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Former presidential speechwriter, James C. Humes once said, “the art of communication is the language of leadership.”

When Rameet Chawla told me a story about how he once pursued a new employees for over a year, wining-and-dining them in a bid to tempt them away from their current job, and into Fueled’s ever-growing offices, he stopped me in my tracks.

Would you consider selling 500+ million books a success? Of course you would, and it takes a rather creative and smart individual to achieve it. JK Rowling is one of the most successful and celebrated authors of all time, but before her Harry Potter series grew into a global phenomenon, 12 publishers rejected her. Even the world’s most successful people fail. They make mistakes and suffer setbacks.

The rules have changed. You don’t need an office. You don’t need investors. You DO NOT need permission! Today, anyone with a good idea (and an addiction for success) can start their own business. Within a matter of months you can build a six-figure business. It takes dedication and commitment, as you already know, but another vital ingredient many forget about in the beginning (I know I did) is to involve others.

During the summer of 2010, I accidentally left my bag behind a friend’s car. We hopped in, she put it into gear, reversed, and then she said, “that’s weird, it feels like something is under the wheel.” Time froze. My draw dropped.

The American Dream is built around exactly that: a dream.

The life you live offers an array of lessons on a daily basis. Almost about everything you do, experience, see, hear, and feel provides you with lessons. These lessons offer you the means to grow and improve. But it’s easy to forget this as we race through life at an almighty pace.

“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” said Wayne Gretzky, one of the most successful Ice Hockey players of all time.

I bet you know someone who’s got an enviable Rolodex of successful entrepreneurs, investors, journalists and more. Makes you wonder, How do they do it? — right?

Did you start your business so you could scrape by and live hand-to-mouth for the rest of your life? Of course not. You want to thrive, not survive.

Validation… isn’t it something we all strive for? In our personal life, we seek validation from those we love. We need a pick-me-up. We need a helping hand and a few kind words. We often — for whatever reason, I do not know — seek validation from others (friends and strangers alike). We try to fit, stand out, and be unique, all in the name of validation.

“Hiring people is like making friends. Pick good ones, and they’ll enrich your life. Make bad choices, and they’ll bring you down,” says Jason Fried, the founder of Basecamp.

James Altucher says, ‘honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure.’ Well, I’ll be honest with you, mistakes hurt.