Nobody Can Stop You

Do you know why I made the title of my LinkedIn series of events "Startup Fundraising is easier than you think?"

Because nobody can stop you. You paid your dues. No one can take it away.

I heard Tyler Perry say that in the new documentary about his life.

He wanted to be a minister but failed his tryout sermon. Then he heard a voice say, "I have a bigger audience for you." He didn’t understand.

The first night of his first play in Atlanta they sold one ticket. By the end of the run only 30 people had bought tickets. But someone said, "This is good. I’ll invest."

To keep it going, Tyler acted in the play and did the lights, sold the candy, drove the truck. etc. All to save money. His friend said they would split a burger and he’d take half the fries. Tyler would take the other half… all the while Tyler was telling him he’d be rich someday.

Also, as a young man he said to his friends he was going to be friends with Oprah. They would laugh.

Meanwhile, back at his first play, he took the show out of town. A hurricane hit and nobody showed up. He had spent his last dime plus a loan from his mother. Now he was flat broke.

Then his luck turned overnight. A promoter saw the play and asked him to write a second play where Tyler had a tiny part as Madea. He got laughs. The next night he gave Madea a bigger part. Soon Madea became the star.

Tyler said when it it your time…nobody can stop you. At the height of his bad luck he told God, "I’m not doing this anymore." He heard a still, small voice say, "I am God. I tell you when it is over. You don’t tell me."

On the first night of his second play his costar did not show up. He had to play both parts. Tyler said, "When you walk into a season that is yours, I don’t care what is happening around you ... nobody can stop you."

The second play sold out. Soon he was doing 300 shows per year. 30,000 people each week were buying tickets.

Tyler said, "I wasn’t prepared because I had so many people tell me what I could never be. Nobody told me what I could be."

He built his movie studio in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Atlanta. At the opening Tyler said he did it, “So those kids could see that a black man did that and they can do it too... The studio was once a confederate army base which meant that confederate soldiers were on that base plotting and planning how to keep 3.9 million negros enslaved. Now that land is owned by one negro."

Everyone tells the founders of startups, "Raising money is hard. Venture capital is dried up. Don't even try."

I hope Tyler Perry's story will inspire you to NOT listen. Your luck can turn overnight, too.

I know that Startup Fundraising is easier than you think. I'd like to help you use your own ability to attract the investors that you need.

#startupfundraising #startups #TylerPerry