute success to randomness. Luck doesn’t just happen, it’s manufactured. Here are some ways you can manufacture your own luck:

Get started….now!

Lotto TicketDo you know what every lottery winner has in common? They all bought lottery tickets. Obviously I’m not suggesting you literally go out and buy a lottery ticket, but my point is that you can’t win a game if you don’t play.
The first step to success is getting started. You can spend all the time in the world planning and brainstorming, but your business can’t get lucky if it doesn’t actually exist.

Cast a wide net

When you’re fishing, the bigger your net is, the more likely you are to find an area with lots of fish. Finding fish is still somewhat random, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t stack the odds in your favor.
If you’re promoting your business, try as many different avenues as possible. In the end, you won’t care about the thousands of strategies that didn’t work — You’ll just care about the one strategy that did work.

Interact with as many people as you can

hand shakeMost stories about luck involve getting help from already successful people. If you’re a blogger, your lucky break might be getting a link from a major blog. If you’re in a band, you just need to make friends with the right producer. If you run a restaurant, one positive review from the local paper could be all it takes.

I’m really shy, so I’m not very good at traditional networking, but that doesn’t stop me from interacting with lots of people. I’m working to reach out by posting comments on blogs, contributing to message boards, and participating in social networking sites. The key is to be genuine. People can tell if you’re just trying to sell them something.

So what do you think? Is luck totally random, or is it inevitable if you take the right approach? I’d love to hear what you’re doing to manufacture your own lucky break in the comments. To get you started, I’ll tell you the most recent thing I’ve done to cast a wide net and interact with new people: I just guest posted on this blog.

Great Reads

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19 Responses to “How to Manufacture Your Own Lucky Break”

  1. Tom Reply Jun. 06, 2010 at 10:22 pm

    I had a professor who always said that luck favors the prepared mind (adapted from a Louis Pasteur quote). It’s since been something that I’ve become a firm believer in. As to what I’m doing, well, I just commented on your guest post…
    Tom´s last blog post: The Monday Comic My ComLuv Profile

  2. Murlu Reply Jun. 06, 2010 at 10:56 pm

    I really like the analogies of this post.

    Taking the first step is an interesting concept to think of. People are so afraid to fail so they never start but if you never start, you’ll always fail.

    I also agree that you need to spread your word out to as many as possible – don’t put your eggs in one basket. The more you can get a hold of, the higher chances you’ll have at finding that one break.
    Murlu´s last blog post: How To Make An Extra $20 Online Today My ComLuv Profile

  3. TeenBusinessForum Reply Jun. 07, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    Great great great topic. I definitely believe there is some type of luck at play in business. Many people that are not entrepreneurs just like to say… oh that person got lucky. But they fail to realize the countless hours they spent in manufacturing/creating their luck. I certainly believe networking and meeting people is one way to create your luck. There’s a great book that I read recently, Lucky or Smart, written by Bo Peabody. He founded Tripod, the original web publishing software that allowed anyone to create their own websites. In his book, he basically talks about how he got lucky but was smart enough to realize it.
    TeenBusinessForum´s last blog post: Certified Entrepreneur From NVTC Fasttrac TechVenture My ComLuv Profile

  4. Nabeel | Create Your First Website Reply Jun. 08, 2010 at 9:59 am

    There is a technique to making money online.

    A lot of people simply believe that ‘luck’ will be the only factor in their business.

    ‘…I hope someone buys…’

    Do you really believe you can run a business like that?

    What is needed for this business is hard work and solid understanding.

    Most website owners are too desperate to make money immediately.

    They do not understand the importance of the the relationship with their visitor.

  5. KS Chen Reply Jun. 08, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    In my opinion, sometimes we need some luck in our blogging journey. However, we cannot just depend on luck. We need to put effort on what we wish to do.

    Yet, like what you said, luck can be manufactured. I believe it. Thanks for your sharing!:)
    KS Chen´s last blog post: MyBlog2Day Contest – $800 Cash Prize and Premium Themes Giveaway My ComLuv Profile

  6. Shirley Osei-Mensah Reply Jun. 08, 2010 at 4:58 pm

    Even though luck is somehow in some businesses success, I don’t think the success of a business is solely based on that. I think the success of a business is based on many things including the points you outlined above, which are great ones :D , hard work, determination, planning, and a whole lot of other things :) .

    I think networking as you said, is a really critical thing in every business’ success :) .

    • Tyler King Reply Jun. 08, 2010 at 5:42 pm

      Thanks for the comment Shirley. I agree that luck is just one of many things that contribute to success. Unfortunately, advice about hard work and dedication is generally pretty uninteresting.

      It’s a shame, but that might be one of the most common misconceptions many aspiring entrepreneurs have. Blog posts (mine included) talk about tips and tricks and shortcuts, and it’s definitely a reality check when you get started and realize how much work is involved.
      Tyler King´s last blog post: Find better alternatives to your current software on AlternativeTo.net My ComLuv Profile

  7. Sebin Reply Jun. 09, 2010 at 5:48 am

    Im a firm believer of “you create your own luck” and this article seems to in par with it ! Just sitting in a corner waiting to let the luck hit you is not going to pay off ! You need to get out there and work !Anyway , Great Article Tyler !
    Sebin´s last blog post: 5 Alternatives to that E-book you are writing ! My ComLuv Profile

  8. Aaron Darko Reply Jun. 13, 2010 at 5:30 pm

    I agree with Sebin, you create your own luck for sure!

    You dont have to be great to get started but you have to get started to be great!
    Aaron Darko´s last blog post: Coach Deb Interview – How New Media Is Changing The Way We Do Business My ComLuv Profile

  9. Cec Reply Jun. 14, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    Your absolutely right, whilst planning for your business is good, it is really important to get yourself out there, so you can start promoting yourself ASAP. As for making contacts, it’s a really beneficial way to meet people that could become friends, or even potential customers or business partners! Great blog!

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